Johannesburg - Driving or flying up to Joburg to see a show or two often holds appeal for me and many in my circle, but for most of us the thought of having to stay in the concrete jungle is always a bit of a turnoff.
As with London and Cape Town, it’s always a case of nice to visit, nice to leave, I say.
However, some good news – on a recent drive north, and after constantly cursing the e-tolls, the bumper-to-bumper traffic that will forever ensure I never move to Gauteng, and navigating the seemingly endless roadworks in Fourways, I stumbled upon an oasis of calm in the heart of Lonehill.
A mere 5km from the chaos and kitsch of Montecasino, at 76 Concourse Crescent, is a sweet retreat, a patch of peaceful paradise that is a boutique hotel and conference centre offering a touch of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
Established some 20 years or so ago, when it was renovated from a private home, and then bought about five years ago by the Gooderson group, it’s the Fabz Garden Hotel and Conference Centre.
It nestles at the end of Concourse Road, where a jovial gatekeeper emerges from a double-storey, vine-entwined sentry block to usher access to the main reception area at the end of a driveway edged with lawn and tall trees.
Three blocks of eight units are spread out over lush grounds, as well as a honeymoon suite that is currently being refurbished. A large central block accommodates reception, a small lounge and bar, and the Marco’s Italian a la carte restaurant which also doubles as the breakfast room.
This leads on to a big patio and to an outdoor pub, where a wine tasting evening was in full swing when we arrived on a Friday evening.
When the wind picks up, the patio, featuring large cast-iron chandeliers, is enclosed with canvas drops, as was done on the Sunday afternoon when we were there, when a popular, regular braai buffet attracts the locals.
The braai is good value at R100 a head, including salads, pap and sauce, vegetables, as much meat as you care to have prepared for you, as well as a spread of puds that, when we were there, included yum trifle in champagne glasses, a raspberry-flavoured creme brulee and pastry-encased chocolate mousse bites.
Upstairs in the main building are three conference rooms, one of which is larger and can be reconfigured to offer two rooms if required.
Downstairs, just off the reception foyer, is a surprise delight – a warm and welcoming wine cellar that offers its own pub and parking area, and is used for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other smaller private functions.
The hotel is very popular for conferences, says general manager Leonie Herselman, pointing to a group of people assembling for tea, all of them delegates of a 10-day course for mastering motivational speaking.
All rooms at the hotel recently underwent refurbishment including new furniture, carpeting and patio furniture for rooms facing the main block, but I have a small moan about the old-fashioned shower heads, which are very 1980s and a slight irritation to get the spray right.
The hotel offers a wide selection of family and superior suites, as well as twin, double and single rooms set amid striking country surrounds.
Accommodation at Fabz is comfortable, all rooms being equipped with en-suite bathrooms, selected DStv channels, bar fridge, telephone and tea/coffee/hot chocolate facilities.
Breakfasts at Fabz are pretty fab, and are inclusive with the cost of a room. They are also available to visitors at R110 a head.
We had a very tranquil brekkies – a tower of scrambled eggs, salmon and potato for me; a tasty Eggs Benedict for my partner – on the charming white gazebo on stilts over a man-made pond with two large fountains. It’s a short stroll from the main building’s patio.
It was super-relaxing with the sound of water, and twitterings and frenzied flights of busy weaver birds, the view enhanced by white and yellow lilies dotting the pond banks.
A stroll around the pond after breakfast offered some quiet delights – including an old, cast-iron bath with flowering pansies, positioned opposite a little wooden bridge and mini-waterfall.
Also hidden in the trees and shrubs are white cast-iron tables and chairs for quiet reflection or reading, and, tucked away in the lilies, a canoe which I assume is used for access to the two fountains, which are illuminated at night. Swimming in the pond is not permitted.
The nice thing is that one can also arrange to eat on the gazebo, or elsewhere in the gardens, at night, choosing from a Marco’s menu that includes a popular oxtail (sadly, not available both nights we were there), good steak dishes and a very tasty chicken stuffed with peppadews and served with a creamy curry sauce.
If you’re not into simply relaxing or seeing a show – we caught Durban’s Janna Ramos-Violante and Ashley Dowds in Constellations at Montecasino’s Pieter Toerien Theatre – a number of other close-by attractions are available.
The Lion Park in Lanseria, open 365 days a year, 8.30am to 9pm daily, and home to 85 lions, is about half an hour away. Self-drives or day or night guided drives are available along a buck trail and into the lion, cheetah and wild dog camps for a great close-up encounter. More information at 011 691 9905.
Also worth considering is a drive to The Cradle of Mankind, about an hour away. It is one of eight South African World Heritage sites, the world’s richest hominin site, and home to about 40 percent of the world’s human ancestor fossils. It offers interactive displays about the discovery of fire, extinction and DNA, among other things.
The large area, also home to a diversity of birds, animals and plants, some of which are rare or endangered, is in Sterkfontein, and has a visitors centre offering a boat ride on an underground lake. More information at 014 577 9000.
l Current rates at Fabz are R1 790 for two people sharing and R895 for a single room, including breakfast. The corporate rate is R1 430 for two people sharing and R715 per single room, including breakfast.
The groups and conference rate is R1 340 for two people sharing and R670 per single room, with breakfast.
Good news is that a festive season special, available from December 1 to January 31, will offer rooms at a nightly rate of R655 per person sharing, breakfast included.
For bookings, or any further information, phone 011 465 3551, fax 011 465 7042 or send an e-mail to fabzadmin@goodersons.co.za.
The Mercury