[imagesource: The Heritage Portal]

Johannesburg’s Carlton Hotel stands as a haunting relic, a mothballed hotel that embodies both the glory of downtown Jozi’s past and the shadows of its present.

It used to serve as a powerful metaphor for the pinnacle of international style, luxury, and aspiration in the city. Once a vibrant hub, the Carlton was where Johannesburg proudly proclaimed its status as a world-class city during the dynamic decades of the seventies and eighties.

But it was only once that it was at the height of luxury in South Africa, having now stood empty for over two decades with plans to sell it repeatedly falling flat.

The Carlton Centre, including the hotel, is owned by Transnet and has repeatedly been up for sale with no bidder being successful, Daily Investor notes.

The ports and rail utility is now set to breathe new life into the hotel, envisioning its transformation into affordable housing in the heart of the city. Plans also include leasing ground-floor space to Shoprite, while Foschini’s Jet and Skipper Bar stores are already making their mark on the bustling ground level.

Opened in 1972, the Carlton Hotel was a true marvel, boasting over 600 opulent rooms spread across 31 stories, a stunning rooftop pool, multiple fine dining restaurants, and upscale retail stores.

However, this iconic structure wasn’t the first to grace the site. The original Carlton debuted in 1902, funded by mining magnate Barney Barnato. Envisioned as a grand, world-class luxury hotel complete with a theatre, its launch was delayed multiple times due to the Anglo-Boer War, resulting in a grand opening without the much-anticipated theatre.

Even so, the six-story hotel was hailed as the finest in Africa, featuring a telephone in every room and an innovative early version of air conditioning.

Many a celeb walked through its doors for a stay, including King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in 1947.

When the original hotel was demolished in 1963, South African Breweries (SAB), flush with cash, saw a chance to replace the old Carlton with a new hotel where the former Castle Brewery had been located on Main and Kruis Street.

The new hotel quickly evolved into a collaborative venture among some of the country’s most influential businesses, with Harry Oppenheimer—then chair of Anglo-American—playing a pivotal role. Oppenheimer inspired SAB to dream even bigger, envisioning a sprawling multi-purpose development akin to New York’s iconic Rockefeller Center.

With this ambitious vision in mind, Anglo and SAB began acquiring land in the area, ultimately amassing five and a half city blocks for their grand project. With the city council’s approval, the two companies seamlessly merged their land holdings into a single superblock dedicated to the centre.

The modern Carlton Centre, constructed at a staggering cost of R88 million in the 1960s, featured a remarkable fifty-story office tower—the tallest in Africa at the time—alongside a luxurious thirty-story hotel. In addition to these impressive structures, the complex boasted a five-story Garlicks department store and a sprawling public plaza, which housed a two-story underground shopping centre with 140 stores.

In 1969, before the project was even completed, Anglo American acquired SAB’s stake, solidifying its control over this iconic development. As the new Carlton Hotel became known as the finest hotel in Africa after opening in 1972, it hosted famous faces like Henry Kissinger, French President Francois Mitterrand, Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, and Whitney Houston over its 25 years of operation.

The Heritage Portal notes that “if you were young between the seventies and nineties and lived in Johannesburg you are likely to have partied, wined, dined and maybe enjoyed your honeymoon at the Carlton hotel.”

“You could have shopped at the Carlton Centre or taken a high-speed lift to the Top of the Carlton for the spectacular views of the city. Or you might have skated at the Carlton Ice Rink.”

They have some great pictures of the hotel then and now from a hard-to-get-your-hands-on book called Inside The Carlton Hotel Johannesburg.

The hotel even served as a vital meeting ground for discussions between politicians and businessmen, playing a crucial role in shaping the formation of a new South Africa.

But as the 1980s drew to a close, the Carlton began to face significant challenges. Its US operator, Westin, terminated its management contract in response to mounting pressure from the American government to sever ties with Apartheid South Africa.

In the first few years of democratic South Africa, The Carlton was not able to escape the decline of the surrounding Central Business District (CBD). As rising crime and deteriorating infrastructure prompted companies to relocate their headquarters to Sandton and Rosebank, the Carlton Hotel faced increasing challenges. Ultimately, Anglo American, which took over running the hotel independently in 1988, closed the iconic hotel in December 1997, with its furnishings sold off to the Protea Hotel at Gold Reef City.

The mining giant explored selling 70% of the hotel to a consortium of Malaysian and local investors, who intended to invest $120 million to transform the Carlton into a casino. However, this ambitious plan ultimately fell through, leading to the hotel’s permanent closure in 1998.

Transnet bought the Carlton Centre, including the hotel, from Anglo in 1999 for R33 million. The office tower and shopping centre remain in use, but the hotel has been empty since 1998. Transnet attempted renovations and announced it would try to sell the building for R900 million last year. The sale collapsed when the bidders failed to provide the necessary proof of funds to support their offers.

Following the failed bids, Transnet now intends to refurbish the entire centre, including the hotel. The plan includes converting the space into affordable housing and leasing 3,000m² to Shoprite for a supermarket and liquor store.

The Foschini Group’s Jet and Skipper Bar stores, which are already operating there, are expected to remain following negotiations with Transnet.

Perhaps there is still a chance to pick it up after its fall from grace.

[sources:dailyinvestor]