Pages

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Raphael Penthouse Suites

Address
5th Street
Nelson Mandela Square
Sandton
Johannesburg
Gauteng
South Africa

































The Raphael Penthouse Suites hotel is located in Johannesburg's stylish Sandton and offers exclusive penthouse suites right in the heart of the exciting Nelson Mandela Square. The uniquely designed individual penthouses offer from 78 to 500 square meters of unequalled opulence. The Suites offer the discerning client much more than a mere few standard features with splash pools, terraces over looking Nelson Mandela Square and indoor courtyards along with a private gym, secure parking and a dedicated concierge.

Guests at The Raphael Penthouse Suites in Sandton, Johannesburg, can make use of high-speed internet access in air- conditioned public areas, browse free newspapers in the lobby and order room service which is available 24 hours. There is also an outdoor swimming pool, a sauna, and steam rooms, and guests can enjoy a work out with complimentary use of a nearby fitness centre. The 24-hour front desk offers a safe deposit box, currency exchange and a dry cleaning service, and there are laundry facilities available. Secure valet parking is available in the hotel's garage.

The Raphael Penthouse Suites are in close proximity to Sandton's town centre which is located a mere 20 metres away, and 50 metres away guests can find the Liberty Theatre on the Square and the Sandton Civic Art Gallery. If guests wish to venture slightly further afield, there are the botanical gardens and the beautiful Emmarentia dam, 15 kilometres away. Johannesburg International Airport is located about 40kms, or 45 minutes drive away.

Accommodation at the Raphael Penthouse Suites, Johannesburg


The suites are situated on over four floors and offer a choice of classic or contemporary decor featuring imaginative and original works of art. Every one of the Raphael Penthouse Suites offers a balcony with a view of the indoor atriums and murals, fully equipped kitchens and separate sitting areas along with satellite television and pay movies, DVD players, CD players, complimentary high-speed internet access, and direct-dial phones with voicemail, safes and minibars.

The bathrooms have bathrobes, slippers, designer toiletries, hair dryers, separate baths and showers, and makeup mirrors. Housekeeping is offered daily and cribs and in-room childcare are available on request.

Services and Facilities at the Raphael Penthouse Suites, Sandton

The luxurious Raphael Penthouse Suites provides amongst others the following services and facilities:
security guard
babysitting or child care
concierge desk
parking (free)
atm/banking
dry cleaning service
use of nearby fitness center (complimentary)
elevator/lift
room service (24 hours)
swimming pool
outdoor
sauna
currency exchange
complimentary breakfast
laundry facilities
shoe shine
parking garage
safe-deposit box
patio
shopping on site
parking (secure)
airport transportation (surcharge)
internet public area
high-speed
air-conditioned public areas
parking (valet)
comp newspapers in lobby
steam room doorman/doorwoman
limo/town car service
multilingual staff
porter/bellhop
24-hour front desk

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

R170m Zuma home revamp




iol pic nt zuma's hosue pretoria
Residential area of the South African President Jacob Zuma, Bryntirion Estate, Pretoria
The total disarray of the Department of Public Works has again been clearly highlighted through contradictory statements over whether President Jacob Zuma’s official residences and offices in Joburg and Cape Town were being refurbished or not.
“If the one hand does not know what the other hand is doing that is when corruption can flourish,” Athol Trollip, of the DA, said yesterday.
Confirmation by the Ministry in a Parliamentary response to Trollip that nearly R170 million was to be spent on the refurbishment of Zuma’s Pretoria residence Mahlamba Ndlopfu was later retracted and vehemently denied by Public Works Minister Gwen Mhlangu-Nkabinde and acting Director-General Mandla Mabuza.
The debacle comes less than a month since Auditor-General Terence Nombembe gave the department a disclaimer saying he had not only found irregular expenditure amounting to R16.5m, but that there was no evidence of R1.3 billion in capital transactions. Immovable assets worth R3.4bn could also not be traced.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has, in two reports on the police leasing scandal, recommended that steps be taken against Mahlangu-Nkabinde and national police commissioner Bheki Cele for their roles in the R500m and R1.1bn lease agreements with businessman Roux Shabangu. Madonsela had found that the Pretoria and Durban leases were concluded in an unlawful and improper way.
Mahlangu-Nkabinde admitted last month in a public address that a Special Investigating Unit’s probe had found the department had lost R3bn through 41 dodgy tenders. The entire department was under investigation, it was stated.
Sapa had quoted Mahlangu-Nkabinde as admitting in an address to the Engineering Council of South Africa recently that her department had been run like a “cash cow” with contracts awarded to people who had no clue as to what they were required to do.
Trollip said confusion over the responses and whether the build programme was going ahead despite its cancellation earlier in the year clearly highlighted the problems in the department handling the management and maintenance of all government buildings.
“The problem lies with the department not knowing what is being said.”
Trollip had asked for comprehensive refurbishment figures from the department weeks after Mahlangu-Nkabinde had announced the cancellation of the projects.
After their release earlier in the week, and the subsequent media reports, the minister denied the veracity of the response, saying the information released to Parliament was incorrect.
Trollip said: “If no one knows what is going on in the department, then it makes it more vulnerable to corruption. It is well known that departments of public works are the departments around the world that are most prone to corruption.”
He pointed out that Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Mabuza had emphasised the retention of the status quo - that the projects were cancelled in March - but that government spokesman Jimmy Manyi had said the opposite shortly thereafter.
Manyi had in his reaction denied that the cost of the renovations to Zuma’s Pretoria residence was extravagant or compromised social delivery, saying the work to be done “on a range of official properties will be done in the same way that the government attends to other programmes - like health and education”.
The DA was adamant the confusion could not be ignored. Trollip made it clear that it was not the DA’s questions that were embarrassing to the government, but that it was its answers that had embarrassed the executive.
“That is why people like Roux Shabangu can do what he is doing,” Trollip charged.
Trollip had asked this week, in reaction to the responses received and later retracted, for a full explanation from Mahlangu-Nkabinde why such expenditure was deemed an appropriate use of state funds.
He said such exorbitant expenditure indicated just how disconnected Zuma was from the people. “At a time when millions of South Africans face rising unemployment, a lack of basic services and poor quality housing, the president has seen fit to reward himself with a series of renovations to his lavish residences. The hundreds of millions of rands this has cost the state could have built over 7 000 RDP houses.”
In her retraction of the response on Thursday Mahlangu-Nkabinde was at pains to reiterate the contracts were cancelled in March and had not been reinstated.
“No work has been undertaken, no taxpayers’ money has been spent,” she said.
Her officials, she said, had assured her of this even though it was true that the presidential residence was due for refurbishment.
“They assure me of this and I can assure South Africa that any expenditure on the refurbishment will be in line with normal building costs.”
She said it remained unclear how the cancelled cost proposal was sent to the DA, and that she had instructed the department to investigate.
Mabuza said yesterday he regarded the matter as closed.
“There is no such thing as a R170m refurbishment. It is pure nonsense. According to us the matter is closed,” Mabuza said in response to the Sunday Tribune’s questions.
He emphasised that any work required at Mahlamba Ndlopfu would be done “internally by the department”.
Mabuza had instructed the department’s “projects and professional services unit to commence with the work”.
“Accordingly, the department will, once the investigation on the maintenance state of these assets is concluded, decide on execution of maintenance internally,” he said.
What Mabuza did confirm was that “some official” had submitted “false information” to Parliament on the costs involved, and that he had ordered an investigation “to determine the conduct of this official”.
A cost breakdown:
- Renovating Genadendal: R13.5m
- Renovating Tuynhuys: R24.4m
- Furnishing Tuynhuys: R778 000
Shop Online Products here!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Carpe Diem Luxury Villa Camps Bay



