Latest news with #RitzHotel
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Let the memory live again: a trip through time as Sea Point's Ritz Hotel changes hands
The Ritz Hotel in Sea Point was sold this week. The new owners OKU Hotels buy not only a building but also over 50 years of memories. Image: Armand Hough "Memory, All alone in the moonlight, I can dream of the old days, Life was beautiful then, I remember, The time I knew what happiness was, Let the memory live again..." It was the 80s, just before Nelson Mandela was released from prison, close to the time of the-then apartheid president PW Botha's Rubicon speech, and about a decade before South Africa held its first democratic elections. Despite what it looked like on the outside, the wheels were moving, and the country was on its way to freedom. The Ritz Hotel Cape Town - a building from the 70s - still had all its glitz, a 'to-die-for' penthouse and some murder and mayhem. And Brian van Hansen was on piano. The restaurant was revolving and it was the talk of the town. Brian van Hansen playing the piano at the Top of the Ritz in the 80s. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Guests, dressed up, still smoked cigarettes and cigars indoors, and dined amid flickering candles, tuxedos and silky gowns at the Top of the Ritz, the name of the revolving restaurant where desserts flambéed dramatically at tables, recalls Van Hansen. It was all high-end, plush and - of course - it was the 80s so there was a bit of kitsch, he recalls. "Everyone wanted to go to the Top of the Ritz. It was the place to see and be seen. In advertising they used the fact that they had a resident pianist to attract visitors. They were great days,' says Van Hansen. Today, the Ritz is a far cry from the days Van Hansen remembers. @iolnews The Ritz Hotel is up for sale. This derelict Sea Point landmark has turned from icon, to eyesore in recent years. Since the pandemic, illegal occupiers have settled in the top few floors of the once-luxury hotel with breathtaking vistas. But the Revolving Restaurant may still get its turn again. Located on the popular Atlantic Seaboard, the Ritz Hotel Cape Town is on the brink of being sold for R240-300 million to either a Chinese or Russian company. VID: Armand Hough / Independent Newspaperschennal ♬ original sound - IOL NEWS It sits empty now, a Titanic of sorts in Sea Point. The building was condemned as unfit in 2022 after it was taken over by building hijackers including alleged drug dealers and sex workers during Covid. The hijackers were evicted a few years back after a long and arduous legal battle. Not the first legal battle the owners have had to fight. Now the only candles seen flickering at the hotel, say surrounding neighbours, is that of the odd unwanted guest who manages to slip past security and make the hotel their home for the night. This week, Spanish OKU Hotels - known to be one of the trendiest hotel groups internationally - signed the deal to buy the Ritz. It has its headquarters in Ibiza, Spain. They are a collection of boutique hotels focused on "laidback luxury, targeting modern travelers". OKU Hotels also has properties in other locations such as Bodrum, Turkey. The brand is known for its design-focused yet relaxed spaces. It has been a long negotiation between owners - the company of the Roffey Hurwitz families - and OKU Hotels, said Bruce Hendricks, MD of Hendricks Harmse Attorneys, one of the representatives of the previous owners and whose company is managing the Ritz Hotel building. New owners OKU Hotels is known for their imagination - for going into a more rundown part of town and becoming the most high-end hotel in the area. In OKU Ibiza they've done just that. Their hotel there, while unaffordable to the average traveller, has high occupancy but is also built in an area that's more - well - 'casual'. Their Cape Town acquisition - believed to be about R300 million - would have been something the late Barney Hurwitz - who owned the hotel before his death in 2017 - wanted. During a court case with Nicky van de Walt's company who had leased the hotel to jhooz it up in 2016 but then had to lawfully vacate it when they didn't pay rent, Hurwitz insisted the Ritz deserved 'a brand, not just some fly-by-night operation". Left: During the revamp and soft opening era of 2017/2018. Right: how it looks today. Image: Supplied The news of OKU Hotels acquisition was this week met with bewilderment. 'I can't possibly imagine what they'll do with the Ritz. It doesn't seem like an OKU vibe,' said one local. Can OKU Hotels turn the Ritz' poolside (right) into the magic they have created in Ibiza (left)....? Image: Instagram and Armand Hough But maybe they're forgetting the Ritz in its heyday. The days when Van Hansen, donned in tuxedo, would tickle the ivories. 