The Twelve Decades Hotel is located in Johannesburg, in South Africa. This boutique hotel has many rooms decorated in several art styles, and each one of the twelve decades has its own style.
Rooms.
The hotel, located in a building that is part of a large cultural complex, has twelve double rooms. Each room is dedicated to a decade and was designed by a team of local architect and designers. Each room has a double bed, a lounge area with armchairs, a bathroom with a shower, Internet access and flat television screens. The price per room is between 77 and 90€ per night.
The Vision Main Street life is a room based on the impact of a meteorite that crashed into the southern part of the city billions of years ago, creating the Vredefort Crater. This room is decorated in whites.
Sir Abe Bailey room is dedicated to the Randlords, the rulers that used to rule the region. This rooms has a brick wall and antique Chinese carved furniture that represents the many Chinese immigrants, many of whom travelled to the region to become miners.
The House That Jack Built is a room dedicated to the city’s boxing history. In the center of the room guests will find a boxing ring made of wood and there are several trophies decorating the wooden shelves.
The Minehaus room is a double room known for its bauhaus décor. The room has many murals decorated with bauhaus graphic designs, and the angular furniture is made of colourful metal and dark wood.
The Marabi Room is dedicated to the many mines that can be found in the region and to the marabi dance. The room is decorated with furniture built in several styles and has a rough floor.
Who is Herbert Dolmo is a large room dedicated to the traditional Bantu performances. Bantu was a teacher who tried to buffer the effect of colonial domination by promoting dramatic performances, and the beds in this rooms have thick velvet curtains.
A Part Love A Part Hate has a satirical design, mocking the tumultuous history of the Apartheid. This room is decorated with black and white phrases relating to the Apartheid.
Main Street Constellations is decorated with constellations that have the shape of men and women. Each one of the men and women held together by a red string is a person who is part of the city’s history, and one of the constellations is Nelson Mandela.
50 Stories is based on the history of the Carlton Center, one of the city’s first malls and one of the first public spaces to allow interracial socializing. The mall has an observation deck with views towards the city decorated with black walls and black paintings, and these decorations can be seen in this room.
The Ponte Obscura room is dedicated to the Ponte building. This building was one of the city’s largest downtown buildings, which was abandoned during the exodus towards the suburbs, and the room has a large screen with the city painted upside down on it separating the double room and the lounge area.
Catwalk Customs room is a vogue room dedicated to fashion. There is a runway in the middle of the room and the room’s lamp have the shape of large industrial spotlights used in modelling shows.
The Perpetual Liberty rooms has three living spaces, one of them dedicated to the past, another one to the present and the third one to the future. The city’s dark past is the living room, the present is where the bed is located and the bright future is the niche area that has a large window with views towards the city.
Restaurant.
The hotel provides glasses, plates and dining utensils for guests who want to prepare their own meals. The Rooftop Bar is a bar located on the hotel’s roof. The bar, which has views towards the city center, is known for its live DJ performances and themed nights.
Near the hotel there are several restaurants, and part of the restaurants offer breakfasts and room service to guests who stay at the hotel. The main restaurants are the Pata Pata diner and the Chalkboard Café. In the center of the complex where the hotel is located guests will find the Canteen restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner. Guests will be able to enjoy ethnic food at one of the many stalls located in the Main Market.
On the roof of the hotel visitors will find a gym with weights and a boxing ring, and the hotel organizes boxing and yoga classes. The gym is decorated in dark colours and there is a large windows with views towards the city.
The Cocoon is a spa with a meditation area located on one of the hotel’s floors. Guests will be able to enjoy massages and relaxing treatments, and there is a nutritionist who can advise guests who want to control their weight. Meditation and yoga classes are organized in one of the spa’s rooms.
Events.
There are several options for guests who want to celebrate their events at the hotel. On one of the floors there is a meeting space that can accommodate up to fifteen guests.
The halls located in the Chalkboard Café and the large conference hall located in the complex that can accommodate up to 400 people can be rented for events. The Bioscope is another events hall equipped with audiovisual equipment which can be rented for events of up to 67 people.
Location.
The hotel is located to the east of Johannesburg’s city center, in the city’s central business district. Near the hotel there are many bars, ethnic restaurants and local shops.
The hotel is part of the Main Street Life complex, which supports the Maboneng Project that was created to promote art and design in the city. The complex has several art galleries, a cinema and a stage for concerts and performances.
There is a transport service to and from the city center. Near the hotel there are many art galleries and museums. The hotel offers an exchange program for designers, who will be able to stay at the hotel in exchange for their designs being shown in the Main Street Life collection.
The hotel organizes guided tours on foot around the city. These excursions tour the city’s main landmarks and monuments, and guests will be able to visit the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the Apartheid Museum and the Ellis Park Stadium.