History surrounds The Reef
JOBURG - We think that is time for you to get to know inner city Johannesburg and we’re telling you about all that you can find there.
It was on 58 Anderson Street that City Buzz stumbled upon a rare treasure in the city – The Reef Hotel.
You may think that they’re all the same, but this block of sky-scraping wonder has a great history behind it and a bright future ahead.
City Buzz met with Yash Athawale, guest relations manager at The Reef, to find out more about the history of the building.
The site that is now The Reef Hotel was, before the 1960s, an office block occupied by lawyers.
Going back before that, the block was less than one kilometre from the site where the founders of the city found gold for the first time.
“In 1860, when they first found gold, it was just over there,” he pointed out the window towards the Standard Bank building on Simmonds Street.
“It used to be an operational mineshaft that has been converted. Fereirra’s Town ran from here to Commissioner Street and once the first gold was found, the first thing to pop up here was a hotel made of reeds and mud – literally overnight.
“After that, a barbershop came up and after that, a brothel. This is essentially where the city was developed first.”
Athawale explained that it was in the 1960s when the building was closed to the public. But renovations by property developer, Isaac Chalumbira, and hotelier, Gustav Krampe, began in 2009 in an attempt to create a hotel that would be the favour of business people and socialites in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup – and they did it.
The hotel is surrounded by a rich heritage, from the Bender’s Arms pub which has been around since Johannesburg City was built, to the Standard Bank building where history was literally made when gold was struck there.
What’s more is that Athawale treats guests to a guided tour around the area so that they can soak up the history, too.
The hotel has also gained some attention for the massive soiree’s they host on their rooftop entertainment floor, The Elevate – the same venue that was treated to the sounds of Twins on Decks for last year’s New Year’s Eve party.
With so much to learn about the city, there’s no reason not to get down to The Reef and check out where Johannesburg began.
Details: 011 689 1000; www.reefhotels.co.za