'In those days our manager would go do the whole flambée thing at the side of the diners' tables. The women were petrified that their hair-sprayed big hairdos would go up in flames so they always made sure to move away from the performance.' Play us a song From his angle at the piano, Brian saw it all for the 11 years he played at the Top of the Ritz. Today, Van Hansen, who has made a career of being the pianist at the city's best hotels, can be seen playing at the exclusive One and Only Hotel while the city's other top-end hotel, Table Bay Hotel - where he is resident pianist - gets a revamp. The Top of the Ritz piano, 40 years ago, was at the entrance of the restaurant so it didn't move. In effect the restaurant revolved around Van Hansen and the piano, later painted blue - and of course the views, possibly the best in the area. "I had an ashtray and a cigarette at the ready near my piano," remembers Van Hansen.'When people passed me as the floor revolved - once every 45 minutes - they would light it up for me. There was also a big box where they could put in requests for songs, when it landed at me I would pick out a request. Brian Hansen at the Ritz Hotel in the 80s. Image: Supplied "I played 'Memories' on most nights. It was the most requested. And of course if I saw a woman wearing red I always played 'Lady in Red' - they always smiled at me when they realised it was about them. 'The food was exquisite - top end,' recalls Hansen. A walk through the empty hotel this past week with security guard Asive Kantyi revealed anything but glamour. Inside the Ritz today The only remnants of a meal at the Top of the Ritz was an empty old KFC box at one of the tables and a dead bird in the kitchen, probably flown in through one of the hotel's broken windows. Almost every floor in the building is at present condemned as unfit and visitors are warned in big writing not to enter certain floors. There is an eeriness to the hotel - without water and electricity, no working lift, puddles of indoor water and broken stairs. In Van Hansen's days it also had its own kind of eeriness: it was then infamous for the amount of suicides that took place in the building. Van Hansen recalls a sad death at the Ritz once, when someone fell from a high floor. The manager told him: "Don't look out the window and whatever happens keep playing the piano." And then there was the axe murder in room 1803. "It was a chilling thing, but as always the music had to go on,' says Van Hansen. He reveals how celebrities and sports stars frequented the hotel and restaurant and the popular night clubs on the ground floor during the mid 80s. 'When I had two days off - I couldn't wait to go back. I wanted to know what was happening while I was not there... there was always something." His one regret, he says, is that when Mandela stayed at the Ritz in 1990 shortly after his release from Victor Verster Prison, he never got to meet him. "I think he was staying in the penthouse. He didn't eat at the Top of Ritz as they kept things low key." The Ritz owner at the time, the late Barney Hurwitz - whose main business went on to become today's Netcare Hospitals - had in 1948 opened a pharmacy on the corner of High and Bree Streets in Fordsburg in Johannesburg. During that time it was reported that he befriended anti-apartheid activist Yusuf Dadoo. When Dadoo, Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada, were on the run from the security police, Hurwitz took them in and hid them behind a showcase in his shop, until it was safe to emerge. So it seemed fitting that in 1990, it was Hurwitz's Ritz - a place that Mandela could see from Robben Island - that housed Madiba for a few months after his release from prison. A place where dreams are made Van Hansen says it was the Ritz Hotel that got him on his journey as a professional hotel pianist - and it was all because of a conversation he overheard on Clifton beach one day. 'I was just 21, fresh out of compulsory army service, when I was on Clifton beach and overheard two people discussing how the Protea group had taken over the Ritz and they were looking for a pianist. "I didn't even wait to think. I grabbed my towel and ran to the nearest public phone and called the hotel and offered my services… the rest is history.' The Ritz certainly has been a place where dreams were made and where they were broken. One thing is for sure OKU Hotels has not just bought a bought memories too. Cape Town looks forward to see how this Spanish-based hotel group will be "puttin' on the Ritz". "If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, Why don't you go where fashion sits? Puttin' on the Ritz." Watch this space. Read the Weekend Argus on Saturday
