I travelled by the evening Malawian Airlines flight to Blantyre, and landed in the city around 4PM. I was picked up from the airport by a lovely social media follower, who had conceded to picking me up after I put up a tweet saying that I was in Blantyre for Business. I was spending 3 nights at Mount Soche, located only 15 km from Chileka International Airport, and was absolutely thrilled to check out Mount Soche service in whole for the first time.
Previously, I had only visited Mount Soche Hotel for dinner and drinks. I had not quite experienced the hospitality of the place from a lodging side, and I was curious to find out.
We got caught up in a little bit of traffic, and arrived at the Hotel around 5PM. My check in was smooth, and I proceeded to go check out my room. Now first and foremost, the VIEW of Blantyre City!
Cradled in beautiful tropical gardens and overlooking Blantyre’s vibrant CBD in the south, Sunbird Mount Soche is set between the 1750m Michiru and Ndirande mountains.
It is Sunbird’s flagship premier hotel in Southern Malawi, and offers the best for business and leisure travellers alike.
With conference facilities and three boardrooms available for meetings, conference and banqueting events, Sunbird Mount Soche is rich in both setting and facilities as a 4-star city centre hotel. The hotel also has a stylish first class restaurant, two newly refurbished modern bars, a gym, swimming pool and modern wellness centre with a spa and steam room.
The hospitality
I spend a lot of my time in hotels, but the hospitality at Sunbird always beats! The staff are so warm, caring, attentive and kind. They really do make you feel at home. The feel of Sunbird Mount Soche is very warm, and the yellow lighting, in my opinion, makes all the difference.
I like a peaceful city hotel for a lovely get-away, with proximity to everything I might need.
ROOMS
The hotel has 130 rooms.
Sunbird is renovating its rooms pretty much all around the country and I spent the weekend exploring the different new rooms. I was thoroughly impressed with what I saw when I got there. The rooms are excellent, with views to die for!
The Different Types of room settings
Where I was staying?
The 130 rooms include the immortalised Presidential Mandela Suite, named after the then South African President and statesman, who stayed there during the 2004 SADC meetings. Of course I was thrilled to be staying there! It is to gorgeous, and worth all the praise.
Now it looks like a regular room at first, but it has a lot of things to die for. The room has it’s own living room.
I bet you are thinking – yeah most sunbird room do. It gets better; the room also has its own boardroom! Yeah I said a boardroom! How epic is that!
The idea of being able to host a business meeting without the requirement to leave your room totally sells to me. Your business meeting comes to you!
At the same time, the boardroom, the living room and the bedroom are completely separated (with doors between them). The boardroom has it’s own door leading into the hotel corridor, meaning people do not have to pass through your room to get to the meeting you have planned.
The Poolside
You know me and water. Whenever I am at any hotel, I will always inquire if the option of eating by the pool area is viable. The Mount Soche Hotel does not fail to deliver.
RESTAURANTS & BARS
Picasso’s Restaurant
Picasso’s Brasserie and Grill is an elegant restaurant offering the best of local and international cuisine in both a la carte and buffet settings. A host of specials includes business lunches served three days a week and traditional lunches served on Wednesdays and Fridays. Picasso also has a private dining room for a more intimate dining experience.
The variety of meals.
Of course I will always fall in love with meals and Sunbird does not cease to amaze. Mount Soche hotel offers both Local Cuisines and international meals, which you can find at their Picasso Restaurant.
The Breakfast
I could talk, but why not let the pictures do the talking?
The breakfasts are always to die for, and I had a nice breakfast with my friend Khumbo, just before we left to check out Thawale Lodge in Majete, Chikwawa.
Pablo’s Lounge Bar
Pablo’s is a cosy, executive bar & lounge, richly decorated and furnished, offering a wealth of local and imported beverages. Pablo’s is also well-known for its range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails to be enjoyed in the lounge bar or on its stylish patio overlooking Mount Soche’s scenic gardens facing across the valley to Nyambadwe and Ndirande.
Sportsman’s Bar
Sportsman’s is a newly refurbished modern and authentic sports bar that catches the spirit of sports and fun while offering a wide range of beverages. The bar has four high-definition widescreen television sets to ensure you catch the game from every corner. A snack bar offers a wide range of delicious Malawian snacks.
CONFERENCE FACILITIES
Mount Soche has the best Conference Packages in the country, in my opinion. The hotel was made for Business Meetings. From the rooms, to the conference halls.
Sunbird Mount Soche offers full conference facilities for weddings, seminars and workshops, special events and more. Each facility is customised with its own conference needs including audio-visual equipment, LCD projector, public address system and flip charts to meet all requirements. Rooms and possible configurations include:
It being within the city means you can call up your business partners for a quick meeting over a coffee or a drink. The hotel has an open restaurant, and a few lounges and spaces for your comfort and preference.
EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
Ku Chawe Excursion
The most popular excursion arranged by the hotel is just over an hour away to the 2200m, 7000ft Zomba plateau. Lunch is enjoyed on the cool terraces of Sunbird Ku Chawe, perched high above the country’s historic first capital.
Tea Estate Excursion
The vivid greenery of the Thyolo and Mulanje tea estates is about an hour away on a lovely scenic road through scenery more reminiscent of Scotland than Africa itself. Mulanje Mountain, a World Heritage site, now promoted as ‘the island in the sky’ offers thrilling opportunities for hiking and climbing on Central Africa’s highest peak. You may just end up spending the night at another Sunbird haven “Kara ‘O’ Mula” there.
National Parks
The nearest parks and reserves are Lengwe National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve. Elephant, lion and other ‘Big Five’ species have been very successfully re-introduced in Majete. Sunbird Mount Soche can arrange for a day or a weekend excursion including transfers, meals and accommodation.
CONTACT DETAILS
General Manager, Sunbird Mount Soche
Glyn Jones Road, Blantyre,
P.O. Box 284, Blantyre, Malawi
Tel +265 (0) 1 820 588 Fax +265 (0) 1 820 154
Email [email protected]
Website www.sunbirdmalawi.com
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