Southern Sun de Wagen Announces Re-opening After Devastating Flash Flood
Southern Sun de Wagen Announces Re-opening After Devastating Flash Flood. Southern Sun de Wagen, an iconic historical hotel located in the heart of South Africa’s most famous wine region, proudly announced its re-opening on Friday, 4th August, just six weeks after a flash flood wreaked havoc on its premises on 14th June 2023. The hotel’s resilience and determination, coupled with the extraordinary efforts of the staff and contractors, have enabled a remarkable refurbishment and restoration process in record time.
On that fateful day the highest rainfall in 47 years was recorded by the province and the Eerste River burst its banks. Within the hour, the nearby Southern Sun de Wagen was flooding as water gushed through the adjacent street and flowed into the hotel. Hotel manager Abel Pienaar explained, “We were literally knee deep in water, wading through the hotel to assist guests with evacuation. We did everything we could to prevent the water from entering the reception and lounge and other ground floor areas but the flood came so fast that the damage was done. The flood caused significant destruction to the hotel’s ground level, including the Kuyperhuis courtyard pool, woodwork, furniture, joineries, and floors. Once the water subsided, we realised the extent of the damage and it was evident that the entire ground level required a comprehensive refurbishment and repair effort.”
Despite the challenges faced, over the subsequent six weeks, the refurbishment team worked tirelessly to restore the hotel. In addition, they conducted thorough electrical and mechanical systems tests, including on water pumps, pool pumps, air con pumps, heat pumps, and water tanks to ensure the safety and comfort of guests upon the reopening.
“The restoration period has been phenomenally swift, thanks to our project manager and his incredibly determined and dedicated team who have worked around the clock to make sure that the hotel was closed for as short a time as possible and to ensure that it could re-open promptly,” Pienaar added.
The management of Southern Sun de Wagen expressed their gratitude to the staff members who displayed immense dedication during this time. Some staff members were relocated to other hotels, while those remaining worked tirelessly to keep reservations coming in for August onwards.
