Greenpark Manor, Fourways, Johannesburg

Family Peace

A rare find – affordable, stylish, tranquil accommodation in a convenient setting in Johannesburg no less. Greenpark Manor is a haven of calm within the busy metropolis of Gauteng. This is achieved by white walls, a thatched roof, and the setting within a beautiful garden. Located in a relaxed security village near Montecasino in Fourways, this bed and breakfast offers elegance at budget rates.

What I love about Greenpark Manor:

• Lush green garden with tall and wide fever trees and indigenous plants which attract a multitude of birds
• White walls, pitched thatched roof, with high, open ceilings and wooden beams
• Well-configured rooms facing different directions, with glass doors to the garden, with private outdoor seating areas
• Minimalist white décor
• Heaters, electric blankets, fans, big flat-screen TV, fridge and kitchenette

Accommodation Experience:

This I did not expect – to be lying in a pool of white percale linen, under a thatched roof, door wide open to views of tall green trees and the sound of birds, in Gauteng. I am particularly self-congratulatory because I managed to find a character stay which impresses the toughest of critics – my family. My father was stressy about the location and traffic. My mother dislikes ostentation of any kind and appreciates a good bargain. My partner eschews frilly, floral, gilded anything. And I of course love character, style and good linen. All in all a tricky combination, yet at Greenpark Manor there is peace in the family and we all sink gratefully into the experience of this characterful stay. 

Morrells Manor House, Northcliff, Gauteng

Graciously Received:

Morrells Manor House has all the character of a country guesthouse, with all the hushed professionalism of a luxury urban hotel. Set in one of the older, leafier suburbs of Gauteng, Northcliff, the style is understated French Provencial, with indoor and alfresco dining areas overlooking lavender bushes and a peaceful, blue-grey pool. 

In the original manor house there are chandeliers in every room, Louis XV-style chairs, old fashioned coat racks and wooden luggage racks. Individually decorated rooms follow a botanical theme, with names like Plumbago, Camellia, and Hydrangea. There are fresh cut flowers everywhere and I count four vases filled with lilac sweetpea flowers in my room alone.

I choose to stay in the Agapanthus room, which has ceiling-to-floor lead-light windows and double doors onto a private sun-filled courtyard. The synchronised curtains, headboard and floral valence complement the white percale linen and pretty bedside lamps. The enormous bathroom is tiled, with a wide, deep bath and a double-headed shower. Maria Garcia bath products are the final flourish leading to a happy sigh.

Accommodation Experience:

I head out to Morrells Manor House early, deciding to escape the Gauteng rush to get some work done. Despite arriving unannounced more than two hours before check-in time, I am graciously received without even a flinch, offered a drink and shown to my room.

Unfortunately when I see this loveliest of rooms, all thoughts of work vanish. It is all I can do to sink into my soft bed with a magazine. With the sun streaming in through the open doors and windows, to the sounds of Turtle Doves and Barbets from the surrounding established trees, I convince myself I will be more productive tomorrow, thanks to a peaceful afternoon in this plush, secluded haven.

A Room with a View, Melville, Johannesburg

 

Artistic release

With a hint of what my friend Derek calls “Boere Baroque”, A Room with a View in Melville shows a flair for the dramatic. Turrets, angelic gargoyles, columns, balconies, conservatories, grand fireplaces, velvet curtains, satin ribbons and brocade abound. Each archway and narrow winding staircase reveals a creative corner or cosy snug. This place is a feast for the senses and an inspiration for the spirit.

Hardly knowing where to look, I follow my host up a steep tower to a room at the top floor, overlooking the Melville koppies. The room has a private balcony high above the grand pool below. However its main feature is an impressive glass conservatory, capitalising on the beautiful Highveld golden light and van Gogh-blue skies.

Accommodation experience:

I lay in bed admiring the full views of the starry night through my glass-roofed conservatory. I imagine how anyone with such vision to create a place like this must have had great courage to follow their artistic dreams. Amidst friends and family expressing their disapproval and no doubt well-intentioned concern, to stay the course would have cost more than a little. And like so many artists before, success is never the guarantee, and sometimes not even the goal. Instead in the words of Babette’s Feast “One long cry from the heart of an artist: Give me the chance to do my very best!” A Room with a View embraces this spirit and calls to the artist and dreamer within you.

 What I love about A Room with a View:

• Spectacular architecture, with every wing and each room a unique creation
• An excess of glass, making the most of the natural views of the Melville koppies
• Interesting lounges and meeting rooms
• Courtyards and balconies
• Artistic, bohemian, sensual decor
• Big, soft, high beds
• Deep baths with views
• Original, strong, impressionistic artworks in every room
• Enormous pool, walled with arched windows to the views beyond