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At a Glance

As special as it is lavish, Ellerman House is a 1906 Edwardian mansion boutique hotel slightly outside Cape Town’s center in the stylish suburb of Bantry Bay. The property is set high above the ocean and offers sweeping coastal views, lovely grounds, a large outdoor pool and a gallery spotlighting the owner’s exceptional collection of South African art. The 13 rooms in the main building are spacious, well-appointed and traditional in design with a country-house feel. The two stunning villas have private pools and three bedrooms each and are more contemporary. The resort also has a cozy library and sitting area and a lovely al fresco space for dining. Ellerman House may be one of a kind in Cape Town, but it could be compared to other mansion-hotels around the world, such as Ett Hem in Stockholm or Deplar Farm in Iceland—a singular and distinctly excellent destination property in a location that’s hard to match.

The Standout: The art in the main house—and the actual art gallery built into an underground bunker beneath the back lawn
Don’t Miss: The underground wine gallery complete with a “terroir wall,” a giant corkscrew-shaped sculptural wine rack and 7,500 bottles of South African wine

Indagare Loves

• The sumptuous views and gorgeous waterfront setting
• The cool-contemporary (but utterly comfortable) design of the villas
• Using Ellerman House as your home base for a private jet trip to Antarctica with White Desert

Ellerman House Review

With just 13 rooms and suites and two private villas, each with their own swimming pool, this hotel is the top choice on the Atlantic coast. Its location, overlooking Bantry Bay, the small bay between Sea Point and Clifton, is fabulous, and the service, delivered by the dedicated, warm staff is top notch.

The rooms in the main house have a traditional aesthetic like those you would find in a comfortable English country house, as are the cozy library and sitting rooms. From the minute you enter the front door, you will be struck by the incredible art collection, which spans centuries but focuses, of course, on Africa. Rare prints and striking portraits and landscapes line the hallways, stairways and rooms. There is even a modern art gallery in the garden where rotating exhibits are held to showcase the owner’s vast collection. Above that gallery is a pool and gardens, which now contain indigenous flora (the rose bushes were replaced by fynbos) so guests can eat lunch outside or lounge by the pool and take in sea views.

Across the garden stand the property’s two contemporary villas and spa, which are jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with huge living and dining rooms, lounges, fully equipped kitchens and beautifully designed bedrooms. Villa One provides direct access to the spa below, which offers a wide range of treatments. Villa Two, which can only be rented in its entirety, includes a wine gallery, with a brandy tasting room and one of the most innovative cellars ever built–bottles are stored in a cork-screw shaped sculpture. One wall is lined with tiles made from the earth of the surrounding vineyards and labeled by geo-coordinates.

Who Should Stay

Couples who appreciate art, wine and privacy, as well as families with children older than 14 looking for a private oasis within Cape Town (if you book a villa, you can bring children of any age).

Author

• Indagare