I don’t believe that I have ever overnighted in Pretoria, aside from a short stay at a family member back in 1971.
So, when I found out that I would be working on an event which would be rehearsing into the night, I searched the suburbs nearest the venue and emailed 3 of them to see if they could accommodate me. Only one had the courtesy to respond…Brooklyn Guesthouses which were only 10 minutes from where I needed to be.
Using Google maps, I was taken right to the front door of the property and although it is not Jacaranda season in Pretoria at present, the streets in Brooklyn and filled with trees whose leaves had not yet changed to their Autumn colours.
Did you know?
The following International Embassies can be found within walking distance of the guesthouse include Russia, Iraq, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Italy, Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Jordan, Mauritania, Mexico, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Vietnam.
But I was not in need of any of their services, hence me using the time that I had to spend wandering around the gardens and grounds of the 6 homes that were converted by the owner and that now comprise this property.
Check in was a breeze and all the staff that I interacted with were a pleasure to deal with.
Many of the walls have murals painted on them that are so life-like that it was difficult for me to believe that I was actually in a Pretoria suburb.
The murals seem to depict a variety of street scenes, most of which incorporate aspects of the guesthouses.
It was like a mini treasure hunt as I wandered the grounds finding images on many of the vertical surfaces.
No this is not a statue…
Before leaving home to travel to Pretoria I had interviewed an author for my YouTube channel. In her book a Hadeda features as the main narrator… and lo and behold, there was one waiting for me in the garden fountain close to where my room was situated.
Coincidence? I think not.
All wrapped up in autumn colours.
Finally, I get to my accommodation for the next few nights.
On opening the door I was surprised to find a well appointed room that contained all the necessary conveniences to make my stay comfortable.
I the area just outside the door was a fridge together with a stocked tea and coffee station that guests can avail themselves of.
The one thing that the guesthouse has no control over is load shedding! I should have checked the schedule before arriving as just as I settled down to work, the lights went out.
However, I had come prepared with a torch and a mobile router, which meant that I could continue to work until the battery on my laptop ran out…or I got tired of working.
On the left of this image, just out of sight, is a table and chair so that I was able to work in comfort and not hunched over on the bed or somewhere less comfortable.
The bed was comfortable and the linen crisp and inviting…and, I forgot to mention earlier that the globe in the bedside lamp worked during the load shedding so that the room was not in total darkness.
Shower accessories where you can actually READ the labels.
Always an issue for guests who wear glasses and then, once in the shower, end up washing with the conditioner or using the shampoo as a body wash.
Neither was the case here.
The bathroom contained a basin and a shower…no bath, but there are rooms that you can book that do have both options available (more about one of those in another post)
The bathroom and toilet are situated at the top of a flight of three steps, giving the room a multi-level set up. Most interesting and very ‘quirky’.
This window looks out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. It does not detract from the privacy that a guest might require as the shower is out of sight of the window.
But it did make me wonder what the room was originally.
The toilet, right next door to the bathroom.
An interesting door and retro tiles, which gave this small room a definite ‘old school’ feel. Aside from the toilet, there was a basin as well.
A corner of the restaurant attached to the guesthouse.
Brooks Café is open from 07h00 to 22h00 (kitchen closes at 21h00) weekdays and serves a variety of meals.
They even have a wood burning pizza oven, but seeing that I was only there for breakfast during my stay, I cannot comment on their pizza and I did not think they would fire it up for breakfast…or perhaps I should have asked…
For under R30.00, this cannot be beaten, An egg, bacon, tomato and toast. A mini breakfast of champions or a breakfast for mini champions, but it was sufficient for me.
This was just one of several breakfast options available.
The Brooklyn Guesthouse exceeded my expectations on every level. From the cleanliness of the rooms to the quality of the food and the friendliness of all the staff that I dealt with.
It offers guests good value for money and for those who have never been a tourist in Pretoria, it is the ideal location to access many of those tourist destinations that we as South Africans very seldom get to visit.
To find out more about what they offer, click on the logo above.
Check out the archived and current interviews… click on the image above.
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