The oldest licensed hotel in South Africa

Located between the towns of Grabouw and Caledon lies South Africa’s oldest hotel, which once served as a toll gate on the wagon road from Cape Town to the country’s eastern interior.

The Houw Hoek Hotel served as a resting point for those travelling from Cape Town over the Houwhoek Pass by ox wagon.

According to one traveller, Dr H Lichtenstein, after traversing the rough slopes of the pass, commuters required a place to stop and let their animals rest.

He says this is where the name Houw Hoek came from as travellers had to hold or “Hou” their wagons while resting.

However, this is contested, as another has claimed that the name is derived from the Khoi word for cattle, “Hou”, given that they farmed there.

English explorer and naturalist William Burchell recorded in 1811 that he came across it on his travels, where a Hollander provided supplies and accommodation.

He was referring to Arie Jacob Joubert, who lived on the Arieskraal farm with his wife.

The ground floor of what was then the Houw Hoek Inn was built in 1779, right next to the road at the foot of the pass.

This road eventually became known as the High Road to Grahamstown when the British settlers arrived on the Eastern Frontier.

Traffic began to pick up in the 1830s when Sir Lowry’s Pass, which crosses the Hottentots Holland mountain range, opened, and the Houw Hoek Pass revamp soon followed.

This meant that it had to compete with the Somerset West Village, which could house 100 people and had six canteens.

However, it became licensed in 1834, making it the oldest licensed inn in the country.

The establishment changed ownership in 1848 when a Mr Beyers, who was a former missionary, took the reins.

That same year they gave birth to their daughter and planted a blue gum tree to commemorate the birth. It is 11.2 metres in circumference today.

He eventually decided to add another level to the establishment in 1860.

The following year, British fashion designer Lady Duff Gordon visited the inn on her way to the Caledon Spa. She described her experience as follows:

“We got to Houw Hoek, a pretty valley at the entrance of a mountain gorge, about half past five and drove up to a mud cottage, half inn, half farm, kept by a German and his wife,” she wrote.

“While the neat old woman was cooking it, up galloped five fine lads and two pretty flaxen-haired girls, with real German faces, on wild little horses; and one girl tucked up her habit, and waited at the table, while another waved a green bough to drive off the swarms of flies.”

“The chops were excellent, ditto bread and butter, and the tea tolerable.”

In 1902, the railway to Caledon, which passed the inn, was opened and lunch was often served to commuters on the platform.

The Houw Hoek Hotel today

Now a far more convenient 80-kilometre drive from Cape Town, the three-star Houw Hoek Hotel offers far more than a warm meal and overnight stay.

The hotel itself has two restaurants: its traditional dining room and its Loggia, which is only open on special occasions and for Sunday morning breakfasts.

Guests who are fans of the outdoors have access to a putt-putt course, a volleyball court, two padel courts, two swimming pools, a boules court, mountain biking trails, and hiking trails.

Those who prefer to stay inside can play a round of virtual golf, table tennis, pool, air hockey, and darts.

There are also jungle gyms, jumping castles, water slides, and a trampoline for younger guests.

Visitors also have access to the Ginko Spa on the premises, which offers an extensive number of treatments, including access to a Turkish steam chamber and heated indoor pool.

The Houw Hoek Hotel also has several conference rooms that can accommodate anywhere between 2 and 250 delegates.

These areas can also serve as wedding venues, with the most popular being The Barn, which can fit up to 150 guests, and the Ou Kaapse Hoek, which can fit 250.

There are also two electric vehicle charging stations for those making the commute in an EV.

More images of the Houw Hoek Hotel