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If you think Adam and Eve, Romeo and Juliet, Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, and the King and Queen are characters from a time long gone, you are wrong. At Villa Margherita these are not only the names of some of the luxury suites, but they are also fitting, as you as guest almost become part of a modern-day fairytale.
Situated in the historical building commonly known in Swakopmund as Dr Schwietering Haus, the Villa Margherita Guesthouse opened its doors to the public at the end of March 2008, after an extensive period of upgrades and renovation. “The way we put things together is purely according to our personal taste, but our guesthouse is truly a combination of cosmopolitan and eclectic,” says owner and manager, Claudine. Claudine, who is from the Italian part of Switzerland, came to Namibia with her two sons as guests. They fell in love with the country and decided to extend their stay to something more permanent.
Unique touches
Villa Margherita offers seven double rooms (of which one can be converted into a family unit with two bedrooms), lounge area and a tour-guide room. All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, television, safe, hairdryer and wireless Internet connection. Most rooms have a lounge area and Romeo and Juliet has its own private balcony – just the way Shakespeare described it. Adam and Eve, where guests are welcomed with apples, is the only room with twin beds.
“Keeping in mind that the word ‘guesthouse’ means ‘house of guests’, we preferred to have less bedrooms in favour of more relaxing, spacious and private accommodation where dedicated service gives us the opportunity to spoil our guests and let them feel part of our history.”
Villa Margherita boasts a total of 10 luxurious rooms. All guests are welcomed with a fruit basket, cookies or Amarula liqueur, which are rotated each day. Each room is individually decorated with modern furniture integrated with old original furniture from Italy and local auctions and second-hand shops and art by local artists Christoph Galliker and Jost Kirsten. As the Italians say, this Charming House is truly ‘meravigliosa’!
In-house restaurant
Another unique feature of the Guesthouse is its in-house restaurant, Il Tulipano (which is not only the Italian word for ‘tulip’, but also means ‘I am here’ in Oshiwambo). The fare is truly Italian prepared with Namibian ingredients and cooked by head chef, Ingrid, (who specialises in a homemade Italian risotto) and her three assistant chefs. The ‘Margherita’ part of the Villa’s name is not only the Italian word for ‘daisy’, but also Claudine’s mother’s name, as well as of a very nice Margherita torte that forms part of the breakfast menu.
Contact
34 Daniel Tjongarero Street, corner Otavi Street | PO Box 4392, Swakopmund | Tel (+264 64) 40 2991, Cell (+264 81) 332 4293, Fax (+264 64) 40 0131 | Email: info@villamargherita.com.na | Web: www.villamargherita.com.na
