ABOUT US
Both at one with The Natural, we celebrated our marriage in a beautiful family garden in Westville, KwaZulu Natal, during 1992. Soon thereafter, in response to a telephone call from a good friend and colleague in the marine industry, as a young couple we ventured out to the Middle East armed with little more knowledge than that there would be sand, sea, and palm trees... Over time, our family of three children were born, raised and schooled in the metropolitan city of Dubai. Whilst attending the lavish annual South African Day celebration, complete with Zulu dancers, drum ensembles and potjie kos, we became aware that our customs were both a novelty, and a delight to our children. We realized that, despite their global exposure, our children were disconnected from their roots, and needed to have fresh cultural seeds sewn into their lives This discovery informed the next phase of our venture as a family. A long, well traveled journey led us (through the internet) to the purchase of an attractive property in the coastal town of Ballito, on the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. During an extended family vacation, our entire family undertook a new project to convert this sought after home into a Guest House, a commercial enterprise, a haven, a retreat, our roots, not just a property, but a project which our family can call its own. This project is an expression of our shared cultural experience. Influenced by more than two decades of interaction with African and Middle Eastern cultures, it marries the simple bedouin lifestyle, persian kilims, moorish architecture, the warm reds and adobe textures. We have allowed the creative process to intertwine our two worlds - Arabia and Africa - to create al Marrakesh, originating from the Berber language of Morocco meaning Land of God. Welcome again. We trust that you enjoy our rich, ethnic heritage and have a peaceful stay at al Marrakesh as we strive to provide an excellent standard of Ballito Bay accommodation. Tony & Rae Berry with Roxanne, Guy and Danielle
THE TEAM
At Al Marrakesh Guest House we work together as a small, unified team with both our guests and standards of excellence being our top priority. Although each staff member has a clearly defined role with concomitant responsibilities, there is a lot of overlapping as we cover for and assist one another. All our staff happily go the extra mile for the comfort of our guests and to make a success of Al Marrakesh Guest House.
TONY BERRY: Director and Co-owner
Tony is responsible for project and technology development and to oversee maintenance. Tony is the creative mind behind Al Marrakesh Guest House, the “doer”, the motivator, the teacher and the energiser. He has been a great source of encouragement to me (Rae) and our staff and has been highly successful in all the projects that he has engineered, designed, created and built personally. Without Tony, Al Marrakesh Guest House would not exist.
RAE BERRY: General Manager and Co-Owner
Rae is based upfront, onsite to ensure that overall, professional service delivery and quality are maintained and staff members are happy and pulling together as a team. Rae is devoted to Al Marrakesh Guest House; works outside normal working hours and over weekends to be able to provide up to date quotes, trace payments, facilitate a speedy response to guest enquiries and address emergencies.
As a couple, Tony and Rae cultivate a peaceful, relaxing environment that invites guests in and makes this abode more than just a guesthouse but also a home.
MBALI: Housekeeper
Behind the scenes, Mbali is trained to uphold a high standard of hygiene, cleanliness, comfort and ensure that everything sparkles to the satisfaction of our guests. She has a cheerful, co-operative disposition and is a great support and valuable asset to both to our guests and our team.
Al Marrakesh Guest House is blessed with top notch staff. As a Team we are committed to gaining an understanding of our guest needs, in the context of a “Family Guest House”, ranging from simple directions to local knowledge on amenities and service providers. We strive to satisfy and make our guests feel at home, meet an expected level of service whilst complying with operational policies and procedures, maintain an open mind in relation to guest requirements, and act promptly where we see improvement or correction is required.
We trust that our team will do their best to ensure that you enjoy your stay at Al Marrakesh Guest House.
TONY AND RAE BERRY