A majestic beachfront standout - IOL

A postcard of Durban's Fern Villa Hotel taken shortly after it's opening in 1912.

The old picture this week shows Durban’s Fern Villa Hotel standing alone on what was then the newly developed Oceans Beach. It was probably taken shortly after the hotel opened in 1912 and comes from Southern African nostalgia postcards.

The hotel was built by a pioneer of Durban’s beachfront, a Mrs. J.C. Young. She already owned and managed the 62 bedroom Fern Villa Hotel on the corner of Smith and Aliwal Streets but was keen to invest in the newly opened beachfront.

The foundations of the Edward Hotel had barely been dug when she purchased the plot next door and built a new Fern Villa. A year after the Edward had opened, the Fern Villa had opened  in 1912.

Her hotel had hot and cold baths, a lift, electric lights and a bus which fetched guests from all trains and steamers. 

After the war, the Fern Villa was sold to Mr E.T. Church in 1921. He renamed it the Majestic, enlarged it in 1928 by adding a new wing and a covered parking area. It now boasted 112 bedrooms and 20 luxurious suites.

The Marine Parade Garden Court today. The Fern Villa would have been on the left of the current hotel.

In 1932, Mr Church’s son took over the hotel on his death. It remained a leading hotel after the Second World War. The 1945 Lawries Directory lists the Marine, Edward, Majestic and Royal Hotels as some of Durban's leading hotels. 

By the early 1960s, some of its prestige had begun to fade. Guests expected private bathrooms with every room, not just the suites and the alterations required were prohibitive. In 1968 it was announced that the hotel would close with demolition to begin in March 1969. 

Today the site where the hotel once stood forms part of the larger site that is the Marine Parade Garden Court which was designed by architect Dexter Moren and built in 1985 for the cost of 45 million. In the mid-2010s the property underwent a modern restoration.