The Last Word Franschhoek recovering from Mother Nature’s wrath

“It was November 30 last year and I was out for dinner and none the wiser as to what was going on. Even when I came home, there was no sign of anything untoward. I live in a cottage on the hotel property, but it’s elevated, so there was no sign of the flood, even though it was so close.

“I received a call at 2am. A hotel guest was panicking, and saying that they needed to be air-lifted! I rushed through and saw the water, which I could see from the high water mark was already beginning to subside. Everyone was notified of what was going on and the guests were able to keep their luggage and valuables dry in the middle of their beds.”

The devastation left in the wake of the flood. Picture: Supplied.

Then began the considerable administrative chore of trying to salvage the situation.

“It was a nightmare trying to re-house people at 4am,” nods Flatow.

“Nobody was picking up the phone. And guests’ rental cars were also damaged, so they couldn’t leave. Some vented about South Africa being a third-world country and so on, but most were understanding – it wasn’t our fault.”

That’s fair, especially when considering the unlikely chain of events that led to the flood.

“There’s a little stream across the road from us,” explains Flatow, “and a little Wendy house had been washed into it by heavy rain. It became wedged in a curve and formed a dam, diverting the flow across the road and down our driveway, where it piled up against the front door.

“That was actually the problem – if we had seen that early enough and opened the door, the water would have flowed through to the pool and we could have contained the damage. As it was, Room 3 looked like something on the Titanic – there was a big pot in one corner of the room that somehow ended up in the bath.”

The devastation caused by the flood. Picture: Supplied.

The Last Word management chose to treat the disaster as a motivational tool.

“There were already plans to expand,” says Flatow, “but we couldn’t justify being closed for the winter. It would have had to be done in phases. With the flood, our hand was forced.

“We did have to exercise a little patience, as it all happened as the annual builders’ holiday started, and we didn’t want to be sitting, twiddling our thumbs. And with all the changes, it was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for a while, as we had to figure out how to fit in a staircase, where to put extra geysers and all of that.”

The hotel re-opened on April 3, a spectacularly quick turnaround, given that four brand new rooms were added to a six-room set-up that had to be rebuilt from scratch.

“We were insured for loss of revenue, but that only covers so much,” says Flatow with a wry smile. “Our interior designer had a spreadsheet of everything that was in the rooms before, so that saved time.”

The result is undeniably impressive, with the hotel retaining the charm and comfort that made it a popular destination before the flood, and the new upstairs floor being constructed in such a way that it never seems to loom over guests or detract from the intimacy of the location.

Better than ever. Picture: Supplied.