South Africa: ANEW Hotels & Resorts adds iconic Garden Route hotel to its portfolio
ANEW Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the upcoming addition of a new property to its growing national footprint. Effective 1 October 2025, The Wilderness Hotel, a long-standing favourite on the Garden Route coastline, will officially join the group under the name ANEW Resort Wilderness Garden Route.
With 19 properties now part of the group since its inception in 2017, this marks ANEW's second property in the Western Cape. Situated just east of George along the N2, with easy access to Knysna, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, this well-established property among leisure and business travellers to the region, offers 150 rooms and a rich history as one of the region's oldest hospitality landmarks.
The property began as a boarding house in the early 1900s and was upgraded to The Wilderness Hostel in 1924, gaining a strong reputation through the 1930s to 1950s. In the late 1930s, it hosted meetings that would later form what is now South African Tourism. Over the years since, the hotel has been managed by various hospitality groups and welcomed many notable guests, including Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth the 2nd) during the British royal family's 1947 visit to South Africa.
ANEW Resort Wilderness is a valuable addition to ANEW's portfolio, providing a convenient midway stop for both local and international travellers journeying through South Africa from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town. In addition, the area's natural appeal, along with its proximity to the Garden Route National Park, lagoons and scenic landscape, makes it a fitting inclusion to the ANEW brand.
The property features a range of amenities including a wellness spa, two swimming pools, a bowling green, tennis and squash courts, padel courts, as well as conference facilities catering for up to 500 delegates. It also includes sports and recreational options like a gym, mountain biking, bowls and putt-putt, among others.
Clinton Armour, CEO of ANEW Hotels & Resorts, says the ANEW team is excited to welcome the property into the brand's growing South African presence. 'We're proud to welcome this renowned property to the ANEW Hotels & Resorts group. Long-standing guests can now enjoy this quality resort, along with our famed ANEW hospitality. The Wilderness Hotel holds a special place in the history of South African tourism, and we're excited to play a role in its next chapter.'
ANEW Hotels & Resorts will operate the property under a lease agreement, with refurbishments planned ahead of October to upgrade all public areas and facilities in line with the group's standards. ANEW continues to thoughtfully expand within key nodes in South Africa, while maintaining strong relationships with owners and delivering consistent quality experiences for guests.
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