I found the elephant in the room! Who knew…
Did you know? Asian elephants have a twin-domed head with an indent running up the centre of their head. African elephants have fuller, more rounded heads, and the top of their head is a single dome shape. Asian Elephant ears are much smaller, almost semi-circular in shape.
I make no apologies for this Dad joke. I just had to…
Q: What’s the difference between an Asian and an African elephant?
A: One of them is an elephant.
Recently I had to work in Pretoria for a few days. As the work was at night, I decided to find a place to stay instead of driving home every night after rehearsals and shows. This property was one of the show sponsors and kindly offered to host me for the nights I would need to be in Pretoria.
I have to say that this property was not on my radar when I was originally looking for accommodation, but I am glad that I found them. What an amazing property.
Not so much a Sword of Damocles hanging over my head. Rather a LARGE Moroccan-themed light fitting almost filled the space above the reception area.
This was my accommodation. Having just returned from a holiday in Morocco, I can attest to the authenticity of the furnishings and decor in the room.
The use of colour on both the walls and the soft furnishings was indicative of most hotels and riads we stayed in.
My room had a balcony that looked down over a water feature and koi pond.
A great place to relax and have a cuppa while working on rehearsal schedules or editing images for social media posts.
The devil is in the detail… As this decor in this passage can attest to.
Or the tassel on the large urn outside the elevator.
I am uncertain as to what this scale represents, but it caught my eye as I walked down the stairs to the reception area.
An interesting door that leads to the…gents toilet!
Colour overload… a chair in the public lounge that is just off the main bar.
If you sit in the chair in the previous image, then this is the view that guests are presented with…elephant and all.
Who needs THIS many scatter cushions? The answer is…
I did not have time to try out the pool, but it did look inviting.
This iconic Moroccan lamp is known as a Fanoos.
In Arabic, “Fanoos” translates to “lantern” or “lamp,” but the Fanoos is far more than a simple tool to dispel the dark. It’s a masterwork of craftsmanship and design, an emblem of the rich Moroccan culture, and an evocative centrepiece in festivals.
The rich colours are indicative of
Blue… to represent the colour of the sky and connect to heaven and God
Red… represents the blood of the ancestors and unity.
Purple… has been associated with royalty since ancient times, in large part because the murex shellfish-based Tyrian purple dye was expensive to make and thus only the wealthiest classes could afford it.
A hidden wine cellar with an excellent selection of wines at affordable prices.
The dining room…
I was only at the hotel for breakfast, and when I am at a hotel, my breakfast choices are predictable. Normally eggs, bacon and tomato. But in this case, I had combined those elements into an omelette.
What does the Royal Elephant offer? Click on the logo above to find out.
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