Not everyone is lucky enough to travel regularly for pleasure. In fact, a large proportion of us have to travel for work purposes. And it’s a fact that the more you do it, the more the thrill of travelling wears off.
It’s very easy to adopt a clinical approach to business travel. A kind of in-out attitude, where accommodation isn’t as important as getting the job done and a hotel room is somewhere to lay your head and not your heart.
But travelling for work needn’t be a chore. And sleeping in a hotel bed need not be a completely impersonal experience. Indeed, there’s a growing trend in business travel away from the super-large, “chainstore” hotels to smaller, more convivial boutique hotels, guest houses and lodge-type accommodation.
It’s not a cost-cutting trend because generally speaking the more exclusive you go, the more it costs. It’s more a shift in mindset and a move towards caring more for business travellers, the majority of whom have families and homes of their own that they have to spend a good deal of time away from.
Taking extra-special care of your executives while they’re away from home is not just the priority of South Africa’s corporations and companies — it’s becoming a focal point of many smaller establishments, which pride themselves on being able to offer first-class service to businessmen and women on the move.
Foxwood House in Johannesburg’s leafy suburb of Houghton is at the forefront of this movement to put business travellers at complete ease while they’re away from the home environment.
It’s inconspicuous from the outside, located in Fifth Street, a stone’s throw from the N1 and Killarney Mall. Indeed, it’s a position to die for in business terms, with easy access to all of the major business areas of Johannesburg and a half-hour drive from Johannesburg International airport, Lanseria and Midrand.
But you’d never guess it was so close to such a major arterial road because Foxwood House is a haven of tranquillity. Set in huge, rambling gardens full of indigenous trees and adopted oaks, the ambience is more country estate than suburban guest house. The gardens are at the centre of everything, offering guests the chance to unwind after a hard day of back-to-back meetings over a chilled glass of premier wine or a good, old-fashioned beer.
The unwinding process is aided and abetted by an assortment of ducks who have taken up residence in a charming duck pond, complete with terrace and a comfortably furnished patio.
The garden is overlooked by a plush lounge and Foxwood’s dining room, where breakfasts and made-to-order dinners are served.
Foxwood actually consists of two properties. The Villa is grand and imposing and, together with its gatehouse, is used as a business and conference or indaba venue with one room for accommodation purposes above it.
The house dates back to the 1920s — a period that has been lovingly preserved and which is echoed in the guest house adjoining it. Filled with antiques and some marvellous objets d’art, the house has a strong Afrikaans history and some charming reminders of this rich and chequered past — such as a drinks cabinet modeled on the Voortrekker Monument.
The conference rooms are perfect for small groups and executive breakaways or brainstorming sessions, and are decorated in keeping with the rest of this grand old dame of Jo’burg’s property portfolio, with a rich variety of period and antique pieces. The boardroom can seat 16 guests around a 19th-century oak table or up to 40 guests cinema-style. It opens on to an ancient, wisteria-covered pergola and the garden.
The Len Oates room, named for the original owner of the villa, is an elegant dining room with original Oregon pine panelling and a sturdy, Burmese teak table that seats eight.
The Gatehouse is a stone building that was converted into a conference room by award-winning architect Gerhard Scheepers. It seats 36 boardroom-style or up to 60 guests cinema-style.
Foxwood House is categorised as a boutique hotel. It boasts three beautifully appointed suites with luxurious bedrooms and en suite facilities. Each room has satellite television, telephone jacks for computers/modems and a direct-dial telephone. The décor is superb, with antique furniture and textures making each suite unique and creating the perfect atmosphere for busy business people to relax in.
Two suites are situated in Jessie’s Cottage. One has a large, double bedroom opening on to a secluded patio with a separate dining area and its own private entrance. The second has a large double bedroom, separate dining area, TV bay and sitting area, and a kitchenette facility.
The Garden Cottage boasts two double bedrooms, a private dining room, a large lounge opening on to its own patio and garden, and a private entrance. Outside the suites there is a well-stocked library as well as the lounge and dining room with large, cosy fireplace and comfortable couches, where guests can kick back and reflect on the events of the day.
Add to this a high level of personal service and you have the perfect combination of understated luxury and modern convenience, ideal for both the business traveller and as a venue for business functions.
The lowdown
Jessie’s Cottage suites cost R1 800 a night including breakfast. The Garden Cottage costs R2 200 a night including breakfast. Altogether, Foxwood House can accommodate eight people.
For more information and details of conference facilities and rates, contact Foxwood House on Tel: (011) 486 0935.