A 1906 Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay converted to a 13-suite Relais & Châteaux property — and home to one of South Africa's most important private art collections, with works by Pierneef, Stern, and Battiss throughout.
"1906 Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay. 13 suites, Relais & Châteaux, one of South Africa's great wine cellars and most important art collections."
Ellerman House occupies a 1906 Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay — Cape Town's most refined Atlantic Seaboard suburb, between Sea Point and Camps Bay — built originally as the private residence of shipping magnate Sir John Ellerman. The property was converted to a luxury hotel in the 1990s and has been operated since 2003 as the most exclusive small hotel in Cape Town, with 13 suites in the original mansion plus the adjoining Villa One and Villa Two for buyout-able multi-bedroom accommodation. The Cellars-Hohenort family — South Africa's leading luxury hotel family, with several other Cape properties — owns and operates the hotel.
The 13 suites in the main mansion are individually designed, all retaining original Edwardian architectural detail. The most-booked are the Premier Suites with mountain or Atlantic Ocean views; the Library Suite, the property's flagship, has the original 1906 panelled library and overlooks Lion's Head and the Atlantic. Villa One (4 bedrooms) and Villa Two (5 bedrooms) — the standalone villas adjacent to the main mansion — work for full buyouts and family/group trips.
The property's defining feature is its art collection — over 1,000 works of South African art accumulated by founder Paul Harris and the property's curators over three decades, with works by Pierneef, Irma Stern, Walter Battiss, William Kentridge, and contemporary South African artists installed throughout the public spaces and many private rooms. The art tour, conducted by the property's resident curator, is one of the more substantive cultural programmes available at any luxury hotel in Africa.
The wine cellar — over 9,500 bottles, with one of the best collections of South African and international fine wine in the country — is the property's secondary cultural programme. The cellar tour and tasting, conducted by the resident sommelier, often becomes a centrepiece of the stay. Dining is at the property's single main restaurant — Ellerman House itself, in the mansion's restored dining hall — under the chef brigade with a daily-changing modern South African menu using produce from the property's gardens and Cape farms. Service is the most personal and refined in Cape Town — the staff-to-guest ratio is exceptional, and the experience is closer to staying at a private South African mansion than at a hotel. The most refined small luxury in the city.
The Cape Town anniversary for couples who want the most refined and personal small-property experience. The Library Suite or one of the Premier Suites with Atlantic views. Vow renewal in the gardens, private dinner with the chef, art tour with the curator, wine tasting with the sommelier — the property's small scale and the staff-to-guest ratio make every milestone arrangement feel personal rather than templated.
The Cape Town honeymoon for couples who want the most distinctive small-property experience. Book a Premier Suite. The combination of the 1906 Edwardian setting, the major art collection, the wine cellar, and the chef's daily menu produces a Cape Town honeymoon with depth that the larger luxury properties cannot quite match.
Ellerman House is one of the strongest solo-traveller Cape Town options. The single restaurant, the art collection, the wine cellar, and the property's small scale mean the staff know guests within the first day. Bantry Bay's atmosphere — refined, walkable, with the Sea Point Promenade and the Atlantic immediately accessible — works particularly well for travellers seeking a quiet, cultured Cape Town experience.
180 Kloof Road
Bantry Bay, Cape Town 8005, Western Cape
Atlantic Seaboard between Sea Point and Camps Bay; 30 min from Cape Town International (CPT)
13 suites in 1906 mansion + 2 villas
Classic Suite from R14,000 ($770)/night
Premier Suite from R18,000 ($1,000)
Library Suite from R28,000 ($1,500)
Villa One (4-bed) buyout from R55,000 ($3,000)
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 2 nights (3 in peak)
1,000+ work South African art collection
9,500-bottle wine cellar
Single chef's-tasting restaurant
Cellars-Hohenort family-owned
Relais & Châteaux member
Open year-round
Peak: November–February (book 6 months ahead)
Best value: May–August (winter)
High-speed WiFi throughout
Reliable signal in all suites
The pace of the property suggests using it less
From R14,000/night (~$770). The Library Suite and the Villas need direct hotel contact. Buyout of the entire mansion is possible for milestone trips.
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