IOL News
7 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
SOLD: The Ritz hotel in Sea Point has been sold to this international hotel group
After much speculation, the deal has been closed and the Ritz Hotel Cape Town has been sold to an international hotel group. The group is OKU Hotels, Bruce Hendricks, MD of Hendricks Harmse Attorneys, one of the representatives of the former owners and whose company is managing the Ritz Hotel building, confirmed. OKU Group has luxurious top-end hotels in both Ibiza and Cos and is known for their design. Think minimialist and slow living. It sells itself as a top-end company that specialises in "modernist beachside" accomodation. Its website says: "Our hotels in Ibiza and Kos showcase the best of modern bohemian design coupled with beachside flair. Natural textures teamed with local stone and wood, create inviting private sanctuaries and indulgent communal spaces where guests relax and switch off." The Ritz has stood empty for years, after an unsuccessful attempt at a soft launch in 2018. During Covid times it was taken over by building hijackers and the previous owners fought a long and arduous battle to get them removed. OKU Hotels has a slow living philosophy, and are committed to sustainability and focus on connection and preservation of the world and the community. As yet what will ultimatley become of the Ritz is still unkown. The sale price is still to be confirmed. The Hotel is presently in dissaray and condemned and it will take a lot of work to jhooz it up to some renmants of its former glory. Given Oku Hotels reputation, expect "inner peace" in "tranquil surrounding". South African developers were themselves vying for ownership. "It's a prime piece of property - 23 storeys which you won't be able to get approval for again in Sea Point - with some bulk available for extra development," said one agent.
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Inside Sea Point's Ritz Hotel: Big hopes, shattered dreams and no sale . . . yet, but almost
Security guard Asive Kantyi escorts us through the dilapidated corridors. The Ritz Hotel is up for sale. This derelict Sea Point landmark has turned from icon, to eyesore in recent years. Since the pandemic, illegal occupiers had settled in the top few floors of the once-luxury hotel with breathtaking vistas. Today the hotel is empty. But the Revolving Restaurant and the hotel may still get its turn again. Located on the popular Atlantic Seaboard, the Ritz Hotel Cape Town is on the brink of being sold for about 300 million. Image: Armand Hough/ Independent Newspapers A matric certificate lies in a pile of other materials in a room in the condemned Ritz Hotel in Sea Point. In another corner is a fire fighter certificate. Under an old duvet cover is a job rejection letter. During Covid the once glamourous Ritz Hotel was taken over by hijackers, alleged prostitutes, drug dealers and... an 88-year-old woman who walked 17 flights of steps a day to go to 'her' abandoned room in the building. A bulding, that even without water and electricity, completely rundown, and with almost no maintenance over the years, still boasts the best views in the city. It's no wonder then that there is an offer of close to R300 million on the table for it by a foreign hotel consortium - not Dutch, not Spanish, not French, not even from Europe, as has been widely reported. They have almost signed the deal, says Bruce Hendricks, MD of Hendricks Harmse Attorneys, one of the representatives of the owners and whose company is managing the Ritz Hotel building. It could be a done deal by Friday, he says. Or not. "Let's say it is about 80% there." The present owners - the Hurwitz and Roffey families - have been in no rush to sell the building. In one of the biggest evictions - Hendricks and his team were able to get the hijackers out of the building in 2022 leaving the place ready for a new owner - and bringing down the crime level in that end of Sea Point substantially, say some. Not quite a soft launch: a walk through The Ritz. Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers He says while there has been a lot of interest to buy the building over the years, the present contenders have been the most serious. Rising higher than most buildings in the hood - at 23 storeys - a walkabout inside yesterday revealed shattered dreams with glimmers of hope of a restoration to awaken its former glory days. Views from top of the Ritz Hotel Cape Town. