A Monday to Friday commute to a desk in an office is a norm of the past. With remote working now standard in February 2021 we launched our Roaming Office, moving our team to work remotely, together, from a different Joburg hotel workspace every Monday.
Our Roaming Office is not only helping us to reconnect as a team and ace the remote working lifestyle, as a tourism business it’s also a crucial way for us to reconnect with our hospitality partners and refresh our knowledge about the city after lockdown.
Why you should take your office on the move
We wholeheartedly recommend taking your office on the move. Decisions are made more efficiently, problems solved more effectively and creative ideas have the space to grow and blossom beyond the confines of the screen.
We’ve also found it to be a motivating and morale-boosting experience, especially for new colleagues and for those struggling to juggle their home life with work. ‘Real life’ reconnection really works.
To get you inspired to plan your next ‘Office Day’, here’s a look at the new views we’ve enjoyed in February.
Clico Boutique Hotel, Rosebank
February 8, 2021: We kicked off the roaming office by spending the day at the Clico Boutique Hotel in one of our favourite Joburg neighbourhoods, Rosebank. A small hotel hidden away on a quiet jacaranda-lined street, Clico is bright, breezy and open with as much space to relax indoors as out.
The meeting space: Clico’s stand-alone, purpose-built meeting room opens right out onto a graceful garden and is discreetly positioned so that you have plenty of indoor and outdoor space all to yourself. We especially enjoyed the excellent breakfast muffins and cappuccino on arrival and the friendly service.
What’s for lunch: Lunch is served in the hotel’s Clico Restaurant that opens out onto a quiet courtyard garden, or the hotel can provide catering on the meeting room terrace. We loved the carefully balanced flavours and extravagant presentation.
What we loved most about working at Clico: Half the walls of the meeting room are made up of sliding concertina doors that open onto the garden, flooding the space with natural light, fresh air and a sense of greenery. Being at a small hotel you also really get to appreciate the personalised service and there is an intimacy that makes you feel as though you have the whole space to yourself.
Find out more about Clico Boutique Hotel and how to host your next meeting or event here.
The Leonardo, Sandton Central
February 15, 2021: 55 floors, 241 apartments, 234 metres tall and housing an estimated 1,500 specially commissioned artworks, The Leonardo in Sandton Central, does nothing by half. This is South Africa’s tallest building and a major new Joburg landmark. A mixed-use tower block with serviced apartments and conferencing facilities managed by Legacy Hotels, The Leonardo sits right in the heart of the Sandton business district and is especially well placed for corporates.
The meeting space: There is a variety of meeting rooms, seating between seven and 30. We spent the day in one of the smaller boardrooms (which are still huge!) and found the tech top-notch. We were kept well-hydrated and caffeinated and the seamless service was prompt and friendly.
What’s for lunch: We took the lift up to the seventh floor to the glitzy Aurum restaurant, where there’s a casual lunch menu (we loved the signature burger) and a rooftop pool deck that is the perfect place to relax with a drink after the working day is done.
What we loved most about working at The Leonardo: The Leonardo’s astonishing art collection. There are specially commissioned pieces in the elevators and stairwells, inside the conferencing rooms and breath-taking sculptural works that wind their way up through the soaring lobby and across the reception areas. Contemporary art is everywhere. Booking one of their guided art tours of the building is recommended.
Find out more about The Leonardo and how to host your next meeting or event here.
The Peech boutique hotel, Melrose
February 22, 2021: Originally a heritage house, the 32-room Peech boutique hotel in Melrose, expands out into two acres of lush gardens and is a mini Eden in the suburbs. The hotel prides itself on ensuring every guest gets to enjoy the sense of peace and privacy that the lush tree-filled space has been designed to foster, and for those lazy sunny days, there’s not one but two pools. The hotel is also officially Fair Trade certified and has gone to great lengths to minimise its environmental impact.
The meeting space: We spent the day working from one of the hotel’s two fully-equipped meeting rooms (ideal for a smaller team of four to ten people) that, like all spaces at The Peech, opens out into the gardens. We were treated to an array of breakfast items (including excellent croissants) in the meeting room with plentiful tea and coffee.
What’s for lunch: As we were staying here for the day we enjoyed lunch at the Garden Restaurant, a casual venue only for in-house guests with a patio that enjoys a leafy view of the garden. The lunch menu offers a lovely range of light and perfectly executed choices, with stand out classic dishes that included the homemade ravioli.
What we loved most about working at The Peech: Even though when we visited the heavens opened, come rain or shine you cannot beat The Peech’s extraordinary gardens. There are so many quiet corners and serene spaces to take a few minutes and find that all-important daily dose of Zen. We also love that this as an owner-run property with an emphasis on making you feel at home.
Find out more about The Peech and how to host your next meeting or event here.
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Westcliff
March 1, 2021: One of South Africa’s leading luxury hotels, the Four Seasons enjoys one of the most spectacular locations in Joburg, atop the Westcliff ridge. The panoramic view of Joburg’s exceptional treescape is unparalleled and up on that hillside you have the sense of being transported far from the rush of the city.
The meeting space: Located on the highest point of the property, the hotel’s View restaurant is currently closed and has instead been made available as a space for private events. We were treated to View’s covered balcony as our workspace for the day, truly a ‘desk’ with a view. Four Seasons also has a number of other spaces available for hire for meetings and events, and is an especially popular venue for celebrations and launches.
What’s for lunch: Our day started in luxury with a breakfast meeting on the Flames restaurant terrace below View, where we also later enjoyed lunch. In light of Covid the hotel no longer offers buffet breakfasts and instead a procession of different plates (fruits, yoghurts, pastries, your choice of hot and cold dishes etc) will arrive at your table. A very elegant way to start the day. The hotel also has what must be the gold standard when it comes to dealing with this Covid era. Their lead to care global policy even specifies giving visitors containers for your mask to ensure no contamination with surfaces.
What we loved most about working at Four Seasons: The view! Perhaps we mentioned it already? Nothing compares to seeing the city from this viewpoint. We even spotted some wildlife at the zoo in Saxonwold.