REST ASSURED

A BITE OF AFRICA’S BIG APPLE REST ASSURED

1. Fine design in Sandton

Boutique in scale, yet oozing wit, imagination and a clear sense of knowing how to stand out from the crowd, The Mighty Fine is Joburg’s most anticipated 2021 hotel opening. Due to launch in Strathavon, Sandton, there’s a timelessness in the way this swanky new 61-room hotel has been put together under the eye of award-winning interior designer Tristan du Plessis. Looks-wise, a stunner, but the hotel is set to be a scene-stealer beyond merely being easy on the eye. It’s conceived of as part-hotel, part hang-out, with all sorts of cosy spaces in which to work, meet, or share a moment. Emphasis will be on how it looks after guests, making you feel at home, fawned over like a VIP with all the fun of being part of the family.

Starvin’, Marvin?

Rather than fine dining, The Mighty Fine has partnered with the team from Parkwood’s Morning Glory (see page 12) to provide a chic, delicious caféstyle experience at the in-house restaurant, Hank Marvin – good, wholesome, creative, flavour-focused food without pretence and open all day. Plus, there’s an out-of-theordinary ‘treehouse’ watering hole. Because ordinary won’t cut it. Things about The Mighty Fine that’ll make you smile? Swish studios and suites that feel like home-away-from-home hideaways. Thoughtful touches and bespoke everything – artworks hand-picked by Latitudes, chairs by David Krynauw, furnishings and fittings from the likes of Dokter and Misses and The Urbanative. Plus, a mix of tip-top, locally sourced amenities for spoiling yourself, as well as smart digital enhancements to make you feel like you’re part of the future. And laugh? Among the creative collaborators involved in conceptualising the hotel’s art and design is the frankly very funky creative duo Jana + Koos whose sense of playful ingenuity will add another layer of daring fun to what guests can expect, both in their rooms and throughout the hotel. Expect sophisticated humour and bold touches designed to raise a chuckle. Good to know? It’s designed to feel intimate and personal with a community buzz, a public pool, and a co-working space in the lobby. The aim, say its creators, is to forge a sense of community. OMG factor? There’ll be a podcast studio that you can hire. Not for you if… you prefer oldworld nostalgia, clunky antiques and doilies on the tables. There’s a chic, clean contemporary aesthetic here. How deep are your pockets? The hotel’s scheduled March opening didn’t happen, but like all good things, it’ll be worth waiting for, and pocket-friendly pricing is promised. themightyfine.co.za

Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Supplied

2. An oasis in Fordsburg

Fordsburg, near Jozi’s CBD, has a long and significant place in the city’s often bruised history. Apart from once housing mine workers and later becoming a site of apartheid resistance, it’s where Gandhi and 3 000 supporters burned their ‘pass’ documents at the Hamidia Mosque in 1908. Today it’s known as a vibrant multicultural hub – public art, Indian restaurants, and endless shopping for fabrics, bridal outfits, silk flowers, almost anything… Now this colourful suburb can also claim one of the city’s newest, funkiest hotels, Lilian Lofts. Things about Lilian Lofts that’ll make you smile? Done out in an audacious industrial style, the hotel affords instant access to the adventure of Fordsburg. And it is also a refuge from the bustle. It’s where you can escape into a chic, clean-lined oasis of subdued colours and moody lighting. Its grey, dark-hue palette is offset by black metal, blonde recycled wood, smatterings of colour, and plush seating. It’s a human-sized hotel, with just 38 suites in a variety of categories according to how much space you require. You can even have your own in-room kitchenette, with steps leading from your cushy lounge to a loftstyle bedroom. Book an executive suite if you crave every possible comfort (and need space for four people) – it’s like having your own apartment. Good to know? Most places in Fordsburg observe Muslim prayer times on Fridays. The hotel, including its kitchen and soon-tolaunch restaurant, is fully halaal; there’s also an on-site Namaaz room. How deep are your pockets? We found a twin room from just R791 in mid-May; a family-size suite that sleeps four was R1 620, including breakfast. lilianlofts.com

Brave new

world You’re never too old to learn

Hello! Dumelang! It’s me, Kagiso Lediga!

Something I’ve figured out since becoming a father is that everything we parents say and do gets absorbed by our children. Whether we speak and act mindfully, or furnish their young minds with garbage, a lot of what goes in is on us.

I’m a storyteller, that’s my thing. And as South Africans, we always have a lot of stories to tell. Funny stories, gripping stories, a lot of tragic stories. That’s South Africa – a weird and wonderful place that was dropped on its head as a baby.

Some of the damage is because of the garbage drummed into us early on – dodgy beliefs that became our reality. Most of us can afford to unlearn quite a lot. In the process, we’d make space for new ideas, new ways of seeing the world. This month I turn 43, and – eish! – saying that out loud might sound old if you’re still in your twenties, but there comes a point when you realise that ‘old’ isn’t a number, it’s a state of mind.

The older you get, the more you realise you don’t know it all. Last year, just as the thrill of dropping my Netflix action series, Queen Sono, was washing over me, there came a global crisis that brought us all to our knees. At such times, it makes sense to make space for new ideas, new ways of thinking. Because, in the blink of an eye, everything can change and when it does, you don’t want to be weighed down by garbage.

Whale View Manor Guesthouse lies among three of the Cape’s ecological treasures: Cape Peninsula Nature Reserve, Boulders Beach (famed for its Jackass Penguin colony), and False Bay (calving ground of the Southern Right Whale). Overlooking a beautiful swimming beach from where guests can watch penguins, seals and, of course, Whale. Whale View Manor Guesthouse is ideally located, nestled between Fisherman’s Beach and the mountains, it is only three minutes away from historical Simon’s Town and forty minutes from Cape Town International Airport by car. The constant motion of the sea or the still calmness of the surrounding mountain are the privileged views from the en suite bedrooms.

CONTACT US

402 Main Road, Murdoch Valley, Simonstown 021 786 3291