Fitting out each room
with a specially imported
silent-running Italian
bar fridge, extra-length
beds, free Wi-Fi, full DSTV
bouquet, a stand-by generator
and a chef on the premises are
just some of the touches that set
the purpose-built Kingsmead
Guesthouse in Borrowdale,
Harare, apart.
Owner/manager Jenny Stijkel
set herself an ambitious target
when she wrote “the difference
between good and great is
extraordinary attention to detail”
in the promotional material for
the 10-bedroom guesthouse,
which she opened in mid-2013.
Each of the bedrooms is
en-suite, and two have small
kitchenettes for self-catering.
The guesthouse is built on
grounds adjacent to the home
of the Stijkels who saw an
opportunity to cater for the
growing business market in the
northern suburbs of Harare.
“We are well situated, with the
Borrowdale Village just over a
kilometre away. There are new
business parks around 10 minutes
away, and we are 20 minutes from
the airport,” says Stijkel.
“Given that we are catering
largely for the business market
and longer stays, we do not
believe that our guests should
have to compromise on the
facilities they enjoy at home, such
as having the full DSTV bouquet
available in each room,” she says.
It is also the reason that there is
free Wi-Fi, percale linen, seasonal
hypo-allergic duvets, a choice of
pillows, luxury bath sheets and a
selection of toiletries as well as a
sewing kit.
Building the guesthouse from
the ground up gave them the
opportunity to include as many
“green” elements as possible.
The restful gardens are kept
damp through a grey water
system, the geysers are fed by
solar panels, and the lighting is all
low voltage.
Small touches abound, with
the Stijkels taking from the best
practices they have experienced in
their own travels.
The couple – Aldrik and Jenny
– worked closely with both a
building consultant and architect
to ensure that it lived up to their
expectations.
They are both hands-on and
assisted by an experienced
manageress as well as a team
of well-trained staff, most of
whom are new to the hospitality
industry.
Recruiting staff new to the
industry has helped smooth
the opening months for the
guesthouse, Jenny believes.
She was able to instil the high
standards she has set for the
guesthouse, rather than having
to first “unlearn” the way other
guesthouses approach service.
CAPTION
FTW’s Jodi Haigh takes a breather.
