The estate was built slowly — by hand, over several years. The rooms were constructed from rammed earth mixed on site, reclaimed timber sourced from demolition yards around Accra, and stone quarried from the ridge behind the property. Nothing was rushed and nothing was imported that could be made locally. The garden was planted before the first guest ever arrived: we wanted the trees to have a head start, and they have rewarded us for it.
Pokrom Garden Bar came later, almost by accident. Neighbours and passing travellers began stopping at the gate to ask if they could sit a while — and the kitchen grew out of those early, informal afternoons. We had no menu at first. We cooked what the garden and the Pokrom market had that week. That is still how it works. The groundnut soup changes depending on who brought what to the gate in the morning.
We are a small operation and we intend to stay that way. Every room is attended to personally. The food is cooked to order. The bar closes when the last guest heads to bed — usually later than any of us planned. We measure success not by occupancy rates, but by the number of guests who ask, on their last morning, whether there is any chance they can stay one more night. There usually is.