An old picture of Durban's Royal Hotel probably taken at the turn of the last century.
The old picture this week feature Durban's Royal Hotel in Smith Street (today Anton Lembede Street) when it was still a single story structure. It was probably taken between 1905 and 1910 when motorcars first started making their appearance across Durban, and around the same time as the new City Hall was being built opposite it. It is from the Victorian State Archive in Australia.
The iconic hotel is the city's oldest operating hotel, having first opened in 1845. It was originally a wattle-and-daub trading store and tavern founded by Scottish sea captain Hugh McDonald and his brother Charles, it first opened as McDonald's Commercial Hotel on Market Square.
In 1860 Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Alfred, visited and dined at the hotel. He granted the hotel permission to use the "Royal" moniker, and owner Mr Wood officially renamed it.
The original structure was demolished in 1894 and rebuilt to keep pace with a booming colonial port city. This is probably the incarnation we see in the old picture. A new, elegant Art Deco facade was added to the building in 1928. The multistorey rear tower we see today was constructed in 1977/78. It has a swimming pool on the top deck.