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers You can't use the lift, so be prepared to climb 23 flights of stairs to be able to view the once glam revolving restuarant at the top. And you had best watch your step, even some of the marble stairs at the grand entrance hall are broken. The floors are strewn with bird feathers with some water puddles. Wallpaper with a quote from Nelson Mandela - who stayed at The Ritz after his release from Victor Verster Prison in 1990 - is half crumpled. "i walked out the door that led to my freedom... " The hotel has some legendary stories around it. Yet, even in its eeriness - dark passageways, concrete steps up 23 flights - you still gasp when you enter the once revolving restaurant on the highest floor: the views stretch across every angle of Sea Point. "I get many letters from people with stories about the hotel," says Hendricks. One man said he was conceived at the hotel, another recalls proposing at the restuarant. On social media old Sea Pointers have been reminiscing. It's an estate agents dream: Sweeping 360 views, conference facilities, a pool area, a restaurant... of course, it will be once it revamped. However the building lacks balconies, and while some windows are broken, we heard because of strong winds, some of the windows were made not to open. Like the Titanic of Sea Point - except not underground - tables and blue chairs are placed as though ready for business in the restuarant. On the floor lies an old invitation for a soft launch still in the time when Nicky van der Walt and his company had big dreams and a R120-million revamp in its pocket. Before the Cape Town High Court ordered Van de Walt and his company to vacate the building in July 2018, effectively halting the reopening. Inside the Ritz. Image: Vivian Warby
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: Ritz Hotel changes hands: Sea Point's modular marvel set for revival
The rumours are true: Sea Point's iconic Ritz Hotel has officially been sold, with reports placing the price tag between R240m and R300m. The 23-storey landmark, famed for its former 360° revolving restaurant, is set to be revitalised by its new owners — a French-Dutch consortium and a local property developer — who plan to breathe new life into the grande dame. Ash Müller, property broker and columnist for the Mail & Guardian, said the hotel's new owners are currently in consultation with architects and the City of Cape Town regarding the early planning and approval stages for the renovations. She added that the hotel originally included retail frontage as part of its mixed-use design, and that if this feature is retained, it would add significant value to the redevelopment. Modular design legacy Less widely known, said Müller, is that The Ritz was also an engineering marvel of its time. When it was constructed in the early 1970s, the 23-storey tower was one of the few buildings in South Africa to be built using modular construction — a pioneering technique at the time. Entire bedroom and bathroom units were pre-fabricated off-site, transported to the location, and craned into position. This method allowed for faster, more efficient construction while ensuring quality control in each unit. For the current developers, this structural modularity may present a strategic advantage. The building's compartmentalised design could simplify upgrades to plumbing, electrical systems, and smart infrastructure, without the need for extensive structural overhauls. It also offers a unique architectural narrative to build on — one that blends retro-modern engineering with the potential for sleek, future-forward innovation. As they breathe new life into this grande dame, developers have the opportunity to honour and amplify its original design legacy, reinforcing its place as a timeless icon on the Sea Point skyline, Müller said. This vision for the future is rooted in a rich and colourful past — one that shaped the Ritz into a symbol of Sea Point's golden era. Glamour and grandeur From its grand entrance in 1971, The Ritz stood as a beacon of sophistication—offering panoramic ocean views, upscale dining, and upscale entertainment. Its launch signalled an ambitious era of luxury for Sea Point, contributing significantly to the suburb's mid-century development and identity. In its heyday, The Ritz boasted an 80% occupancy rate, hosted vibrant nightlife including popular clubs - 'Paschas' and 'In‑Excess' -, and welcomed many celebrities and dignitaries, including Nelson Mandela following his release in 1990. In late 2017, Shimmy Luxury Collection (led by Nicky van der Walt) invested R120 m in a full refurbishment—revamping infrastructure, interiors, restaurants, lounges, pool deck, and reopening the revolving restaurant Key highlights included a glamorous lobby with gold-tone accents and marble; the addition of Top of the Ritz restaurant on the 23rd floor, and the opening of the Dom Pérignon Lounge on the 22nd floor; Hennessy Cigar