Historical haven in Irene
I’ve had to strategise all my travel plans for 2020. With coronavirus running rampant, my well-planned Asia trip has taken a back seat. Even the thought of getting on the Gautrain to the airport has become unappealing. My strong imagination has me paranoid, wondering if the person seated next to me on the train might just let out a sneeze exposing the whole compartment to an incurable virus. Sounds silly but this virus has got many people wondering if any of us will ever get to experience our dream holidays.
Better to look closer to home. This brings me to the northern suburbs of Irene, Pretoria, where a hidden gem is the River Meadow Manor Hotel. A mere 40 minutes on the highway, it’s nearby two major cities and not far from OR Tambo International Airport.
Owner of the River Meadow Manor is hotelier and graduate of the Cape Town Hotel School, Siyanda Dlamini.
The hotel has a colourful history as it was originally one of the homes of Commonwealth statesman and military leader General Jan Christiaan Smuts. The cynic in me giggles at the thought of a building owned by a former segregationist is now, not only open to all races but run by the people who were never permitted to walk, let alone live, in the area. None the less it’s a remarkable property.
Built in 1920s in the Dutch architectural style of the time, Dlamini has stuck to the original design and not interfered with the historical elegance of the hotel’s façade.
It’s adorned with many large wooden framed windows, with muted neutral tones on the walls and delicately furnished interiors. The visual marvel is further enhanced by the very lush and freshly cut lawns in the peaceful surrounds. You can’t help but feel as though you’ve been transported to a bygone era.
The property is a fusion of past and the present. Dlamini, who was born and bred in Pietermaritzburg, added this hotel to his list of property procurements. Having previously been at Protea Hotels as a general manager, he made it his mission to become the face of transformation in the local hospitality industry by the age 25. He’s commonly known by this title on the hospitality scene. This may not seem like groundbreaking stuff, but to be a director of a hotel at, age 33 is an achievement. Dlamini has a good eye for a business and describes the manor as a thrilling acquisition. “It has been a family-run operation for years and I look forward to continuing the personal touch that has resonated
through the hotel.”
This year he wants to add a multipurpose conference centre and a romantic wedding chapel, the hotel is frequently booked out for wedding receptions and has gardens that provide picturesque landscapes for phtos.
Dlamini is a believer in development, not only in the hotel space, but of the youth and upskilling.
Perhaps the valuable lesson to learn from him is that although South Africa has a dark past, we can take the elements that work, fuse them with the present and build beautiful businesses for the future. This is evident in the social inclusion that has developed from the way the hotel is managed and in the multicultural staff contingent.