Page 116 - KBHA BULLETIN 5
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George Koenig
George Koenig had been in hotels all his life and had started in the Royal Hotel in Plein Street,
Cape Town before the First World War. He died in 1952 and his son Arthur ran the Majestic
until the late 1960s. Arthur did internal renovations in April 1955. Under architect Bright Fraser
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he converted 18 single bedrooms on the 1 and 2 floors to 5 double bedrooms (Plan 107001.)
The hotel was sold to Barbary Coast Hotels (mid 1968) and two members of staff who had
served considerable periods of time then retired. They were Dan Dawson who had been head-
waiter for 45 years, and Mr. Katt who had run the off-sales at “die Klipkantientjie” for 35 years.
Arthur Koenig died in 1974 and his widow emigrated to Canada.
Barbary Coast Hotels ownership did not last long and the hotel was placed under liquidation in
July 1970. The liquidators were David J. Rennie of Walter Goldberg Trust and David Glaum of
Cape Trustees and Executors. The hotel at that stage had 61 rooms and a Municipal valuation of
R257,300. (Land R62,970 and building R194, 370.) The future of the Majestic then followed that
of the New Kings. In 1972 it was sold by public auction for R149,000 to Mr. D. Tabatznik, a
Johannesbury businessman, who intended to convert it into a luxury old-age home. (Cape Argus,
1972.) It became a government sponsored old age home and later a centre for physically and
mentally challenged persons.
Life Care Special Health Services (Pty.) Ltd. were owners from 13 June 1990 (D.T.33650) to
2000 whereafter sponsorship was severely reduced (236 sponsored patients in total from the New
Kings and Majestic were reduced to 75 patients.) This resulted in the complex no longer being a
viable undertaking and it was closed.
The Future?
The whole of the New Kings – Majestic site is zoned for residential purposes. Plans for the sub-
division and re-zoning of the site have been drawn up by Revel Fox and Partners. These plans
propose to retain the Annex, to demolish the 1925 extensions to the Majestic in order to shrink it
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