Ellerman House is one of South Africa's most prestigious hotels, only minutes from the gorgeous Clifton beaches and the Table Mountain cableway and twenty minutes from the city and its dynamic food, art, and design scene.
A quintessential urban retreat situated in Bantry Bay, one of the Atlantic Seaboard's most exclusive enclaves, the hotel is housed in an original Cape Edwardian mansion that dates back to 1906 that boasts a private art collection, stylish interiors, and discreet glamour. A Relais and Châteaux hotel (Selected Properties) and a regular on the Conde Nast Gold List as one of 'The World's Best Hotels, and the list of those looking for luxury away from prying eyes.
Ellerman House is one of South Africa's most prestigious hotels, only minutes from the gorgeous Clifton beaches and the Table Mountain cableway and twenty minutes from the city and its dynamic food, art, and design scene.
Every room showcases original and rare art from the owner's, Paul Harris's private collection—his impressive collection of South African art spans original works from the turn of the last century to contemporary art. The icing on the cake is, however, is the modern art gallery below the swimming pool—be sure to book a tour with the in-house art guide Talita Swarts, a mine of information on the artists and their works. For art affectionado, Ellerman's private in-house art guides can accompany you for an insider's tour of Cape Town's top art galleries.
Ellerman House feels incredibly intimate, understated, and ultra-luxurious with an old-world charm and an impeccable, graceful, and refined style with its art-lined hallways leading through elegant lounges to a shaded veranda, terraced lawns, the large swimming pool, and the lush indigenous gardens filled with sculptures, all with staggering views over the bay.
The best interiors surprise you and give you a feeling of energy as you travel through them; at Ellerman House, they sing out. The elegant rooms have a traditional, British-colonial décor adorned with South African Art, objects, and sculpture.
There are thirteen suites and rooms in the main house, with two contemporary minimalist villas built into the granite mountainside to complement the classic elegance of the house. The multi-level villas offer complete privacy, including your own private chef and hospitality team.
There is much to discover and delight at Ellerman, the Spa, Contemporary Art Gallery, Wine Gallery, the wine and Champagne Cellar, the Brandy Lounge, BAR ROC, plus the library, dining rooms, lounges, guest pantry, and the solar-heated swimming pool, the fitness centre, and cascading terraces. Food and wine are taken seriously here at Ellerman. Executive Chef Rudolph Blaauw and Culinary Director Peter Tempelhoff, a chef with over 20 years of experience in Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux restaurants as well as his own fabulous rooftop restaurant, Fyn, in the city, are responsible for the delicious food serving the best of South Africa cuisine, which showcases the rich local food heritage. All drinks apart from fine wine and champagnes are included in the room rate, and on the off chance you feel peckish, the walk-in 'pantry' is brimful with tempting sweet and savory treats, day and night. Plus, the kitchen has open access policy, where you can walk in, tell the chefs what you're craving, and it's yours.
The independent wine gallery integrates outstanding contemporary architecture with breathtaking sculptural elements and cutting-edge design. South African artist Angus Taylor designed and carved the granite bar counter, and the fabulous copper basin and copper walls in the bathroom, as well as the sculpted brandy bottles in the Brandy Lounge, the chalk wall, and Dom Perignon champagne tasting counter, as well as the fireplace and the magnificent terroir wall closely resembling the soil strata in which the particular grapes are grown. Resident sommelier Wayve Kolevsohn the first African female to be certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers, oversees the impressive wine gallery, with its futuristic state-of-the-art sculptural temperature-controlled wine storage for 7,500 bottles of white, red, and sparkling wines. A daily Wine Tasting of South African wines from the curated collection is complimentary.
There is an interactive multi-media wine library, a brandy tasting lounge, and a champagne cellar, stocked with rare and special vintage Dom Pérignon. Don't miss a private tasting in this underground space with its packed-earth terroir wall and inviting bar stocked exclusively with rare and special vintages of Dom Pérignon vintages. The Dom Pérignon Experience allows you to taste the different notes of Dom Pérignon P2 accentuated with carefully selected South African dishes in a Bento Box style. As the sun sets, guests are served a glass of Le Lude MCC along with specially curated canapés that echo the first four decades of the maturation of the Eau-de-vies from which Remy LOUIS XIII is crafted. A second round of canapés is paired with a glass of LOUIS XIII, followed by a three-course meal paired with wine.
Manuel Cabello, the former sommelier and now operations manager, has recently collaborated with acclaimed winemaker Erika Obermeyer on new wine, The Ellerman 2018, which has already received a five-star Platter (the South African rating system) rating before its official release.
The Rooms
All 13 rooms are completely different in character, but all have precious Art and a mix of contemporary textiles and objets with antique pieces. In addition, all have a well-stocked complimentary in-room bar with cookies and snacks.
The two exclusive-use villas located in the garden have a stunning contemporary minimal aesthetic.
The spa
Insiders swear by spa manager Vicky Dennett's ultra pampering treatments, including glow-inducing facials, relaxing healing, rejuvenating massages, and anti-aging beauty rituals.
The gym
The gym in the lush gardens has state-of-the-art equipment that overlooks the ocean.
Guests can start the day with a yoga session based on the principles of Vinyasa and Hatha yoga. Breakfasts start with a delicious array of fruits, pastries, and cereals, an indulgent mix of cheeses, fruit, and meats prior to a hot breakfast of your choice.
The gardens
One-and-a-half acres of terraced gardens edged with aromatic Cape fynbos inspired by the world-famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, whose botanists helped transform the garden into an incredible indigenous oasis.
Good hospitality is the essence of Ellerman House, and the team is attentively yet discreetly on hand, ensuring your stay is seamless; in short, you'll want for nothing. GM Paul Bruce-Brand pops by now and then to check all is well, and it is!
Ellerman is made for the Art of Rest and Relaxation, and any guilt one might have of doing nothing but indulging in life's pleasures simply disappears as soon you enter the house; resistance to is futile—just go with the flow, chill, eat, drink, and enjoy.
A range of signature itineraries and 'Exceptional Ellerman Experiences' one-of-a-kind adventures, dreamt up by Ellerman, including the Diamond Safari, 24H to Antarctica, the 4X4 Dunes Experience, and the Urban Family Tour.
However, a stay however short at Ellerman House is the ultimate way to chill; you will leave fully rejuvenated. Ellerman is made for luxuriating and for perfecting the "Art of Rest and Relaxation" and any guilt one might have of doing nothing but indulging in life's pleasures simply disappears as soon you enter the house; resistance is futile—just go with the flow, chill, eat, drink, and enjoy.
Ellerman House is inviting, intimate, and enchanting, with jaw-dropping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Lion's Head and an awe-inspiring art collection. It's easy to see why guests return time and again.
