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Interesting facts about Namibian hotels and hospitality German hospitality is synonymous with eating. The food is rich: even most of the salads will be fattening. There are no five star hotels in Namibia. This means that you can’t expect a hair-stylist to come to your room at three in the morning. Décor varies little from hotel to hotel. The same applies to Namibia as well, except the clichés emphasise faux African motiffs Ask a car guard to watch your car. Pay him a few dollars when you return. His presence will dampen the enthusiasm of thieves, but don’t leave anything valuable in the car anyway. It is unreasonable to expect a car guard to defend your car. He only guards it. Doormen stand at the door, say hello and open doors unless the door is kept open. Don’t expect much else. The doorman at the Kalahari Sands in Windhoek is a much-loved institution, and many Namibians remember him ejecting them in their youth for rowdy behaviour and having ugly shoes. Be nice to him. If you can, find a pretext for giving him a good tip. |
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“If the fact that Namibia does not have a five star hotel angers you, blame it on Michael Jackson. Other plans that haven’t materialized came from Malaysian investors, so you can blame them as well.”
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| Groovy
decor typical of many Namibian hotels. Just don't expect to hear
Pink Floyd playing in the foyer. |
As in most other countries, Namibian hotels are ranked according to a star grading, with one at the bottom end of the scale and five at the top end scale. In truth, the highest star grading any Namibian hotel has is four of the little suckers.
At a certain point, Michael Jackson was rumoured to be investing in a hotel and entertainment complex in northern Namibia, however this has not materialized, and although Namibia’s hopes for a five star hotel were dashed, nervous parents across the country breathed a sigh of relief, even if the verdicts did come in not guilty.
If the fact that Namibia does not have a five star hotel angers you, blame it on Michael Jackson. Other plans that haven’t materialized came from Malaysian investors, so you can blame them as well.
According to recent reports, a local group will construct a complex valued at approximately N$800 million (roughly US$133 million) in the center of Windhoek which will include a hotel. If they can’t get five stars for that sort of money, they might want to reconsider their contractors and the tenure of their management.
Construction will begin in 2008 according to their releases, so for now, if you want five star accommodation, take your holiday elsewhere. There probably won’t be all that many animals, so much beautiful scenery or any of the interesting cultures willing to let you take their photographs for a small financial consideration, but the décor will probably be pleasing.
On the other hand, if you are prepared to settle for four star accommodation or less, you probably won’t be disappointed. The fact that a masseuse or hair stylist is not available at three in the morning does not necessarily mean that the standards of the hotel are lower, just that it has less facilities for people who should actually be in bed.
One of the recurring themes in Namibian marketing literature is the idea of ‘German hospitality’, this in spite of movies such as ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘The Colditz Story’. I am not sure what constitutes modern hospitality in Germany, but the fact is that German hospitality in Namibia really is excellent, very attentive to detail and absolutely insistent that the combination of the words ‘calorie’ and ‘count’ makes no sense whatsoever. In other words, eat, drink, sleep well and then wake up and do the same again.
If you are not on a diet, expect to enjoy the hospitality.
As far as the décor goes, expect to see the same sort of Africa chic wherever you go. The standard is all those carvings that you see on sale in the city center, possible framed. There will probably be a couple of hung rugs with a vaguely Seventies-style African motif. Also keep an eye out for pencil sketches and water colours of wildlife, as well as faux naïve linocuts. On the whole, after seeing the same thing in every hotel or lodge for the length of your visit, it will be nothing to write home about.
Hotels in Namibia do not go all that well with the idea of the ‘great outdoors’. Hotels require huge staffs, lots of suppliers and even more visitors. They also clash with the scenery. You won’t find a good-sized hotel outside of the larger centers, so the chances of a large menu or a shuttle to a shopping center or a golf course are limited. But you don’t visit Namibia to go shopping or play golf. You go to New York or Qatar for that sort of thing.
Most of the places in which you stay outside of the larger centers will be what are known as lodges or guest farms. That being said, there is one thing that Namibia is well-known for: a low population density and large amounts of space, so many hotels are surrounded by ample grounds and plenty of opportunities for relaxing outdoors.
There is a second category in the hotel class: the smaller, older hotels, more often found in smaller centers. These usually have one or two stars. As they are not as profitable as the hotels in larger centers, they do not have the shiny patina of newness.
Before booking into one of these hotels or insisting on staying in one, take the trouble to ask, and listen to, a local tour operator. Some of them are exceptional: others feature parochial charms such as lumpy beds and noisy plumbing.
On the whole, Namibian hospitality is good though expensive. Don’t expect an experience that befits New York or London. Instead expect something that is Namibian. If the hotel doesn’t entirely live up to your expectations, consider that you probably didn’t come to see the inside of a hotel but to admire the sights and attractions in its vicinity.