Swakopmund Boutique Hotel
August 22, 2012The Secret Garden Guesthouse, Swakopmund
August 22, 2012Local flavour in Walvis Bay
by Ron Swilling
The small eighteen-room B&B, Courtyard Hotel Pension, is within easy walking distance from the lagoon and yacht club in Walvis Bay. A long-established business of almost 20 years, the rooms of the two-star hotel were initially converted from flats. Some are larger than others and easily sleep families of up to four people.
Bernd Hinterholzer, one of the partners who took over The Courtyard 10 years ago, says the small size of the hotel allows him to get to know his guests, and his guests to get to know each other, many of them corporate clients and repeat guests, self-drive tourists and bird-watchers, with the majority of visitors being local Namibians. Courtyards of grass separate the rooms from the central reception area, friendly breakfast room and well-stocked bar, and a long driveway provides secure parking for vehicles.
The Courtyard offers dinner to groups on request, usually braais and seafood platters. Bernd phones around to find seafood that is fresh and buys in the fish feast for his visitors, the meals often comprising a ‘surf and turf’ mix of kabeljou, Walvis oysters and sosaties. Being flexible, he caters to the needs and requests of his guests, whether they opt to watch rugby on television, dance or take part in a karaoke evening. The bar—a popular venue that attracts local clientele—is watched over by Freddie, a mounted, stuffed baboon dressed for various occasions of the year, at Christmas time in a Christmas hat.
A ‘basic and straightforward’ hotel pension, the Courtyard has a relaxed atmosphere with a local flavour, offering comfortable accommodation in the vicinity of the popular and growing tourism section of Walvis Bay.
This article appeared in the Dec ‘10/ Jan ‘11 edition of Travel News Namibia.
