Hong Kong, Nov. 27 -- Welcome to Sanctuary Mandela.

Anti-apartheid legend Nelson Mandela liked hearty, simple meals, like oxtail stew. It was a favourite dish of South Africa's first black president and now fills ravioli served in his former home, which has been transformed into a boutique hotel. The inside of the building, hidden on a quiet street in a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, had been defaced by squatters.

But after a floor-to-ceiling remodel, now sunlight floods in from generous skylights and bay windows. The white facade is all that remains of the original building. Mandela lived there for eight years before moving to another home around the corner with his third wife Graca Machel. He arrived shortly after his release from pr...