Business is booming at Belvedere Guest House – Windhoek

by Ginger Mauney

Rushing to meet planes, to meet deadlines and to arrive at meeting after endless meeting on time is often the life of a businessman on the road. At the end of the day, businessmen need a place to unwind in comfort and style, and no one understands this better than a fellow businessman.

Windhoek’s Belvedere Guest House has been uniquely devised to deliver the standard of service and comfort the discriminating businessman requires. Opened in November 2004 and catering largely to the needs of businessmen, Belvedere is filling an important niche in the guesthouse market, as business in Namibia has expanded rapidly.

The owners of Belvedere, Herman and Jeanne Davin, are successful entrepreneurs who have incorporated the many ideas picked up on their travels visiting five-star establishments into the development and running of Belvedere. The Davin’s goal is to be the best – not the biggest – with the emphasis on simplicity and quality.

Each of the 18 spacious guestrooms are understated and decorated with sophistication, combining touches of Africa and Indonesia in a thoroughly cosmopolitan way. Soft, subtle colours, rich fabrics and the quality of hand-made furniture make the Belvedere feel more like home than a hotel.

Each room has a well-stocked mini-bar, coffee maker, and DStv television. A safe is provided and there is also a spacious desk with direct-dial telephone and an Internet link to keep you connected from the sanctuary of your room.

Four rooms border a riverbed among lush gardens in the lower section of the guesthouse, while upstairs are two more near the heated swimming pool. There are a few secluded sitting areas outside the rooms and a large, luxurious lounge for all to enjoy.

The vast lounge has several different areas designed for enjoying breakfast, sipping sundowners, and nestling around the fireplace for warmth on a winter’s night. A huge refrigerator is filled with drinks, an espresso machine provides a 24-hour service and the wine cellar is stocked with choice South African wines.

The friendly staff at the Belvedere have been working with the family for thirteen years. One of them is an excellent cook. A big, healthy breakfast is served during the week, but on the weekend when businessmen have more time to relax, breakfast turns into brunch and additional items such as pan-cakes are served, providing comfort food for the guest away from home.

Breakfast with colleagues can be organised, creating a relaxed, informal environment for a productive business meeting. Other meals are prepared on request.

On Wednesday evenings the family normally has a braai and guests are invited to join in. More than once this evening meal has turned into a big party. Many of the guests at Belvedere find they share common interests, and relaxing with the family also offers a wonderful opportunity to exchange views about doing business in Namibia and getting to know a local family.

If the fine wine, delicious food and comfortable rooms aren’t enough to ease the frustrations of a working day, there is a floodlit tennis court where you can beat a tiny yellow ball to your heart’s content. Combining simplicity and quality with the utmost care, Belvedere Guest House gives their guests a relaxing, reviving experience before the next hectic business day begins.

This article appeared in the Feb/March ‘05 edition of Travel News Namibia.