The story behind the iconic Meikles Hotel and its founder Thomas Meikle

Old Meikles Hotel Buidling 1924: Credit - Meikles Hotel Twitter Feed

The 15^th of November marks the 102^nd anniversary of Meikles hotel, a hotel founded by Thomas Meikle, following on a vision he shared with his brother Stewart, of establishing a hotel on the influential site overlooking Cecil Square (now called Africa Unity Square, in the heart of then Rhodesia`s capital city, Salisbury. Meikles hotel was officially opened on November 15, 1915, on the site which now houses ZB Life Towers, along Jason Moyo avenue in Harare and currently has a capacity of over 535 bedrooms.

Meikles hotel holds the honour of being the first Zimbabwean hotel to attain the coveted 5-star rating, a feat it achieved in August 1983. Hotel grading was introduced in Zimbabwe in 1968, and the first results were announced in 1969. At the time, no local hotels received 4-stars, however the Ambassador Hotel, Jameson Hotel and Park Lane Hotel (now the GMB Headquarters) received 3 stars each. Interestingly, the Montclair Hotel in Nyanga got its four-star rating before the Meikles Hotel.

Since its establishment, the hotel has undergone several renovations to give it its currently look today. For instance, in 1956 the construction of a new East Wing, over the old hotel’s garden, as an addition to the existing hotel was begun and completed two years later in 1958 just in time to accommodate a French rugby team on a visit to the country.  The new wing had seven stories with 120 bedrooms. In 1974, the original hotel was demolished between March and September to make way for a modern and bigger hotel, and construction of the new hotel started in earnest in September of the same year.

In 1976 at the height of the war of liberation which dented the national psyche and weighed negatively on the economy, it was announced that construction of the new south wing would be deferred. However, in 1979, with the Lancaster House talks looming, confidence was restored and the Meikles company announced that it would resume construction of the new south tower in June of the same year.

Two lions adorn the entrance of the hotel. These were sculpted by Joe Wilson who was a plasterer, and with no known sculpting history. Previously, he had served as an army officer in the Boer War. In March 1965, the Herald`s famed Cabbages and Kings Column made the following comment, “Those lions have been considered excellent sculptures and it is remarkable that they are the work of a journeyman plasterer, not sculptor.” Copies of the lions can be seen today remounted on a replica cupola – a rounded dome adorning a ceiling or roof -  in the north east corner of the hotel, with a time capsule underneath them.

Several notable events have occurred at the prestigious hotel over the years, with the first parliament of the Colony of Southern Rhodesia having met at the Meikles Hotel in 1924. More notably however, the State Banquet on the eve of Independence on April 17, 1980 was held at the hotel and in attendance, was Prince Charles of Wales.

Thomas Meikle the founder of the hotel arrived in Zimbabwe from Barberton, South Africa in 1891 aged 21, together with his brothers Stewart and Jack. The brothers had been running a successful transport business before deciding to expand into Southern Rhodeisia. The Meikle family hailed from a small village called Strathaven in Scotland, and the Harare suburb of Strathaven is named after the Meikle family`s village of origin. The famed entrepreneur Thomas Meikle, maintained his permanent home in Bulawayo, and died in 1939, and is buried at Mabukwane Gardens, in the suburb of Burnside, Bulawayo.

Below is an account of the Meikle brothers` travails starting their business ventures, in the run up to building the flagship Meikles Hotel.

"We arrive at Fort Victoria (Masvingo) on the 7th of May 1891. The original site of Fort Victoria consisted of a few wattle and daub buildings and a roughly thrown up ground fort surmounted by sacks filled with sand. Ours was the first consignment of fresh stocks of general merchandise to arrive in the country since its occupation.

Our plans for the future were very indefinite. We decided, if we could sell out, that we would do so and return for a further lot of goods. But things were in a very bad way - there was no money in the place, very little outside capital having up to then come in to develop the mines. The pioneers were for the most part scattered over the country prospecting and pegging farms, earning next to nothing.

The store-keepers very much resented our advent: they had been making huge profits, selling the BSAC’s old stocks. After Tom arrived it was decided that there was nothing for it but to open a store and retail the goods we had brought with us. Consequently a very rough shelter was run up, using the whiskey cases for a wall and bucksail for a roof.

We were soon ready to start business. Sugar was selling at 1/6d. per lb. and we reduced it to 6d., and other things in proportion, the result being that whatever little business was done came to us. Our fresh stocks were an additional attraction. Flour was unprocurable until then. Stewart remained behind to run the business while Tom and I returned for more goods. These were ordered from Durban to be Pretoria ready for our arrival at that point.

This is the story of the start of the firm of Meikle Brothers. Little did we think at the time that business would grow and develop as it has done, that the firm would eventually take a leading part in the commercial life of the country. Most things have small beginnings and our venture was one of them.”