THE Parkview Hotel in Durban has received a major facelift.
The hotel has been repainted and areas spruced up, leaving manager, Hennie Kruger delighted with the outcome.
According to Michael Ayres, manager of the hotel and chairman of the board for many years, Carl Erasmus owned the hotel from when it was built before the war, and afterwards, Trusthouses Forte, which owned three hotels, leased the hotel from Erasmus. It was one of the first prestige hotels in Durban at the time.
Michael said the hotel was linked with the Edward through Trusthouses Forte and the old revolving door from the Edward, through which a lot of famous people and royalty passed, was moved to Parkview. Thatcher’s, the well-known bar at Parkview, was named after Margaret Thatcher.
In 1986 when overseas companies disinvested in the country, they pulled out and a board of executives and two bankers bought the hotel and took over the lease.
From then they slowly started changing the hotel to an old age home, and sold off rooms over three years, until it became a retirement home in 1989.
“There were still perks such as a driver who parked residents’ cars. It was very grand in those days! Rooms were utilised on the commercial side to create income if residents died and their rooms were sold. It is not a commercial hotel,” he said.
Hennie joined Parkview as a consultant two years ago, to see if he could assist in upgrading the hotel, and ended up joining as manager.
“The hotel was quite dilapidated in 2013, and we have made long strides in making some progress,” he said.
The rooms are a mix of modern decor and antique, which were maintained in their original state, and an in house agent controls rentals and sales of rooms.
The dining room is available for residents, but some rooms are fitted with kitchenettes for those who are self-sufficient.
The rooms are fully maintained and cleaned by staff every day and residents still have the luxury of room service!
There is a clinic run 24/7 staffed by sisters and nurses and a doctor visits once a week. There is also a frail care division.
The hotel also boasts a lounge area, pool area and hairdresser, and has two conference rooms, which are booked out on request.
“We’re very fortunate to have Parkview the way it is now. Everything around the building is deteriorating, but the facelift has made such a change, it is amazing!” said Hennie.
