Quarters Hotel on Florida, Morningside, Durban

Professional with Soul

 

It was always going to be a success – taking a vintage building, in a convenient part of fabulous Durban, restoring it expertly and decorating it with understated elegance. Quarters Hotel on Florida is located in the restaurant-rich area of Morningside, with easy access to Berea, the city centre or Durban North. 

Catering for business clients and holiday makers, the hotel has all the modern conveniences, such as 24 hour reception service, good security, wifi, a desk in each room as well as a large, flat-screen television. Attentive and well trained staff are efficient and helpful. A conservatory-style popular local restaurant serves delicious meals, while a garden bar lends a holiday feel and is a cool place in which to enjoy an icy drink.

But what draws me to the hotel is the pretty Victorian buildings, with covered verandahs, high sash windows, spacious air-conditioned rooms, and modern yet traditional décor. My suite has a sleigh bed with restrained, finessed fittings and up-to-date fabrics. There is a marble-tiled bathroom with a large clear-glass shower and bath. 

Accommodation experience:

If this hotel was a person I would describe it as a successful professional with soul. I notice that there are many fellow business travelers staying at the hotel, many of whom are also female. The hotel subtly caters for a wide range of executive needs, and the restaurant offers a diverse menu, from the rich and fanciful to the homely and healthy. 

Travelling alone on business can be a lonely experience, and I am grateful to be in this space which seems to understand my needs and offers a gentle comradery in a pretty and inspiring setting.

5th Seasons Guesthouse, Nelspruit

Lowveld Classic

Gorgeous little cottages set up against a high koppie (stone hillside), made of classical tin walls and wooden decks which are so quintessential to this Lowveld region, I am well pleased to have discovered 5^th Seasons Guesthouse in Nelspruit (Mbombela). 

The beautiful décor manages to be both stylish and minimalist, always a happy combination in my world. Naturally themed, choose between the Bird Room, the Tree Room and the Botanical Room, all identical in layout. With a slipper bath, King sized bed, a couch, kitchenette, double cottage-pane doors and a deck opening out onto a spacious view, the huts are well designed and thoughtfully finished.

Each cottage has an individual parking bay, with private access through a raised wooden walkway. The hillside is covered in big rocks and large-rooted trees and is home to many indigenous bird species. The cottages are situated 5km outside of Nelspruit (Mbombela) on the R40 towards Barberton in Mpumalanga.

Accommodation Experience:

Called “Kruger Park nerds” by our family and friends, we were planning to head out at dawn’s first light from 5^th Seasons Guesthouse in Nelspruit, where we had stopped over on our way to our beloved Park. But somehow the gentle slowing of the Lowveld has infiltrated this place. We find ourselves in no hurry at all to leave the guesthouse, first lying under soft covers as long as we like, then sitting outside on the high deck, drinking coffee while enjoying the sounds of the many birds of this area. So lovely is this place that I even find myself wishing for another night here, as a transitional space between the hectic Real World and the otherworldly space of the Park.

St James on Venice, Morningside, Durban

Elegant Number

This is an elegant number – as classy as its name - the St James on Venice.  The guesthouse is a grand double storey building with curved balconies all around, glossy wooden floors and attractive finishings. It is well situated in breezy Morningside, Durban.

My room is decorated in soft grey, from the silvery headboard, to the damask-style wallpaper, cushions, blinds and grey suede couch. There are matching brushed silver wall lights. In one corner stands a handsome shaker-style wardrobe, while on the other end of the suite is a desk by the lovely bay window. Around the corner there is a modern, clear glass, spacious shower in an open-plan bathroom, with a separate, enclosed toilet.

Air-conditioning, large flat-screen televisions, a restaurant and active reception make this a convenient business stay. The guesthouse is set amongst established trees, with plenty of secure parking space and 24-hour security.

Accommodation Experience:

For a couch so stylish, it is surprisingly comfortable. I sink gratefully into it and I find I am perfectly placed within a private nook in the bay windows on both sides of this corner of my room, where I wile away the evening. There are happy sounds of staff from the kitchen and reception area, dogs barking across the road, and I enjoy the feeling of being part of it all and yet resting hidden in peace. The restrained but fashionable décor adds to the feeling of calm luxury. After a tiring day of work at the end of a busy year, I find this space restorative and inspiring. For a place so elegant, I have an inelegant fleeting image of myself holding onto this couch in the morning, being forcibly removed while begging to be allowed to stay and not have to go back to work.

The Neuk Guesthouse, Morningside, Durban

My Kind of Place

This is my kind of place – a bold fusion of French chateaux style in a traditional Cape Dutch manor house. More boutique hotel than guesthouse, the Neuk has individually decorated rooms done up with sumptuous flair. A gracious building of interesting architecture, it is conveniently located in the suburb of Morningside in Durban.

Surprisingly affordable for such plush luxury, the Neuk has every possible traveler convenience – air-conditioning, heated towel rails, large flat-screen televisions and plentiful plug points with varied adaptors. The hosting is friendly and professional and the hosts are enthusiastic about their corner of vibey Durban.

But it is the dramatic décor which is the X-factor that sets this guesthouse apart. Decadent wallpaper, chandeliers, intricate wall-mounted lamps, gilded mirrors and antique carved furniture grace every room. Silky linen is matched to each colour scheme. The spacious rooms have original parquet wooden flooring and pressed ceilings, with soft matt flagstone tiling in the bathrooms.

Accommodation Experience

I arrive early and am given free reign to view the house, and every room is lovely. Each room has unique features and has been lavished with decorative detail. I especially like the smaller, cosy lounge with its warm red and pink hues.

It is a tough choice for me between the Palm Room and the French Room, but eventually I choose the Palm Room for its outdoor location. It is almost a freestanding cottage, overlooking the pool and pretty garden. It is quiet within the walled garden, and I don’t hear any sounds of traffic even with the double doors of the cottage wide open to catch the breeze. Inside there are two antique French-style beds, a grand wardrobe, elegant desk and lounge chair. The modern bath is one of the longest I have ever had the pleasure of relaxing in - I am able to lie down, full length under water, counting my many blessings at finding such a calm haven.