Seaside luxury at the glorious Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel
There are so many reasons why we love Paternoster … the quintessential fisherman’s village on the Cape West Coast. But we admit, right up at the top of the list of loves is the utterly sensational Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel.
Sitting on the edge of the long, white, shell-strewn beach and the somewhat chilly, wild sea, this laid-back luxurious, romantic boutique hotel is all wide open spaces and huge skies and views forever.
And when we say luxurious, we mean in the very best sense of the word. So there’s no glitz – rather all calm hues, with furniture and fittings made locally out of stone, wood and fine organic linen. No pretentiousness – just secluded comfy nooks and top notch, warm, personal service. For heaven’s sake … there’s even a no shoes suggestion … you’re encouraged to leave them at the door and relax.
It’s all serenity and natural and private and secluded … the hotel boasts a philosophy of being in harmony with nature and blending in with the delicate beauty of the surroundings. And we can think of nowhere we’d rather be at the end of this rather stressful year.
The rooms and suites – a little over a dozen – have been designed to blur the lines between indoors and out and are a clever fusion of beach style and contemporary luxury. Deceptively simple … but so much thought has gone into making them as comfortable as possible.
So you can expect sink-in-me sofas and private courtyards and terraces, fireplaces in some of the rooms, outdoor showers in others. It’s all natural bath salts alongside state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen audio systems, home-made fudge by the beds at night rubbing sweet shoulders with top notch coffee machines.
The attention to detail is phenomenal. Request oat milk with your after-dinner coffee and by the time you return to your room, there’s oat milk in your mini fridge for the rest of your stay. Ask for fresh lemon squeezed into hot water for breakfast … the next morning there’s a pot of boiling water and half a lemon waiting on the table.
Talking breakfast and dinner … The Strandloper is home to Leeto, what we rate one of the best restaurants in the country. With a strong emphasis on local, seasonal products, the restaurant, which overlooks the beach and sea, is simply but exquisitely furnished and is run by Chef Garth Almazan, a Capetonian who grew up in a fisherman’s family and ensures the food is fuss-free and simple, but with a local West Coast twist.
Expect dishes like West Coast oysters with lime and tabasco, Malay spiced mussel soup and seafood linguini. There’s a spring risotto loaded with baby spinach, broccoli, baby marrow, snap peas, portobello mushrooms, goat’s feta, white truffle oil, parmesan and ciabatta crumbs that we’ll order again and again and again, should we be fortunate enough to return, and a chickpea, lentil and spinach curry served with potato samoosa … swoon. Oh. And marmalade ice-cream. Be still my beating heart! The food is subtly sophisticated, Garth says, which is a reflection of the entire Strandloper experience.
While it would be easy – and massively enjoyable – to sit on the terrace and admire the fynbos and the sea for hours, leaving just to stroll down to dinner, there’s loads to make a holiday in the area hugely enjoyable. For the hedonistic, the hotel has an exceptional spa, but for the more energetic the hotel concierge can arrange cycling, guided bush hikes (a lovely way to explore the area), guided horseback riding along the beach, boat bird safaris up the river, as well as bird photographic safaris, kayaking and beach buddy dunes tours – which are fabulous fun.
All well organised and thoroughly enjoyable. But we’re on the same page as the hotel … who say, first and foremost, they want guests to experience the ultimate luxury – the art of doing nothing. To ground themselves again and to take the time to simply be. To be reminded about what is really important in life. For them to be immersed in a feeling of tranquillity. To really take time to drink in the breathtaking, raw beauty of our piece of West Coast paradise and to enjoy it as much as they do. And it didn’t take much to convince us to do just that!
Details: Email [email protected] or visit strandloperocean.com
