The hotel was started by the current owner to cater for the discerning traveler.
Small enough for individual attention,
but big enough to serve the needs of the travel-weary.
The property has certainly stood the test of time having been built 60 years ago.
It has been used in many incarnations, but it has been a boutique hotel for the past 9 years.
And given the construction in the area, I am amazed that is defied demolition
and stands as a bastion to comfort and fine dining.
The name comes from the owner’s love of champagne,
and her favourite is… Veuve Clicquot.
A little bit of Cape Dutch in the heart of Rosebank, Johannesburg
The reception desk is “compact”,
but with only nine rooms, it does not need to be any bigger.
The staff that we interacted with were friendly and helpful.
What was great for me is that the voice on the phone when I called to confirm
belonged to Alessia whom I met at reception.
A nice personal touch…
The foyer…
The hotel has interesting art work…and the collection starts here
Our room at the top of the staircase…
bright, airy and with the BEST pillows in a long while.
The bed is huge and EXTREMELY comfortable.
It was difficult getting out of it to go for a run in the morning.
However I forced myself and a brisk run through the leafy Rosebank streets
made me less guilty about the breakfast that awaited…
Award winning pillows
The downstairs lounge
It can be used as a private dining area
Having a bad hair day, then a visit to this hotel will rectify that
The intimate dining room,
we had a wonderful dinner and scrumptious breakfast here
The moon over Johannesburg…time for a quick photographic excursion
around the property before dinner
The entrance.
The hotel is wheelchair friendly with ramps to many of the areas
The garden, with accommodation on two sides.
The pool was sparkling clean and did look inviting,
HOWEVER, the temperature dissuaded me from taking the plunge.
Time for dinner…
expertly prepared by Chef Izanne Nawn.
She tells me that the dinner menu changes daily
Starters…
Springbok carpaccio salad with shaved Parmesan
My main course…
Seared beef fillet with lightly spiced butternut
This was the choice that my wife made…
Herb crusted Kingklip served with creamy risotto
We both enjoyed this dessert…
Panna cotta with litchi sorbet
BIG YUM…
Not a morsel left on any of the plates.
There was another course, Chicken Supreme stuffed with almonds
…but neither of us had room for that!
The dinner can be enjoyed as a 5-course meal(tasting portions)
and with wine pairing for each course.
Or, like we did, as stand alone dishes with a choice of red and white wine
The meal and the service certainly put a smile on our faces
A post dinner perambulation to help the meal settle
It was one of those perfect Highveld winter nights.
And this was what awaited me post my long morning run.
The one on the right!
The one on the left was for my wife.(and the poached egg was done to perfection)
Clico also offers Eggs Benedict, French Toast and an Open Omelette
as breakfast options.
Once again we were travelers in our own city.
The hotel serves a mixture of local and International visitors.
And, you can book for dinner even if you are not a guest.
www.clicohotel.com
This posting is brought to you DESPITE
Eskom load-shedding…
Thank you to BP fuel and a home generator!
and may not be used without permission
