Need to know
Rooms
Four boathouses and four standalone cottages.
Check–Out
10.30am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. There is more flexibility with timings in the quieter months.
More details
Rates usually include breakfast, a buffet of fresh pastries, tropical fruit, cheeses, yoghurt, muesli, juices and hot dishes (smashed avo, pancakes and more).
Also
The surrounding terrain may be quite wild, but Coot Club’s stone cottages (which are set closer to the main building than the boathouses) and Clubhouse (which has a wheelchair-accessible bathroom) are suitable for guests with mobility issues.
At the hotel
Access to the lagoon; fynbos; free-to-borrow kayaks, fat bikes, volleyball kit, boules, and stand-up paddleboards; lawn games; table tennis and table foosball; library of board games; charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: stove, fridge, crockery and cutlery, toaster, tea- and coffee-making kit (plus sugar and milk), free bottled water and rusks, books, lawn games, life jackets, firewood and lighters, and Kalahari Lifestyle bath products. The Stone Cottages have barbecues too.
Our favourite rooms
Choose between a cottage or boathouse. The former are older, stone-built and cosy as can be (even if they’re family-sized), tucked into the woods, and come with a furnished veranda and built-in barbecue and braai pit (staff can give you marshmallows for making s'mores). The boathouses are more modern in style, with a nautical, wood-lined Scandi look (wicker, oars on the wall, coastal yellows and blues), and a spectacular setting by the lagoon, which kicks sundowners up a gear. All come with a full kitchen and are secluded across the nature reserve’s 1,150 acres, so there’s a degree of self-sufficiency, but with staff on call as needed. And, you’ll spy botanics-inspired works by the likes of Lucie de Moyencourt, Lisa Ringwood and Gemma Orkin.
Poolside
You could swim in the lagoon or the Atlantic (be warned, the latter can be bracing at times), but there’s also a solar-heated pool set into the lawns with blue-green views which is child-friendly, with loungers around the sides. A second adults-only pool is set in a more secluded part of the grounds.
Spa
There’s no spa onsite, but staff can set you up with a therapist at Mosaic Lagoon Lodge (a 10-minute drive away; on request staff can arrange a shuttle), where scrubs, wraps and massages make the most of local ingredients (jojoba, calabash, palm oil, soybean, and baobab fruit); facials use ultrasonic frequencies and cupping; and you can be pampered amid the milkwoods or with your loved one.
Packing tips
Bring romp-around wear, notebooks to jot down your observations on guided hikes, binoculars, and plenty of swimwear.
Also
The Spookhuis isn’t as eerie as its name suggests, it’s the nickname it was given when it stood abandoned for years, but now this 1892 limestone structure is filled with joy as the hotel’s event venue.
Children
Very welcome, with hideaways that feel like your own family home in the wild and plenty of play to keep little ones busy. Plus the focus on nature and conservation will make budding naturalists of enthralled little ones.
Best for
Little ones who can walk confidently, juniors, tweens, and teens will all have a fantastic time here.
Recommended rooms
Stay in the Boathouses if your little ones are swim-confident, and all but the Stone Cottage Fynbos can cater to the most fulsome family getaways.
Activities
Even the most energetic little Smiths will be tuckered out after days of hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, SUP-ing, playing volleyball, soccer, table tennis and foosball. There are board and lawn games for lower-key fun, and budding naturalists will thrill at tracking animals, checking trap cams, birdwatching, and keeping an eye out for flamingoes and whales. And, in the Clubhouse’s attic there’s a very cute play area, with tents, toys, ping-pong and foosball tables, dress-up clothes, books and board games, and a cinema area with a large TV.
Swimming pool
The main pool is child-friendly but unsupervised. Floaties are available to borrow and there’s a Slip N Slide at the side.
Meals
Served in a casual, communal style, feasts will be approved by even the fussiest eaters, with hamburgers and freshly-made pizzas, plus special braai nights. And the dedicated menu for kids has schnitzel, 'spag bol' and other easy eats, as well as smoothies, ice-lollies and milkshakes.
Babysitting
Babysitting can be arranged (roughly R150 an hour for up to two children) through an outside service and must be booked in advance.
No need to pack
There aren’t many shops in the near vicinity, so come prepared if you have very small smalls.
Sustainability efforts
When you’re placed somewhere as screensaver beautiful as this rural patch of the Overberg, you want to keep your house in order. And so, a percentage of proceeds from stays goes back into conservation efforts, animals are monitored using trap cameras, rare orchids are carefully noted and preserved along the limestone ridges, hives are kept to pollinate the fynbos, and whales tracked as they pass through in season; and this is a Cape Whale Coast Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, so the 230 species of birds fluttering about have a careful eye kept on them too. And, the hotel works with Birdlife South Africa to secure their status as a private nature reserve. The swimming pool is heated using solar power, activities are immersive and mindful (with guided hikes, responsible wildlife-spotting, and intros to the flowers of the fynbos); and the hotel involves the local community in its activities, providing both employment and education.
