Ellerman House is Cape Town's most exclusive boutique hotel, occupying a stunning Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay with sweeping sea views. The 13 rooms and 2 villas are each uniquely decorated with South African art from the owner's acclaimed private collection. The wine cellar holds over 7,000 bottles and the intimate restaurant delivers Michelin-worthy cuisine.
Ellerman House sits high on the cliffs of Bantry Bay, a residential suburb between Sea Point and Clifton, about a ten-minute drive from Cape Town's CBD and fifteen minutes from Camps Bay's beaches and restaurants. The property is built around an Edwardian mansion dating to 1912, once the home of a shipping magnate, and has been extended with two contemporary villas cut into the granite hillside, giving it the feel of a private residence rather than a conventional hotel. There are just 13 rooms plus the two villas, each individually decorated and hung with pieces from the owner's private collection of South African art, which is significant enough that the house also runs its own small gallery. Dining is by a single nightly menu built around whatever the kitchen sources that day, served either in the dining room or on the terrace overlooking the Atlantic, and the wine gallery holds over 7,000 bottles with a resident sommelier available for tastings. Facilities include two outdoor pools, a spa, a tennis court, and a private chef available for the villas, along with a chauffeured house car for transfers around the Atlantic Seaboard. With only a handful of rooms and a high staff-to-guest ratio, service is highly personalised, and the house is better suited to couples and small groups than to families with young children.
Amenities
- two pools
- art gallery
- wine cellar
- private chef
- spa
- tennis court
- chauffeur
Location
180 Kloof Road, Bantry Bay, Cape Town, 8005
-33.9289, 18.3783 View on map
Highlights
- Edwardian mansion and cliffside villas set high above Bantry Bay with Atlantic views
- Private collection of South African art displayed throughout the house and its own gallery
- Wine gallery holding more than 7,000 bottles with sommelier-led tastings
- Two outdoor pools, a tennis court, and a private chef available for villa guests
Tips for visiting
- Choose one of the cliffside villas rather than the main house rooms for more privacy and a private plunge pool
- Dinner is served as a single set menu, so mention dietary requirements when booking
- The house is a short drive, not a walk, from Camps Bay and Sea Point's restaurants — arrange transfers through the concierge
- Sunset is best watched from the terrace bar, which faces directly west over the Atlantic