The Olive Exclusive, Windhoek

This intimate, small hotel is the first in Windhoek of the sophistication and style comparable to any top luxury boutique hotel not only in Africa, but beyond the continent as well. It embodies the very essence of contemporary chic comfort and is a comfortable stop to begin and end the Namibia adventure.

From the moment of our arrival the pleasant atmosphere and friendly attitude of the hotel’s staff defined the experience—but what we were most wowed by was the interior design of the Olive Exclusive. The hotel manages to strike the most elegant balance between contemporary chic and African décor—without overdoing the latter.

African-spiced

The six large suites, four of which have lovely plunge pools, are rich in earthly elements and original artefacts. Central to each room are fantastic weaved furnishings: 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 sharp edges of smooth concrete and massive floor-to-ceiling photograph prints, by South African photographer Micky Hoyle.

A glass wall opens onto the spacious terrace and well-kept greenery beyond, with 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 complimented by the latest technology: fast Wifi, expresso machine and iPod docking stations. Ideal to manage the transition from the “always on” connectivity of the everyday life to the “no network” status of the bush and deserts of Namibia.

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 breakfasts—which we always enjoyed it on the intimate restaurant terrace—steal the show.

As the manager cheerfully explained, they had a choice of building the usual breakfast buffet or a whisky bar. “Naturally, we went for the whisky bar—and this gave us 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.

in our opinion

It’s a perfect stop before the start or right after the Namibian safari road-trip adventure. Ideal for one or two nights.

Photos by T+S

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 clearly makes it a popular hangout among the locals: we saw some expats 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 unobtrusive.

What you should know

• Check out time is 10am, 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: children of any ages are welcome;
• Passing traffic and sometimes barking dogs can be heard—hardly surprising though as it’s a capital city, after all. However, the suites are really well insulated from the noise, so once the glass doors are shut it’s as quiet as it gets;
• 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;
• The view onto the lovely hills of Windhoek is a bit spoiled by some local industrial buildings; The satellite TV has somewhat limited selection of channels; The hotel is located in some distance from the city center, but it takes just few minutes to get there. It’s also only 15 minutes to the domestic airport, but a solid 45 minutes to the International one.