Ti Melen Guest House: Our full report

Ti Melen is a small, welcoming guesthouse set on a slope in the quiet suburb of Avis, about ten minutes’ ...

... drive east of the Namibian capital Windhoek, and about 35 minutes from the international airport.

Quietly located at the end of a street in the suburb of Avis, the striking Ti Melen with its tall turret is set behind large electric gates that lead into a parking area and a well-kept front garden. While we have not stayed here, we were impressed on our visit in October 2019.

A flight of steps leads up to an elongated wooden veranda offering views of Avis, the surrounding bush and the mountains in the distance. Decorated with various pots plants, it’s a welcoming spot to take in the view with individual tables and chairs and a comfortable wooden bench.

Ti Melen’s main area, which serves as reception, guest lounge and breakfast room that opens out onto a patio, feels warm and welcoming – with exposed beams in a high ceiling, bright burnt-orange walls and beautiful polished pine floors. Rustic and antique wooden furniture combines with bright textured table runners, cushions and floor rug and comfortable large leather sofas. A freestanding fireplace adds to the appeal, as do a small library, a well-stocked “honesty” wine fridge and a tea/coffee station.

Each of the six bedrooms follows a similar theme, but is painted differently in soft orange, light peach, soft vanilla, light mocha, and soft mustard, with crisp embroidered white cotton pillow-cases and beige linen. The beds are dark wood with princess-style mosquito nets suspended above. Every room has TV, a tea/coffee station, a fully stocked minibar and a writing desk with chair, as well as a small outside area.

Three of the bedrooms are upstairs, two downstairs, and one – the family room – has a separate entrance from the front garden.

The three upstairs bedrooms, linked by a narrow corridor, are reached by a Victorian cast-iron spiral staircase. Rooms 1 and 2 have twin beds and a shower inside the main bedroom, while room 3 – which has the best view of the mountains – has a separate bath and shower with a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror.

Of the two downstairs bedrooms, room 4 has its own separate entrance to an outside veranda and private sundeck, and has a separate bath and shower). Room 5, which is immediately below room 3, shares that great view.
The family room has its own private entrance through a gate near the car park into a small front garden. Sliding doors open into a spacious room with a small lounge area, a double bed at the front and twin beds tucked behind a half wall. A door facing the children’s bedroom area leads to a shared bathroom with both bath and shower.

Outside, in a lovely back garden set on different levels, sunloungers surround a small pool with a Jacuzzi, while wicker swing chairs make the most of the natural surroundings.

Birdwatching from the garden is a great way to while away an hour or two, or you could take a walk along one of the marked trails to Avis Dam. There are also privately owned horseriding stables close by.

Although Ti Melen offers only bed and breakfast, the Eagle’s Beer Garden, where guests can go for meals, is within easy walking distance. Otherwise, it’s a drive of around ten minutes to the restaurants and bars of Eros, or into the centre of Windhoek. Shuttle transfers can be arranged to the airport and into the city centre at an extra charge.

Our view

A small, friendly guesthouse only a short drive from the centre of Windhoek, Ti Melen is surrounded by bush and nature. With its location between the international airport and the capital, it would make a relaxed place to stay before or after an international flight, especially for those who would prefer to be away from the city centre.

Sabina Hekandjo

Namibia expert

Geographics

Location: Windhoek, Namibia
Ideal length of stay: One or two nights, usually at the start or end of your holiday in Namibia.
Directions: Ti Melen is at 27 Schuckmann Street in a quiet cul de sac in the suburb of Avis just east of Windhoek.

The guesthouse can arrange shuttle transfers to the airport or the city centre at an extra charge.
Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Bed & Breakfast
Food quality: Breakfast only. I did not eat here on my visit in October 2019, but the guesthouse offers a buffet with a selection of cold meats, cheeses, fruit preserves, breakfast cereals, bread, fruit salad and yoghurt, along with fruit juices, teas and coffee. A cooked breakfast of eggs, tomatoes and bacon can be served on request.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Although Ti Melen does not offer meals other than breakfast, there is a beer garden within walking distance, along a pathway and through a private locked gate from the guesthouse.
Drinks included: None, except tea, coffee station in all the rooms. The fully stocked minibar in each of the rooms is at an extra charge, including bottled water.

Children

Attitude towards children: Ti Melen welcomes children of all ages.
Property’s age restrictions: No minimum age restriction; children of all ages are welcome.
Special activities & services: There are no special activities for children but there is plenty of space outside for them to run around and explore.
Equipment: There is a baby cot, and the family room has twin beds for children but no baby bath, changing table or highchairs.
Generally recommended for children: The family room below the guesthouse has its own separate (and level) entrance and a small private garden. Sleeping four as it stands, it is spacious enough to take an extra single bed if needed. With this, a pool and the large garden we think Ti Melen would be ideal for older children, but not for little ones.
Notes: There is a steep flight of steps leading to the main area, which is not ideal for younger children or those with baby buggies. The pool is unsupervised and there is a lake relatively close, so children would need to be watched in these circumstances.

Communications

Power supply notes: There are plug points in each room for charging batteries and electrical equipment. Travellers should bring their own universal adaptors.
Communications: There is no landline at the guesthouse, but there is WiFi reception and good cellphone coverage.
TV & radio: Each of the rooms has a TV with satellite channels.
Water supply: Mains
Water supply notes: Rooms 3, 4 and 6 have both a bath and shower; the others have only a shower.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: There are doctors and hospitals in Windhoek, around ten minutes’ drive away.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: Ti Melen is on a secure site with a high electric fence around the property and a guard on duty at night between 6.00pm and 7.00am. The high security gates are always locked and overnight guests have remotes on their room keys to get in and out. Each room has its own alarm system and panic button.
Fire safety: There is a fire extinguisher in each room.

Extras

Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: Not included, but can help in an emergency
Money: No currency exchange; each room has a digital safe.
Accepted payment on location: Visa and Mastercard are accepted, as are cash payments in Namibian dollars and South African rand.