The small hotel in the middle of nowhere that has its own shopping mall
In the remote Northern Cape town of Williston, a small guesthouse has its own shopping complex, restaurant, bar and theatre.
Known as Ark Guesthouse, the property combines accommodation with a collection of shops, food outlets and unusual art displays.
It is run by two artists who have turned the grounds into a creative space for travellers passing through the Karoo.
Williston lies in the Upper Karoo, near the Sak River. The surrounding district covers more than 13,000km², with sheep farming forming the backbone of its agricultural economy.
The town’s history dates back to 1768, when Johan Abraham Nel settled with his family near a spring along the Sak River.
He planted an almond tree to mark the birth of his son, which became a landmark in the dry landscape. The settlement was subsequently known as Amandelboom, Afrikaans for almond tree.
Swiss missionary Johann Heinrich Lutz established a Rhenish mission station there in 1845. The town was later renamed Williston in honour of Colonel Hampden Willis, the Cape Colony’s Colonial Secretary.
Williston is also known for its historical buildings, including the sandstone Dutch Reformed Church completed in 1912.
Its construction reportedly cost £8,000, with stone transported by donkey cart from Matjiesfontein via Sutherland.
Other local attractions include the remains of an Anglo-Boer War blockhouse, traditional corbelled houses built from local stone, and a Tombstone Route featuring intricately carved sandstone gravestones.
The guesthouse with its own shopping mall
Ark Guesthouse, also known as Ark Gastehuis, occupies a building originally built in 1905 as a girls’ boarding school.
The building has since been converted into a guesthouse, with the owners incorporating art, vintage objects and rustic decorations throughout the property.
The accommodation has eight individually styled rooms, with rates ranging from R1,000 to R2,000 per night.
Guests have access to a communal splash pool, a lounge with books, board games and puzzles, and a braai area. The grounds also contain a craft shop and a carnival-style games area.
The Williston Mall forms part of the guesthouse grounds and offers a mix of shops, food outlets and entertainment.
Visitors can stop at the coffee shop for cappuccinos or breakfast, or visit the restaurant for traditional Karoo-style meals. The complex also has takeaway stalls, a succulent nursery and a children’s play area.
This part of the property also features the Junkyard Theatre, which has a small stage for performances.
Much of the property’s character comes from its unusual decorations. The walls and courtyard feature old bicycles, radiator grilles, hubcaps, tin advertising signs, kettles, pots and other household items.
There are also collections of old number plates and bottle tops, as well as various sculptures. One particularly striking display is a red Jaguar E-Type embedded in the ground.
Signs around the property add to its quirky character. One distance marker lists destinations such as Berlin and Pofadder, as well as the moon.
Photos of the Ark Guesthouse
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