It is Christmas 2020. We made it into a beautiful December month flaunting style and flair. This year has been the North Star Micro Hotel first year in operation in Umhlanga. The year started with tremendous excitement as the property neared completion and ready to open its doors to the public. The building team worked non stop to finish last-minute details, the staff started to prepare to serve customers, and the marketing worked to tell visual stories. The doors at the North Star Micro Hotel opened in March this year. The COVID lockdown was announced by the end of March just as the doors opened to welcome guests.
The call 2020 a tough year in the travel and tourism industry is an understatement. It has been relentless work to reach a successful first year of trading. The benefit is that the team worked together to build creative ways to serve guests and invite patrons during the lockdown and after. The team at the North Star Micro Hotel is a family. A close-knit, hard-working small family, paying attention to details and welcoming every guest with open arms.
During the lockdown, the team started working early mornings to offer coffee on the go to runners and morning enthusiasts stepping out to breathe in the fresh salty Umhlanga morning breeze. The coffee run is a runaway success and lured guests in to enjoy coffee on the grass and in the firepit while adhering to social distancing rules. The take cups of coffee flowed into the hands of guests who became loyal supporters of the North Star Micro Hotel.
Once the lockdown regulations eased, the North Star Micro Hotel doors opened to welcome bookings and day visitors. A new menu, fresh cakes, hot coffee and a bar serving colourful and friendly favourites started buzzing. The team invited the coffee run patrons and new local guests who all became loyal weekly friends at the North Star Micro Hotel. The hospitality industry is long hours and friendly customer service to make a guest a longtime friend instead of a visitor. The loyalty that the North Star Micro Hotel has received from the locals is heartwarming and appreciated.
The North Star Micro Hotel is a fresh, colourful and modern house redesigned on the beachfront in Eastmoor crescent, Umhlanga Rocks. The rooms are spacious with a splash of vivid colours overlooking the beach, and the ocean. The airconditioning in the rooms offers comfort and refreshment from the North Coast heat and sun with blinds to block out the early morning light for good sleep. The airy hotel entrance portrays images of fish. The fish was caught in the deep sea and barbecued in the North Star Micro Hotel firepit. Life at the property is a beachfront lifestyle with fishing and seafood part of the Durban North Coast culture. The deck is well shaded and spacious for meetings and social fun from breakfast right through to sundowners. Step into the Belvedere bar to be greeted by Menzi and served your favourite drink lounging by the pool. The grass is green and manicured ideal for a run around with the kids or your dog. The deck in front of the North Star is private and perfect for an intimate picnic.
Please keep your dog on a leash. The resident two French Bulldog welcome guests. Be on the lookout for Cooper. The mustard coloured French Bulldog is vocal with a Fiesty playful nature. The North Star Micro Hotel is your home away from home, and the staff work meticulously to create a warm and homely environment for all guests to enjoy the hospitality and the view. If you have an eye for detail, don’t miss the landscapes on the wall and beautiful March lights pointing out to the see.
The night lights reflecting on the ocean and the starlight shining on a clear night is visible from the Belvedere bar and the deck. The afternoon and night wind at the North Star Micro Hotel is balmy and hot. The tropical climate is inviting to sit outside, enjoying the calm nights after an uncontrolled year. The guests are sharing conversation with a refreshing cold drink in hand, making friends, contemplating the year ahead. Keep an eye out for the specials at the North Star hotel during December. Drop by for a coffee and cake, breakfast, lunch, dinner or a sundowner.
Christmas is on December twenty-fifth. Christmas day is a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. It is a time of the year to exchange gifts, decorate lit up Christmas trees, attend church if you are religious. It is a day to cook up a storm sharing meals with family and friends. For the kids, it is a mystical tradition, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive through the chimney or climb down from the roof to deliver gifts. Christmas is one week in a year to spend time with family, celebrate gratefully, share if you can and take a moment to reflect in harmony. The spirit of Christmas is caring and showing affection.
The North Star Micro Hotel wish all the guests a Happy and healthy Christmas. We wish the magic of the North Star shining from afar to you this festive season. Thank you for the support in our first year, Umhlanga rocks.
