We made it. South Africa is striving to become normalized with a faint end in sight to the Draconian lockdown rules. My mouth is watering. I can taste the bold colored freshly designed, and poured cocktail, at the Belvedere bar. The North Star Micro Hotel similar to all Hotels, Bars, and restaurants are back in business to offer a chilled drink at the bar or on the balcony, sunset has never tasted so good. I support all measures to fight COVID in South Africa, but I welcome the fact that I can travel to my favorite Hotel and enjoy the warm sunset breeze with a drink in hand to celebrate my day. There is friendship shared in a carafe of wine, words flow poetically, and the laughter becomes uncontrollably excited. A social moment shared with a friend sipping grass green fresh Sauvignon Blanc.
The North Star Micro hotel is a beachfront hotel. I walk barefoot over the grass with my wine glass in hand, step onto the dune deck and walk onto the dune, barefoot in the sand. There are two picnic groups on the grass, and the people on balcony tables conversation is bubbling. The lunch menu is available with daily specials. If you step into the Belvedere bar for afternoon drinks, snack platters are on offer to enjoy with your sunset chat. There are no clever angles needed to sell the hospitality of The North Star hotel, the friendly staff float through space from early morning till closing time. Order an iced coffee or any cooled beverage during the day to refresh you in the Umhlanga humidity. Reply to e-mails in the shade of the Plam tree, the ocean perspective delivers critical thinking, to make crucial business decisions.
Creativity and hustling is part of the South African DNA. We struggle through adversity and strive towards luxury, a moment in the sun stretched out by the pool, is the ultimate African getaway. With an average of 8 months, producing spectacular weather, Umhlanga offers countless sunny pool days with one foot in the sand at The North Star Hotel. The late morning temperature lures you into the shallow waves for a salty splash, leaving footsteps on the beach, stepping onto the deck, walk into the outside shower for a freshwater wash to clean off the beach sand stuck to your toes. Take a dip in the pool and pop out to dry in the warm shade with a fresh drink served. The trend to follow might be the deurbanization of cities. Social distancing and spacious environments while wearing a designer mask looks to be our current new future. Nothing stops me from working remotely to blend leisure and creative thinking into a full workday while visiting the North Coast.
If your routine is a morning workout or working at sunrise, the North Star will cater to that. Strong coffee and wifi, your room is connected. Rise and shine stretching with a sunrise view or get to work with a steaming coffee on your room balcony. My morning at the North Star starts with exercise and work. I settle in on the balcony for a late breakfast and use my time to think about strategies and ideas. What will the rest of this year hold for us? A year, jokingly written by Stephen King and directed by Quenton Tarantino, offers a wry smile, but the reality is far from laughable. I have work to do. I need another coffee.
The North Star Hotel is perfect for a business traveler but caters in abundance for families and couples to book. The list of hotel activities and Durban related activities are endless. It is a tropical paradise with animal and ocean life all around you. I prefer to drive to Umhlanga, flights for domestic travel might be operating, but I crave the experience of the open road. If you drive from Gauteng, the road free flows on the highway to Umhlanga. No matter where your trip starts in South Africa, there will be scenic roads to follow on your road trip. The North Star Hotel Belvedere bar drinks served and flow abundantly and excitedly on the balcony.
As a top adman, David Ogilvy believed in a few basics. In Life, repeat your winners, take long walks, have fun, get creative, and drink a carafe of wine to unlock your magic business and lifestyle ideas. Every time I enjoy my experience at the North Hotel, there are gems unlocked with laughter, fun, drinks, meeting new connections, delicious food, and the luxury of ocean air and sandy feet printing moments into memories.
