This elegant oceanfront resort, known for its cliff-hugging location, luxurious lodgings and outstanding service, ticks all the boxes.
Sun-drenched days, long swims in the sea, cliff-path walks and bounteous seafood platters… Holidays in Hermanus are the stuff lifelong memories are made of, especially when you’re staying at The Marine! This esteemed hotel’s enviable, yet discreet, cliff-hugging location, welcoming restaurants, and wonderful facilities make it a relaxing all-round destination – no matter what time of year you visit.
Owned by the late hotelier Liz McGrath, The Marine is one of three hotels in The Liz McGrath Collection (which also includes The Cellars-Hohenort in Cape Town and The Plettenberg on The Garden Route), which has become synonymous with culinary excellence, low-key sophistication and warm, professional service.
Set along the famed 10-kilometre-long cliff path, this 40-room property dating back to 1902, has had many revamps and renovations along the way, all of which are understatedly modern and upmarket – in a charming, old-world kind of way. Some of its wonderful facilities include a sheltered courtyard with a heated salt-water pool, two restaurants, a chic, stylishly appointed sea-facing lounge and bar area, and a spa – making it a destination in itself, where ocean views, fresh sea breezes and fresh-caught cuisine are the order of the day.
The hotel’s eclipsing feature is undoubtedly its prime position – a metre or so from the heady fynbos-infested cliff path that winds its way along the Walker Bay coast, offering some of the best whale-watching vistas in the world.
The lodgings
Taking its cue from its breathtaking setting, the decor in the hotel’s 40 rooms is serene, restrained and elegant. Rooms range from spacious premier suites with private terraces that open onto the cliff path, to smallish double rooms overlooking the courtyard.
Premier Suites
These 10 sumptuous suites are individually decorated, and boast panoramic views of the sparkling ocean.
- one en-suite bedroom with a king-size bed (can be made into twins)
- private sea-facing balcony
- flat-screen TV with select DStv channels
- welcome drink and fruit platter on arrival
- complimentary minibar items
- complimentary newspaper every morning
- complimentary wi-fi
- fluffy bathrobes and luxury bathroom amenities
- tea- and coffee-making facilities
- bottled water at turndown
- hot-water bottles during winter
- personal in-room safe
- hairdryer
- secure parking
- twice daily housekeeping services
Cost From R8 640 per room per night (depending on season, includes breakfast)
Luxury Double Rooms with Sea Views
These 10 luxury bedrooms boast awe-inspiring views of Walker Bay below, enabling guests to watch pods of dolphins and whales from the comfort of their bed.
- one en-suite bedroom with a king-size bed (can be made into twins)
- private sea-facing balcony
- flat-screen TV with select DStv channels
- welcome drink on arrival
- complimentary minibar items
- complimentary newspaper every morning
- complimentary wi-fi
- fluffy bathrobes and luxury bathroom amenities
- tea- and coffee-making facilities
- bottled water at turndown
- hot-water bottles during winter
- personal in-room safe
- hairdryer
- secure parking
- twice daily housekeeping services
Cost From R6 080 per room per night (depending on season)
Double Rooms
Each one of these 20 ocean-inspired rooms offers comfort, serenity and understated luxury.
- one en-suite bedroom with a king-size bed (can be made into twins)
- private balcony
- flat-screen TV with select DStv channels
- welcome drink on arrival
- complimentary minibar items
- complimentary newspaper every morning
- complimentary wi-fi
- fluffy bathrobes and luxury bathroom amenities
- tea- and coffee-making facilities
- bottled water at turndown
- hot-water bottles during winter
- personal in-room safe
- hairdryer
- secure parking
- twice daily housekeeping service
Cost From R4 025 per room per night (depending on season)
Mealtimes at The Marine
The hotel boasts two unique restaurants, and a beautifully appointed sea-facing lounge and bar. A generous and impeccably presented breakfast buffet is laid out each morning in the light and bright Pavilion restaurant, where guests can select from a smorgasbord of pastries, cereal, fresh fruit, smoked salmon and cold meats and everything in between.
A metre or so from the famous cliff path is Origins, an elegant eatery that serves a variety of dishes crafted from indigenous and endemic ingredients which have come together to create a seasonal menu respectful of local cultures and regional flavours. The Chef’s Blackboard, chosen by head chef Tronette Dippenaar, offers three exciting new dishes each day.
And then there’s the Sun Lounge and Bar – the only place to be if you’re after a sunset cocktail, a pot of tea with scones, or a light snack.
Serene spa
The on-site Carchele Beauty Spa offers a wide range of relaxing massages and beauty treatments, including Black Pearl and Decléor facials, waxing, hand and foot therapy, body treatments, and couples massages, among others. There’s also a steam room and DermaLife capsule, with various programmes designed to detoxify, relax and rejuvenate.
Old-world hospitality
Perhaps it’s because we live in such a high-speed, high-volume world that my most abiding memories of The Marine are centred around the old-fashioned hospitality, and charming old-world touches that inhabit the hotel. A vase of lillies on the dresser in our bedroom, the creak of wooden floorboards in the upstairs corridors, the hound’s tooth carpets in the passages, a quaint internet lounge with piles of Time magazines, the handwritten note from house-keeping to tell me they’d run out of my preferred morning coffee, and the warmth and genuine enthusiasm of the staff.
It’s all these personal touches that make The Marine memorable. No matter what time of year you visit, it’s the kind of place where you can slow down, and let the stunning surrounds wash over you.
Distance from CT 1.5 hours
Child friendly? Yes
Pet friendly? No
Where to find it Main Road, Hermanus, Western Cape