Lounge on the 21st, and Casa and poolside dining on lower floors. Source: Supplied. The former revolving Top of the Ritz restaurant. Vacancy and fallout But The Ritz has its darker chapters too. The hotel's reputation was tarnished in the late 1980s amid rising crime and social issues in the area. It also gained notoriety for multiple suicide incidents, and a high‑profile axe murder in Room 1803 in 1993. Perhaps more devastating was the legal battle which erupted in 2018 between Ritz Plaza (the freeholder) and the management company, which resulted in a High Court order forcing the latter to vacate due to non-payment of fees. Despite grand reopening plans, the hotel never reopened publicly, and has remained vacant and deteriorating since then. Legacy meets progress But now with a change in ownership, there is renewed hope for the hotel's reputation as new life is not only being breathed into the building itself but into a neglected part of Sea Point, enriching the area's character and boosting its overall value, Müller said. Once a symbol of Sea Point's golden era, the revival of The Ritz Hotel—can be seen as one of many bold moves contributing to the area's ongoing transformation. In recent years, landmark refurbishments—such as the fire station restoration and elegant Victorian-era conversions—have reinforced Sea Point's revival, which has its roots as far as 2010 when the suburb gradually fell into neglect as development energy shifted to the newly built V&A Waterfront. Vacancies increased, infrastructure aged, and many buildings and businesses lost their appeal. A turning point came in 2010 with the Fifa World Cup and the construction of the Cape Town Stadium in neighbouring Green Point. These catalysed fresh interest in Sea Point's potential, attracting developers who began restoring neglected buildings and modernising the area. A major milestone was reached in 2015 when the Berman Brothers transformed the old Galleria centre into The Point, a modern mixed-use lifestyle hub. This R300m redevelopment signalled Sea Point's commercial comeback, spurring further upgrades along Main and Regent Roads. Sea Point rising Between 2017 and 2021, heritage restorations and high-end apartment blocks emerged, including the rejuvenation of Strand Beach apartments and the iconic Winchester Mansions Hotel. The establishment of the Sea Point City Improvement District (CID) around 2018 further accelerated improvements to safety, cleanliness, and urban management. Today, the suburb is a vibrant blend of heritage charm, coastal energy, and modern convenience, drawing residents, investors, and visitors alike, and the new and upcoming Ritz Hotel will be part and parcel of that offering. Its revival stands as a rare opportunity — not just to restore a local landmark, but to celebrate a bygone era while reimagining it for a new generation. 'Sea Point has many personalities — the more you explore, the more you discover these distinct nodes, each with its own energy. This particular area has been tired for some time, and it's clearly been waiting for an upgrade. "I truly believe this project will add significant value,' Müller said. In Sea Point's ever-evolving story, the grande dame is poised to reclaim her place — this time, with one foot in the past and the other firmly in the future. All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Euronews
20-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Pan Am plane lands in Lisbon on luxury flight for aviation nostalgics
If you saw a Pan Am aeroplane in the skies over Lisbon this week, you weren't seeing a ghost. A special commemorative Pan Am flight passed over the Portuguese capital on Thursday. The plane, which was flying the Tracing the Transatlantic route, landed yesterday evening at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, where it will remain until Saturday. This flight attempts to recreate the company's historic routes. It left New York on Tuesday, then passed through Bermuda before arriving in Lisbon. Also on the itinerary are the cities of Marseille in France, London in the United Kingdom and Foynes in Ireland. Its return to New York is scheduled for 28 June. In the Portuguese capital, passengers stayed at the Ritz Hotel and experienced an evening of fado music. This is a dream trip for those nostalgic for the golden days of transatlantic aviation. The 50 or so passengers are travelling in business class, eating chef-cooked meals and drinking at an open bar, just like in the old days. All, of course, served by stewardesses in the company's iconic blue uniform. The price of the tickets also predates the era of low-cost aviation, around €52,000 per person. Even so, those responsible for organising the nostalgia trip say they