{"id":853061,"date":"2026-03-15T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=853061"},"modified":"2026-03-13T16:52:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:52:47","slug":"inside-the-iconic-south-african-hotel-which-billionaire-johann-rupert-restored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/property\/853061\/inside-the-iconic-south-african-hotel-which-billionaire-johann-rupert-restored\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the iconic South African hotel which billionaire Johann Rupert restored"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BusinessTech visited the 5-star Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet, which was bought and restored by the Rupert Family. It was truly exquisite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Drostdy Hotel dates back to 1804, when Louis Thibault designed Old Drostdy, which served as an official residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Drostdy hosted many notable figures over the years, including Lord Charles Somerset and Sir Rufane Donkin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1819 to 1847, it was home to the local magistrate, and it changed hands on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in 1878, Henry Kromm breathed new life into this historic gem, transforming it into Kromm\u2019s Drostdy Hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the turn of the century, the building underwent a remarkable transformation, donning a Victorian facade that still graces it today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1975, Historical Homes of South Africa took the helm, embarking on a restoration journey that breathed fresh life into the Drostdy Hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical Homes of South Africa was founded by Johann Rupert\u2019s father, Dr. Anton Rupert, who was one of South Africa\u2019s top businessmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, the Rupert Family Foundation bought the Drostdy Hotel and reopened it two years later, after extensive and sensitive renovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel was donated to SA College for Tourism (SACT), which provides hospitality training for young women from impoverished rural backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SA College for Tourism was also founded by Anton Rupert to empower marginalised, unemployed, rural, and peri-urban youth in the hospitality industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comprehensive 2012 refurbishment elevated the hotel to a prestigious 5-star level while preserving its historical charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Drostdy Hotel serves as a symbol of Graaff-Reinet\u2019s rich heritage and cultural significance, attracting travellers from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also the crown jewel of the Rupert family’s long-standing commitment to heritage preservation in Graaff-Reinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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BusinessTech visited the iconic Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet in March 2026, and it remained in pristine condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel blends modern features one would expect from a top hotel with the historic fabric, which was maintained during the renovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The property is spread across distinct historic precincts, including Stretch’s Court, which features restored 19th-century workers’ cottages that now serve as luxury rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The repositioned \u2018slave bell\u2019 remains a central historical feature at the end of the street, which features the row of cottages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Drostdy Hotel offers 48 luxury rooms, three swimming pools, a fine-dining restaurant, and the Imibala Gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel also includes a wine shop showcasing Rupert & Rothschild wines and an art gallery that serves as a platform for local artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service at the hotel was top-notch. The staff was friendly, well-trained, and ready to help visitors with whatever they needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also a very interesting place to explore. The Drostdy Hotel is packed with art and history, which tells the story of Graaff-Reinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the hotel showed why many guests describe it as a living museum that feels both upscale and cozy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The De Camdeboo restaurant served excellent food at a reasonable price. It also offered a great selection of wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It specializes in authentic Karoo food, using locally sourced seasonal ingredients like Karoo lamb and beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel has an Africology Spa with a unique Himalayan salt sauna. The service was professional and the setting and d\u00e9cor beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photos below come from BusinessTech\u2019s recent trip to the Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet photos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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BusinessTech visited the 5-star Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet, which was bought and restored by the Rupert Family. It was truly exquisite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":853062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12755],"tags":[24943,24942,22232,4666,24944],"class_list":["post-853061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property","tag-dr-anton-rupert","tag-drostdy-hotel","tag-graaff-reinet","tag-johann-rupert","tag-sa-college-for-tourism-sact"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=853061"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":853092,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853061\/revisions\/853092"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/853062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=853061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=853061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=853061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}