Carpe Diem - Truly Camps Bays most luxurious villa, Designed by Arthur Quinton Architects. Situated on +/- 1700 SQ M double plot that backs on to the 12 Apostles Mountain Range nature reserve. 950 SQ M of building, a testament to fantastic architecture. 5 en suite bedrooms 4 of which have sea views, amazing glass and plant lined entertaining spaces, All the technical specs associated with a $6,000,000 home. Views to die for, stunning gardens, garaging for 2 cars, air-conditioned living area and master bedroom, passenger lift for 6, Heated Pool, Air Conditioned Gymnasium, Sauna, A Fully Equipped Kitchen with 3 ovens, Electric security gates and high tech security system. Luxury 2 bed/2 bath self contained flat available by negotiationa





The Windsor Brookes Country Villas


The Windsor Brookes Country Villas in Kenya

img1


img2

img3

img4

img5

Property Characteristics

Freehold, 3 Storey

Property Features

Balcony, Attic, Fitted Bathroom, Intercom, Internet Access, Jacuzzi, Septic Tank, Water Tank

Full Description

The Windsor Brookes Country Villas are a luxurious development endowed with country charm that's set on 2.5 acres of prime land in the exclusive Ridgeways area within the outskirts of Nairobi. The location offers a picturesque view of the Aberdare Range.

The neighborhood offers the world class Windsor Golf and Country Club and Braeburn Academy which are all approximately twenty minutes drive from Nairobi City Center.
The Windsor Brookes Country Villas consists of five luxurious 4 bedrooms all en suite villas, each on its own half acre professionally landscaped gardens.

Main features

*Ground Floor

The 4 bedroomed en suite villas measuring 3545 square feet are built in three exquisite levels. The entrance has a high arched facade that leads to a lobby, from which the rest of the house is accessed.
A comfortable sunken lounge contains a functional marble fireplace. The far end of the lounge has wide French doors that open out onto a broad terrace.
The ground floor includes the dining room and the fitted American-type open plan kitchen, as well as an en suite guest bedroom.
The roomy American kitchen opens into the dining room but maintains the privacy of the lounge. The large pantry and dhobi area are conveniently located on one side, leading to two self-contained domestic servants’ quarters across a paved yard and covered parking for two vehicles.

*First Floor

A spacious spiral staircase climbs into the first floor, on which there are two en suite bedrooms and a cosy family room with an adjoined terrace.

*Attic Floor

The spiral staircase continues on to the attic floor, which consists solely of the luxurious master bedroom. This spacious room has a walk-in closet and a bathroom that is equipped with both a Jacuzzi and a shower cubicle. The general concept of the villas is to offer spacious well designed houses with enough light to allow the home owners enjoy the garden country comfort.
Extra features

The Windsor Brooks development is fully serviced, with a paved internal road network, street lighting and immaculately landscaped grounds. A stylish electrified perimeter wall ensures solid security.

*Landscape

The scenic landscape, designed by an experienced landscape architect, presents a beautiful garden with a mix of exotic plants to ensure the residents continue to enjoy their outdoor activities.

Other services include:

    *External intercom
    *Internet, TV and DSTV enabled

Optional services available at an extra cost include:

    *Construction of a private swimming pool
    *Pre-installation of a satellite dish
    *Installation of internal intercom
    *Provision of a backup generator