By Nangamso Mabindla
28 May 2004

THE award-winning Quarry Lake Inn lies in the suburb of Selborne, close to the busy city centre of East London. But it is a place of serenity for its guests.

The inn has just taken honours at the 2004 AA Travel Guides Accommodation Awards - for the second year running. It had been a finalist for four years before scooping the award in the Hotel/Guest House Garni category for the first time last year.

A drive down Pearce Street and a turn into Quartzite Drive will take you to the Quarry - an area that is home to businesses, houses and the modest but elegant Quarry Lake Inn. In 1994 the dismal area was turned into the elegant multi-purpose one it is today.

Here you will find East London's only garni - a hotel where guests are served breakfast only.

Sue Goldswain, the owner of the inn, says: "Here we're surrounded by restaurants so our guests either have their dinner in one of the restaurants up the road in Berea or Vincent, or down at the beachfront."

For guests who don't want to eat out, the hotel orders food through Mr Delivery.

The buildings have a Victorian finish. And, as Goldswain says: "You'll notice that all these building in the Quarry have similar designs. That is why our hotel looks like the buildings around us."

But what separates the four-star hotel from its surroundings is the interior: inside the Quarry Lake Inn the West meets Xhosa culture.

"We wanted a mixture of the Victorian with the Xhosa culture. Our roof has the matting found in the traditional Xhosa rondavels."

The dinning hall, where guests have breakfast, overlooks the Quarry Lake. "We wanted our guests to have the lake feel when they're having breakfast. They also listen to the different songs from all the beautiful birds in the Quarry. In spring and summer you're hear them in all their glory."

But guests don't come to the hotel for food; they come to rest and retreat from the busy city - and Goldswain knows that.

"Our rooms are tailor-made for our guests, most of whom are businessmen. Our 16 rooms are luxurious, private, and comfortable."

Thirty percent of the guests are foreign tourists and business people - which goes some way to explaining the inn's success in the AA awards.

"We have a lot of overseas people at the awards; we also feature in the AA brochure, which goes all over the world," says a proud Goldswain.

The dinning room chairs are of bentwood, made from beech trees, and the furniture in the rooms follows this theme.

Beautiful furniture and rooms, however, did not alone win the hotel the award.

"Our staff of eight is really a joy to work with. People who've been to the hotel will tell you that we have the best staff and that they're always happy with our service."

Guests fill in a detailed form that asks about the staff and the accommodation. And it seems that, for the past two years, they have been happy.

For more about the hotel phone (043) 707-5400 or visit www.quarrylakeinn.co.za