This article traces the history of Polley Arcade and its origins in the Transvaal Hotel, once a landmark in Pretoria’s city centre. It recounts the evolution of the hotel from the early 1880s through its transformation into Polley’s Hotel and later the construction of the Wachthuis, headquarters of the South African Police. Central to the narrative is the hotel’s remarkable visitors’ book, containing more than 14,000 signatures—including those of Winston Churchill, Arthur Conan Doyle, British generals, Boer leaders, and a young American messenger—providing historians with invaluable insights into movements during the Anglo-Boer War. The article also highlights architect Norman Eaton’s innovative design of the Wachthuis and the eventual decline of Polley Arcade as urban dynamics shifted.