Johannesburg was founded in 1886 when gold was discovered in the area. The ridge (to the south of the hotel) contained the biggest concentration of gold ever found in the world and this is still true today, although most of the gold has now been mined out. The city developed rapidly in the 1920’s and at the time Joburg had a global reputation for its sophistication. In the 1960’s and 1970’s the gold rush ended and the apartheid era starved the country of investment. As a result, the city centre declined and business and the population moved to the northern suburbs of the city to the suburbs around what is now Sandton and Rosebank (where The Peech is located).
The property on which The Peech is built was originally a private residence built in the 1950's, for a Scot who came to settle in South Africa. When discovered by James Peech, the property had been a family home for over 40 years. Transforming it into a hotel started in 2003 and the first guests arrived in Nov 2004 with just six bedrooms. Further rooms were added in 2006 and 2008 and then the adjacent property was acquired. In 2018 it was developed and a further 14 new Luxury rooms and a 2-bedroom Villa were added. The Peech celebrated 20 years in business last year and is proud to retain many staff members who started as the hotel opened.