'Charlie’s Spot - The Gardens', previously Uxolo, brings a feel of Africa in the city. ‘Uxolo’ is a Xhosa word, meaning ‘peace’, which is a very appropriate word to describe both the lodging home and the area, which is rich in the history involving the struggle for freedom in South Africa. During 1963, Nelson Mandela used to visit the area, which was filled with a lot of anti-apartheid activists, and he regularly had to hide out in the basement of a house across the street from here. Our motto, ‘a feel of Africa in the city’, best describes our humble home in this quiet, tree-lined area. The main house, dating from the 1930s, is a heritage protected site, has an old-world appeal and is decorated to enhance the character of that era. The many trees, shrubs and plants create a feeling of being out in the typical South African outdoors. The 'Charlie’s Spot - The Gardens' house has been in its present existence since 2010 and has been very popular with locals and overseas visitors alike and achieved the TripAdvisor 5-star Grading and AA Rating of ‘Highly Recommended’. Our guests consist mainly of international tourists and visitors, as well as people attending on business, professional and specialist journeys. Any holidaymakers are welcomed with open arms. The guesthouse, as it then was, was taken over by Charles Jordan from 1 November 2021, adding Uxolo as their 2nd lodging accommodation in addition to the popular Charlie's Spot in nearby Norwood, now known as 'Charlie’s Spot - Norwood'.

“After founding 'Charlie’s Spot' in nearby Norwood and building a solid reputation based on our comfortable accommodation and good service, the time for expansion arrived. I started looking for a suitable property and stumbled across Uxolo Guesthouse, which was on the market as the owners were looking to relocate overseas to be with their children. Uxolo was precisely what I was looking for; comfortable accommodation, homely atmosphere in a heritage protected old house with lots of character and located close the famous restaurant strip in Grant Avenue. It was clear that the Guesthouse suffered under the pandemic, but the potential was too good to let it pass. The AA Award, TripAdvisor 5-star grading and guest reviews from the many overseas and local guests convinced me that that this was the ideal location for a 2nd 'Charlie’s Spot', where I would continue to build on the good reputation that we have already achieved. My vision was to revive this gem to its former glory, adding to it our commitment to solid, friendly service, offering comfortable and homely accommodation in a peaceful and historical environment. Given the current state of regular and longer loadshedding periods, I have added solar panels to the property, giving guest continued and uninterrupted access to electricity, appliances and wi-fi connection.”

The quiet, tree-lined streets of The Gardens, creates a welcoming and peaceful neighbourhood next to the cosmopolitan suburb of Norwood. The area has a rich mixture of cultures, with Jewish, Muslim, Asian and African people integrated into a colourful and vibrant cosmopolitan atmosphere. A mere 15 minutes’ walk from 'Charlie’s Spot - The Gardens', you’ll find one of Johannesburg’s favourite dining areas, the famous Grant Avenue restaurant strip, where you will find a superb selection of ethnic cuisine and the boutiques, cafés and diners at tables on the sidewalks, reflect the bohemian nature of the area. Within a range of 1 to 16km from 'Charlie’s Spot - The Gardens', are a variety of restaurants, grocery outlets, shopping centres, a number of golf courses, gyms, museums, casinos, the Johannesburg Zoo, Gautrain stations, schools, hospitals and clinics, as well as Johannesburg, Rosebank and Sandton CBDs.