Hilltop Guesthouse: Our full report
Hilltop Guesthouse (aka Hilltop Guest House) is a Bavarian-style house situated in a cul-de-sac in a quiet ...
... residential suburb of Klein Windhoek, on the north side of Windhoek. Built in the 1950s as an art studio, making it quite old by Windhoek's standards, it is located on top of a hill with great views over the surrounding suburbs of Windhoek and to the mountains beyond.Sadly in 2021 we learned that Hilltop Guesthouse closed, a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. We hope that one day it may reopen.
Hilltop Guesthouse was formerly run as Hilltop House and throughout the early 2000s it was one of our favorites in Windhoek. In 2010 this great little guesthouse ceased operating, but we were delighted when it finally re-opened as Hilltop Guesthouse, and since then it has changed hands and is now under new management as of April 2019. It is full of promise and renewed purpose.
Hilltop Guesthouse has seven rooms, all stylishly decorated and furnished with brown or olive-green tones, with a splash of orange or red from scatter cushions. These rooms still have the original floorboards, which have been carefully restored. The beds have padded headboards and a luggage rack at the foot. Air conditioning, satellite TV, a hairdryer, tea and coffee facilities (including an espresso coffee machine), and a small fridge, which can be stocked on request, come as standard.
There are three spacious luxury rooms upstairs (these are our favorites), three standard rooms downstairs, leading directly onto the pool terrace, and a separate free-standing cottage in the grounds.
- Upstairs, the 'luxury' rooms are large and spacious. The en-suite bathrooms have a toilet, free-standing tiled shower and double basins set in a wooden counter, with toiletries provided. These all have access to the balcony, made from Oregon pine, that runs around two sides of the guesthouse, and each room has its own table and chairs for enjoying breakfast outside taking in the beautiful views of Windhoek, or brought inside on cooler days. For less pleasant days, you'll also find a table and chairs inside each room.
- Downstairs, the 'standard' rooms have much the same arrangement for breakfast, with tables outside the rooms and around the pool for breakfast on nicer days. The en-suite bathrooms for these rooms is smaller, but still comes with the same features.
- The cottage is very small and is generally sold as a single room. Steep steps lead up to the entrance, making access challenging, especially in the dark. Breakfast is not included in the rate here.
Geographics
- Location
- Windhoek, Namibia
- Ideal length of stay
- 1 night
- Directions
- The guesthouse is at 12 Lessing Street, in the Klein Windhoek suburb of Windhoek, about five minutes’ drive from the city centre, or 45 minutes from Windhoek International Airport.
- Accessible by
- Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Bed & Breakfast
- Food quality
- Breakfast is the only meal on offer at Hilltop. When we stayed in 2018 we were offered the 'healthy' fruit option, toast and museli followed by our choice of cooked breakfast, all finished with pancakes. In our book it was a great way to start the day.
There are numerous restaurants in the area where lunch and dinner can be enjoyed. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- Breakfast can be enjoyed in your room
- Drinks included
- Tea and coffee is provided in the rooms, as well as water in the minibars. Soft drinks and beers are available at an additional cost.
Children
- Attitude towards children
- All ages are welcome
- Property’s age restrictions
- There is no age restriction
- Special activities & services
- There are no special activities for children
- Equipment
- A baby cot is available
- Generally recommended for children
- Although Hilltop does accept children we would not recommend it for children under five years old.
- Notes
- The Guesthouse is located on a steep site with no barrier at the edge of the deck and no fence around the pool. Parents need to supervise their children at all times.
Communications
- Communications
- There is good cellphone reception here and the guesthouse offers free WiFi throughout the property.
- TV & radio
- Each room has a TV with a selection of satellite channels.
- Water supply
- Mains
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- No
- Medical care
- There are doctors and hospitals nearby in Windhoek.
- Dangerous animals
- Low Risk
- Security measures
- Hilltop Guesthouse has a security gate. There is a security guard on duty 24 hours a day. The managers live nearby.
- Fire safety
- There are fire extinguishers placed around the property.
Activities
Cultural excursion
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is available at a cost of N$100/£5 per load.
- Money
- There is a digital safe in each room. The guest house does not offer currency exchange but there are many banks in the area.
- Accepted payment on location
- Cash in Namibian dollars and South African rand is accepted as are payments by Visa and MasterCard.
Other lodges in Windhoek
Alternative places to stay in this same area.