The Behr family owned the hotel from January 1970. They took over a very dilapidated hotel and a complete facelift followed with the hotel once again regaining its popularity. Mrs Cythia Behr was reknowned for her strictness and spectacular buffets and soon people were coming from far and wide, a highlight being Sundays - dinner and movie evening which was always full in the pre- television days Hotel guests were not plentiful and the hotel was never anywhere near 100% occupancy.
The entrance to the hotel was a long, winding, tree-lined road with the owners’ cottages on the right and the aquatic club with boat garages alongside. There was also a small caravan park which was let out.
In the late 70’s and early 80’s, casino fever hit South Africa, with Sun City starting what was to become a billion dollar industry all over Southern Africa. The Riviera was the perfect candidate for such a development, featuring spectacular views and scenery, plenty of space for development and the ideal location, less than an hour from Johannesburg.
In August 1981, the news exploded through the Vaal Triangle that the Riviera Hotel and a few hectares of adjacent land had been sold and that a giant hotel complex costing more than R15 million would be developed on the site. The complex would be called Aqua City and would be a fun park for the whole family! For the first time, state of the art conference facilities would also be added, as would 75 luxury chalets. Multi-level boathouses and a new luxury hotel built around the existing shell would also be erected. Other features would include tennis and squash courts, a health spa and chalet owners receiving membership at the adjacent Vereeniging Country Club. A unique water café would also cater to passing boats along the lines of a roadhouse, but on water! Almost immediately problems with Rand Water arose, the 2 star grading was lost and the hotel closed on Saturday 23rd 1983. Rand Water’s ruling was that the hotel would have to be built no closer than 100 metres from the river. This would then mean the scrapping of the entire project, with a much smaller hotel being developed around the existing structure. The adjacent townhouses and chalets would go ahead and the project would be worth R40 million… Amazing what inflation was doing in 1980’s South Africa!
By March 1984, work was proceeding in earnest and the original hotel was stripped to a bare shell, with two storeys being added. Sun International ran the hotel until, having failed to secure a gambling licence, they sold it to Sir John Sherry, founder of listed Jasco Holdings in 1998. His vision was to create a riverfront getaway along the banks of the Vaal River with every conceivable convenience. He spent R40 million of his own money and borrowed R7 million more. Unfortunately the envisaged visitors didn’t flock to the venue and standards dropped dramatically until in 2003, the hotel was liquidated and put up for auction.
The hotel was finally sold on auction to businessman Mac van der Merwe in November 2003. What he bought would have given even the most hardened businessman sleepless nights. The entire venue was in a state of total disrepair and photos taken at the time have since caused a sensation wherever they have been shown. Infrastructure that at first glance seemed operational, turned out to be useless. Of the 104 airconditioners in the hotel, only 4 worked! Not being a man to do things by half measure, van der Merwe enlisted family and friends and work began in January 2004 on revamping the entire hotel and grounds. As in 1983/4, the entire hotel was reduced to a shell with everything being removed and rebuilt. Millions of Rands worth of old equipment, furniture and fittings were donated to all the charities in the Vaal area. A decision was made early on to only support local businesses and charities, as well as hire local staff wherever possible. Miraculously, the slogan “90 rooms in 90 days” turned out to be more than just an empty promise. The entire hotel and grounds were rebuilt and completely renovated in three months and the hotel was officially opened on 12th March 2004 amid great fanfare.
The 4 star grading which Sun International had achieved in the 80’s had long since expired and the new owners set about pursuing the evocative but elusive 5 star grading needed to attract the lucrative conferencing market. Remarkably this was achieved in the first year with a score of over 92%. The second year grading was even more impressive, with the Riviera consolidating it’s position as one of South Africa’s finest boutique hotels, achieving 96%! The grand old lady is now grander than ever before and if you have never been fortunate enough to pay a visit, put it on your list of things to do. Like Mr Schlesinger, it will take your breath away! |
