History of Swartberg Hotel in Prince Albert

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW THE SWARTBERG HOTEL GOT ITS NAME

The Swartberg Hotel has been in use as a hotel for over 150 years, and today is a national heritage site – but it wasn’t always known as the Swartberg Hotel, so we’ve put together this brief and definitely incomplete chronology of how it got its name.

1864

Founded by local resident John Dyason, who records show bought a large building between Church St and Market St, which became the first hotel in town.

1864

1878

Dyason dies, but according to his will allows his widow to continue living in the hotel.

1878

1881

After 3 years, the hotel is finally sold to Mrs M. E. Eksteen, who renames it the ‘Eksteen Hotel’.

1881

1885

The hotel is acquired by Jan Haak, who changes its name to the ‘Prince Albert Hotel’, although locally it was known as ‘Haak’s Hotel’.

1885

1919

The hotel is sold to a Mr L. Levenson, who renamed it ‘The National Hotel’.

1919

1947

The hotel is sold to Mr. M. D. J. Odendal and Mr. I. D. du Plessis.

1947

1952

Odendal and du Plessis build the rondavels (our Garden Cottages) behind the hotel and gave them each the name of a pass or kloof in the Swartberg mountain range. The hotel’s name is also changed to what it is today, ‘The Swartberg Hotel’.

1952
Picture of Swartberg Hotel
Swartberg Hotel

Typically replies in a few hours