Learning To Relax By Christelle Du Toit

In all the years that I’ve known Damaria, I know that when she gets stressed I need to chase her to the garden and/or outside for a walk. It calms her down and she’ll come back saying damn, why didn’t I think of that?

Me? I’m not so good at relaxing, even when she tries to get me to. I stress and then stress about stressing. So when I had an opportunity to go to Cape Town for an unplanned long weekend, staying in the Protea hotel Seapoint, I jumped at it!

Myself and my friend Ilva, who had been dealing with tons of stress and drama, shared a room.

Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by hotel staff and booking was fast and efficient. The lobby is beautifully decorated, and contains a 9m long work table, fitted with iPads for the guests to use - with 500MB of free wifi daily! The lounge area, complete with wide-screen TV and bar, provides a relaxed atmosphere for guests to relax and socialise.

The room we stayed in was very tastefully and artfully decorated, mostly in black and white, with splashes of bold colour. The bathroom was modern and clean, with a big shower. A small balcony, with a view of the ocean, added to the serenity of the hotel stay.

Room rates are great value, and start at just under R1000 per day- with an early-bird discount of 20% if you book a month or more in advance.

The hotel offers dinners and breakfasts and, of course, a delightful room service menu. Guests can also choose to order from the adjoining Spur restaurant, which shares an outdoor terrace with the hotel.

Breakfasts are lavish and offer great variety - from fruit and yoghurt, to pastries, to your typical farmhouse breakfast options.

What sets this hotel apart is it’s suitability for corporate travellers and holidaying families alike. Some added facilities include a plunge pool and a fitness centre (complete with cycles, weights and treadmills).

Now Damaria might still have considered the exercise options for de-stressing. Me? Not so much. I’m just going to punch pennies and dream of my next break-away!

P.S. from Damaria: Christelle is the friend I co-wrote How to get quoted in the media with. She reads a lot of my writings in their raw form, and we rarely seem to agree on the first run on whether the writing works or not. But that's healthy, I think. It pushes me to do better.