Historic 5-star hotel in South Africa sold – with everything inside up for auction
The historic Illyria House in Pretoria has been sold, and all its contents are going under the hammer at the end of the month.
The home was built in 1940 by Ockert Vermeulen, before being bought and restored in 1992 by Marietjie and Pieter van der Walt.
Originally bought by the Van der Walts as a home for their daughters, the building was eventually converted into Pretoria’s first five-star hotel.
While being restored, the property was filled with historic antiques, including European furniture and paintings.
The collection of vintage items in the building is largely due to Marietjie van der Walt, who travelled extensively, bringing home a variety of unique pieces.
Today, Illyria House is a bespoke hotel with six luxury suites and six classic rooms, each with its own style and influence based on different parts of the world.
Its honeymoon accommodation, the Catharina suite, was previously selected as the number one honeymoon suite in the country by the South African National Broadcasting Corporation.
Other rooms include the Elizabeth and Magdalena suites, which are furnished with Victorian and French antique furniture, respectively.
While the rooms have historic inspiration, they also come equipped with modern luxuries such as air conditioning and a minibar.
“All suites are exquisitely furnished in white and cream décor with antique furniture and embroidered cotton linen,” Illyria House said on its website.
“They are equipped with air-conditioning, private bathrooms, remote-controlled satellite television, telephones, mini bars, coffee & tea making facilities, hairdryers, dressing gowns and slippers.”
Over the years, the luxury of Illyria House attracted many prominent guests, including diplomats, royalty, and Nelson Mandela.
The bespoke luxury hotel has received acclaim over the years, including recognition from respected bodies such as the Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards and the LTG Food and Drink Awards.
It has also won several awards from TripAdvisor and was named the best hotel in Pretoria by the group in 2013.
Everything must go
Recently, Illyria House was sold, and all its contents have been put up for auction by Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers (OldJWAuctioneers).
“Marietjie has now sold the buildings to new proprietors, and the entire contents of Illyria House are going under the hammer,” the auctioneers said.
In total, over 500 lots are being auctioned by the group on 31 October, including several pieces of vintage furniture and artwork.
“From back door to front, all antique furniture, Oriental pieces, elaborate mirrors, lamps and lights, art, verdure tapestries, silver, glass and crystal, planters, garden furniture, carpets and more are to be sold,” OldJWAuctioneers said.
The items on offer include smaller decorative pieces such as French candelabras and terracotta vases, as well as larger pieces of solid-wood engraved furniture.
There are also vintage paintings and tapestries from several periods and regions, including France and China.
“Every one of the more than 500 lots carries a piece of the hotel’s story,” OldJWAuctioneers said.
While many items have a starting price under R1,000, some lots will start the bidding at over R100,000, with estimated values even higher.
One of the most expensive items, a large antique Oudenaarde tapestry, has a starting bid of R390,000 and an estimated value of up to R800,000.
Other high-ticket items include a set of four original French Louis XVI giltwood armchairs from the 18th century, with a starting bid of R160,000, and sets of Bohemian crystal stem glasses, each starting at R75,000.
Among the more unusual items at auction are a Chinese canopy wedding bed, starting at R14,000, and an antique Victorian cast iron baby cot, starting at R950.
Photos of Illyria House
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