weren't difficult to sell. Pan American World Airways used to be the largest US airline operating international flights, but went bankrupt in 1991. Then, last year, businessman Craig Carter and other investors bought the brand. For now, they're reviving it by selling merchandise and luxury travel experiences like this one. For this first trip, they used an Icelandair aeroplane, which was suitably adapted, and also the company's crew. Air India is facing disruptions following last week's fatal crash as additional safety inspections on its Dreamliner fleet have led to flight delays, cancellations and growing passenger anxiety. India's aviation safety regulator ordered deeper checks on Boeing 787 aircraft operated by the airline soon after its London-bound flight crashed during take-off in Ahmedabad city on 12 June, killing at least 270 people, including 241 passengers and crew. The precautionary inspections, as well as the closure of airspace in some Middle Eastern countries, have strained Air India operations across domestic and international routes. Since the crash, Air India has cancelled operations for 83 wide-body flights, including 66 Dreamliners, according to data shared by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation safety regulator. In a statement late Wednesday, Air India said wide-body aircraft service would remain curtailed by 15 per cent until mid-July because of the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and the additional inspections. The airline said it would inform affected passengers and try to accommodate them with alternate flights. The 'curtailments are a painful measure to take, but are necessary,' the airline said. The airline is performing an even greater number of checks than required, which has had a cascading impact on operations, a company executive familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorised to speak to the media. The airline said in its statement that it has decided to also inspect all of its Boeing 777 aeroplanes in its fleet, even though that model wasn't involved in the crash. The cuts in the flight schedule will allow Air India to keep more planes in reserve to deal with any unplanned disruptions. The company on Tuesday announced the cancellation of multiple flights, including one from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. Another flight from Delhi to Paris was cancelled when a mandatory pre-flight check raised an issue, the airline said in a statement. The issue was not identified. In a statement Tuesday, the aviation directorate said surveillance conducted on Air India's Dreamliner fleet so far has found no 'major safety concerns.' The aircraft and their associated maintenance systems were found to be compliant with existing safety standards, the directorate said, adding that of the 33 planes, 24 have completed the inspections, while four were undergoing long-term maintenance. The rest were expected to finish the safety checks soon. The regulator advised the airline to 'strictly adhere to regulations," and asked it to strengthen internal coordination across engineering, operations and ground handling units and ensure adequate availability of spares to mitigate flight delays. Experts from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are probing the crash with assistance from the UK, the US and officials from Boeing. Some aviation experts see the crash as a temporary setback for Air India as it transforms from a financially troubled state-owned carrier to a privately owned company with ambitions for broad expansion. 'If you ask me whether the accident will derail the ambitious growth plans, no way. There can be no looking back,' said Jitender Bhargava, a former Air India executive director. The company has already placed huge orders for new aircraft. Its present challenge is to boost the morale of employees and passengers through confidence-building measures, Bhargava said. 'The faster you make people forget this one-off accident, the better it is,' Bhargava said. Indian conglomerate Tata Sons took over Air India in 2022, returning the debt-saddled national carrier to private ownership after decades of government control. The $2.4 billion (€2 billion) deal was seen as the government's effort to sell off loss-making, state-run businesses. It was also in some ways a homecoming for Air India, which was launched by the Tata family in 1932. Since the takeover, Air India has ordered hundreds of new planes worth over $70 billion (€61 billion), redesigned its branding and livery and absorbed smaller airlines Tata held stakes in. The company has additionally committed millions of dollars to digital overhauls of aircraft and refurbishing the interiors of more than five dozen legacy planes.
