The Olive Exclusive All-Suite Hotel, Windhoek

The Olive Exclusive is a small boutique hotel that embodies contemporary African chic. It is an ideal base from which to embark on a Namibian safari adventure.

The pleasant atmosphere and friendly attitude of the hotel’s staff defined the experience, from the moment of our arrival to departure. But the wow factor at the Olive Exclusive is the interior design. The hotel strikes an elegant balance between contemporary chic and African décor, without ever veering into cliches.

African-spiced

The six large suites, four of which have lovely plunge pools, are rich in earthly elements and original artifacts. Central to each room are stylish weaved furnishings such as roughly-hewn rattan lampshades, rush baskets and enormous spherical hanging chairs suspended from the ceiling.

The room decoration also includes elaborate masks, painted oryx horns, bongo drums, and antique carved doors—but all this is moderated by the sharp edges, smooth concrete, and the massive floor-to-ceiling photograph prints, by the South African photographer Micky Hoyle.

A glass wall opens onto the spacious terrace and well-kept greenery beyond, with a view over the Windhoek’s suburban hills dotted with violet trees (which flowered when we visited the country in September/October!). A rattan roof, perfectly fitting the room design, tops the suite terrace.

The last stop before Safari

The design fits well the boutique luxury of Olive Exclusive suites and is complemented by the latest technology, including fast Wifi. The individually decorated suites are named after different regions in Namibia: Benquela, Namib, Caprivi, Erongo, Etosha, Kunene, Otavi. It’s a great introduction to, and inspiration for the Namibian adventure.

Breakfasts: a special thing

The hotel’s restaurant is excellent. The seasonal menu is filled with inventive signature dishes (we had some delicious game here), but the à la carte breakfasts steal the show. As the manager cheerfully explained, they had a choice of building the usual breakfast buffet or a whiskey bar. “Naturally, we went for the whiskey bar—and this gave us an opportunity to make the à la carte breakfasts extra special”.

And so they are. Great towering platters of blinis, crackers, and sandwiches with fresh cheeses, pickles, and cured hams, fruit and cakes, and organic bread: they are served first, with coffee in massive cups. Then the main: the Farmers Omelette or eggs with cream cheese earn the big WOW.

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in our opinion

What we love

• The design: sleek and modern, accompanied by organic textures, wonderful weaved and rattan objects and African art
• The suites are beautifully appointed and very spacious, especially the Premium ones, which also come with plunge pools
• Fantastic, big breakfasts: a true delight!
• Intimate open-air restaurant area and excellent cuisine overall. The food at Olive Exclusive makes it a popular hangout among the locals: we saw some ex-pats popping in for breakfast, and they were regulars
• Secure off-street parking: perfect if you rented a 4x4 for the Namibia adventure
• Dedicated personal service, friendly and expertly inobtrusive

What you should know

• While only the huge Premium suites have the plunge pools (they are not heated), guests can also use the main pool. It is on the small side though
• Check out time is 10 am, which is relatively early, but the lounge and the rest of the hotel is very nice to hang around until departure
• There are no age restrictions and children of any ages are welcome (though there are no special facilities for children)
• Passing traffic and sometimes barking dogs can be heard—hardly surprising though as it’s a capital city, after all. However, the suites are well insulated from the noise, so once the glass doors are shut it’s as quiet as it gets
• The view onto the lovely hills of Windhoek is a bit spoiled by some local industrial buildings
• The hotel is located in some distance from the city center, but it takes just a few minutes to get there. It’s also only 15 minutes to the domestic airport, but at least 45 minutes to the International one