The Olive Exclusive

Communal Area Conservancies in Namibia – a unique and successful initiative
July 26, 2012
Omandumba – In the impressive Erongo Mountains
July 26, 2012
Communal Area Conservancies in Namibia – a unique and successful initiative
July 26, 2012
Omandumba – In the impressive Erongo Mountains
July 26, 2012

From professionally trained whiskey barmen to carefully selected traditional artefacts from every corner of Namibia, the Olive Exclusive Boutique Hotel in Windhoek will fill a gap for upmarket guests. It has all the bells and whistles you could possibly need in a top-end facility,” says Roger Fussell, co-owner of Big Sky Lodges, the holding company for the establishment.

Located in a revamped and extended ‘wonderful old house’ in Promenaden Road, Klein Windhoek, the establishment offers seven exclusive suites.

Keeping to Big Sky’s vision of creating a comfortable, natural space for people to spend time in, the interior was designed with as many Naturally Namibian products as possible.

Visitors pass through a restored Oregon pine door with a spectacular steel frame and surrounding glass panes, to be welcomed at the reception desk – an off-cut slab of white granite from Karibib. Above the granite is another impressive structure that catches the eye: a light feature of copper and rustic pots hanging at different heights from the ceiling.

Trendy wall-to-wall wallpaper photos

Local interior decorator from Beyond Design, Liezl Louw, helped with the sourcing of these truly Namibian materials and products. For the photographic wallpapers – a new trend of stretching a photographic print over a wall – a South African photographer was called in. These wallpapers are found in every suite, the reception hall, and the dining and lounge areas, making for interesting focus points and topics of discussion.

Benguela Suite

Benguela Suite

A colourful image of a Himba mother and child covers one entire wall in the otherwise dark and cosy Himba Lounge. “The rooms have been designed around the furnishings and wallpaper,” explains Roger.

Dark couches, walls and a big Erongo boulder, cut in half to expose its black interior and acting as a coffee table, further add to the elegance of this room.

The dining room, on the other hand, which seats 24 on the inside and 12 on the outside terrace, is light and white. More white granite- was brought in for table tops, rounded off with stainless steel bottoms and white designer chairs.

Catering purely for in-house guests, the restaurant is focused on refined dining, with meticulous attention to detail. The service bar, specialising in single-malt whiskeys, is well stocked to top off a good meal.

All the suites overlook the olive grove with its 400-plus trees, after which the establishments were named. Four are premier suites, with lounge and dining room, bedroom, bathroom and a private plunge pool. Suites are equipped with television, minibar, fireplace and an eco-friendly deck made from composite wood.

Otavi-Suite

The open-plan design makes it possible to access the deck for a breath of fresh air from anywhere in the suite, even the bathroom. The three junior suites have all the same luxuries, except for the pool. This is not a problem, though, as the communal pool is within a few steps of the front door. Each of the junior suites has its own little courtyard for a late-afternoon drink or just to gaze at the sky.

All the suites are themed according to different destinations in Namibia. Wallpaper of Etosha, Kunene, the Namib Desert, Erongo, Otavi, Caprivi and the coast awakens the imagination of guests before they’ve had the opportunity to explore these destinations themselves. As per theme, each suite also has its own unique furnishings and light features.

Etosha Suite

Etosha Suite

When designing the buildings and during the construction phase, the eco-friendly aspect was kept in mind. “As far as we could, we focused on our natural surroundings.” Energy-efficient air-conditioning and heat-exchange water heaters are just two of many ways to save energy while keeping guests comfortable.

Contact

22 Promenaden Road, Windhoek | Tel (+264 61) 38 3890 | Fax (+264 61) 23 4971 | Email: info@theolive-namibia.com | Web: www.theolive-namibia.com | www.bigsky-namibia.com

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