Insta-Monthly

Hello Journeyers!
The weekend is upon is and I am very excited! I have been slacking this week with my Pilates. And I miss it already! I see I haven't done a Insta-Monthly Post since Feb! *gasp* So this will be a biggy. I will catch you up with a few things that's been happening since then!

Cedric and I went to review The Marion on Nicol Boutique Hotel - we were treated like Kings

My father left us with beautiful weather in Mossel Bay

The saddest and most beautiful funeral service 

Family is all you need sometimes to get you through something rough

My dads watch that I took and I wear it every day

After all the madness and sadness we escaped to the bush for a little camping

Flowers to brighten up the day

This man has been my rock through everything

We had a nice dinner at home with friends

Lunch with friends at Gilroy's

Easter egg hunting with this little man

Dinner with (blogger) friends

New sneakers to get me fit and happy (not there yet)

Ahhh family time 

Cheers to you daddy

Chick Flick night with these ladies - FUN

I love my phone cover from Printstagram

Dinner with this gorgeous lady

Autumn colours

Lunch with blogger friends

I did my deed and voted

After standing in the cold for a while I took Cedric for a yummy breakfast

This must be why I love Pilates

I spend mothers day with my "other" mother

It was so good the first time I had to take Cedric back and share the goodness of La Vie en Rose

Cedric owns a Country Road jacket now - I don't even have anything Country Road

If this is how we are spending winter then bring it on

After an intense Pilates workshop I stopped for some lunch

We fueled up before going on a house hunting spree

This is how I spoil the office

And that sums up what's been going on in my life! Tonight Cedric's parents are arriving in SA and we will be meeting them for dinner. I cannot wait to see them! Stay tuned for tomorrows Guest Travel Blogger Post!

Stay safe and.....

The Marion on Nicol Boutique Hotel

Hello Journeyers,
Hidden just off of the busy William Nicol and in the up there Sandton suburb lies the beautiful 5* Boutique Hotel called The Marion on Nicol, Boutique Hotel of Distinction. It is hidden behind white walls with the gorgeous M's marking it which makes it nice and discreet. Our bags were packed for a very relaxing spoiled evening on Thursday evening and after work we were in the traffic ready for our night away.

About
"The Marion on Nicol is a Boutique Hotel of Distinction that offers a tranquil and lavish retreat from the bustle of nearby Sandton and Johannesburg. The hotel prides itself in offering a unique brand of South African hospitality. Our discreet attention to detail will ensure that your experience is one of memorable elegance and comfort. "

We drove through the big glass gate that separates you from the busy buzzing life on the outside and welcomes you to a world of luxury. As we walked in we were welcomed by the very friendly faced receptionist. I was mesmerized by the beautiful decor, the reception flowed into the lounge area and they had mirrors everywhere giving you the illusion of space. "A blend of classic colonial architecture and decor with modern and enduring amenities offering service without compromise."

After checking in (which was surprisingly very easy and effortless) we were taken to our room and shown around the hotel. We settled into our big comfortable room, that had a beautiful glass bathroom and a rather big terrace (especially for a hotel room) and a mini fridge that was filled with bubbly and Voss water.

I was very tempted to book myself a nice pamper session at the spa but time was limited. After going to look at the spa I was very disappointed that I didn't book that pamper sesh! There's something about a spa, I don't know if it's just the smell of all those lovely oils or the calming tranquil environment they create. But I struggled to get myself out of the spa. And for those fitness fanatics out there, they even have a nice well equipped gym! I love myself some treadmill running! But conveniently unfortunately "forgot" to pack my training clothes.

We then went for a drink on the terrace before we headed to dinner in the restaurant. The decor blew my mind. The hotel was covered in all my favourite colours - purple and green. Not to mention all the beautiful orchards that was on full display literally everywhere! I am very impressed, my orchards don't even last a month and they have a hotel full of them!

Things to do / Hotel Facilities

Fine Dining in their beautiful restaurant

Cocktail Bar

Pampering sessions at Spa de la Veille

Cardio Fitness Centre

Heated Outdoor Pool

Gorgeous gardens 

Free shuttle service to and from Sandton City

At night the place lights up giving it a beautiful Tuscan feel. With 24 en suite rooms you are sure to be treated like royalty. They are currently doing some construction, BUT when it's all over they will have a beautiful are where you can make your dreams a reality and have your perfect fairy tale wedding. 

Our dinner at the restaurant was impeccable. And we don't really compliment food like this very often. Yes you can come across restaurants that make good food, but this was GOOD food. For starters Cedric had the Lobster Bisque (With a mushroom Ravioli and Roast Pepper Cream) and I had the Thai Beef Salad (With Glass Noodles). My Salad was superb, better than Simply Asia (yes I said it) and Cedric loved his Bisque. For Mains he had the Grilled Duck (With sautee cabbage with cumin and duck spring roll) and I had the Feta and Peppadew Agnolotti (Served with a light mushroom and tomato sauce) OH MY WORD this was amazing! Mine and Cedric's. Yes I tasted his and my mouth almost started watering, and then I tasted mine and it did start! hehe. By then we were extremely full but we just had to try dessert, so we decided to share one. We took the Chocolate Plate @ The Marion (Chocolate Creme brulee with Mixed Berries and chocolate Terrine) and once again I was floating.

The restaurant seats 50 people and the terrace seats 20 people.

Thai Beef Salad

Lobster Bisque

Feta and Peppadew Agnolotti

Grilled Duck

Chocolate Plate @ The Marion

Things that made us happy

The service was very good

The menu had enough choices not to overwhelm a person (like me who can never decide what to choose)

The way our room was set up after dinner.

The decor

The friendly and efficient staff

Things that made us sad

I wish we could afford to live here, I can get used to getting treated like this.

That's about it!

After dinner we went back to our room as 1 - we were very full and I felt like I was ready to roll and 2 - I love hotel rooms. When I saw our bed made up and the robes laid out I was in the shower and in the robe faster than you can say The Marion on Nicol! Oooh and then it was time to snuggle up and watch some TV. If you are on a Business trip or travelling through Johannesburg then please do yourself a favour and stop here for a night or 2 or 5. You won't be disappointed. 

Prices you are looking at more or less R2400 (225 USD) single room incl breakfast and 2900 (270 USD) double room incl breakfast. But please visit their website regularly as they do run some great specials! 

You can find them here

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

WEBSITE

Please share with me what you think of the place if you decide to go visit.

My OJTE Star Rating is.....drum roll please!!!

We would like to say thank you very much to all the staff and management of The Marion on Nicol for their wonderful service and hospitality. We hope to see you soon.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary stay at The Marion on Nicol Boutique Hotel, the expenses for all food, drinks and tips were paid for by us in full. As always, all thoughts and opinions are our own. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post. We did not receive any compensation for the writing of this post, do not work for The Marion on Nicol, and receive no commission for clicks on any links in this post.