About This Property
The Plettenberg sits on a rocky headland in Plettenberg Bay, where the Garden Route’s Outeniqua mountains meet the Indian Ocean. It is a five-star Liz McGrath Collection hotel and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World — voted number one hotel in South Africa in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025.
The official site describes 35 rooms and two family-style villas; Go2Africa still lists 37 rooms and suites. Either way it is an intimate seaside hotel, not a resort sprawl. Rooms look over Formosa Beach, the surf and, in season, southern right and humpback whales. Two infinity pools hang over the bay; the Blue Wing and villa pools are heated.
Breakfast — continental and English — is included and can be taken in the restaurant or in your room. Lunch and dinner are at Amelia’s, the current name for the hotel restaurant (Go2Africa still calls it SeaFood), with Executive Chef Ewald Schulenburg and a menu that runs from local seafood platters to steaks and vegetarian plates. The marble-and-glass Sandbar is the spot for afternoon tea, cocktails and tapas, looking out over the water.
Fresh Wellness Spa sits on the property, with a gym for anyone who wants a workout before the beach. Lookout Beach is about a five-minute walk; Robberg Nature Reserve and its Cape fur seal colony, Keurbooms Lagoon and four Top 100 golf courses are an easy drive. The Travel Desk arranges whale-watching boats, shuttles and Garden Route day trips.
Families are properly catered for: children’s menus, beach tennis and cricket, body boarding, cooking lessons, complimentary cots, extra beds, interleading rooms and babysitting. The two-bedroom Beach House and three-bedroom Lookout Villa give families or friends a private house with their own pool, plus full use of the hotel.
This is a town hotel on a headland, not a bush camp. You come for the view, the food and an easy Garden Route base — with generator backup through load shedding, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a cashless front desk that takes major cards.
Why We Love It
We love this hotel for the geography first: a rocky headland, Formosa Beach running away below, and enough height that you can watch whales from a balcony with a cup of coffee. That is a rare Garden Route trick, and The Plettenberg still does it better than almost anyone in town.
It is a proper hotel, not a lodge pretending to be one. Breakfast is included. Amelia’s takes the seafood seriously without pretending nothing else is on the menu. The Sandbar is where Plett actually goes for a drink. Two pools look at the bay; the spa and gym mean you do not have to leave the property on a windy afternoon.
We also like that families are not an afterthought. Cots are free, babysitting can be arranged, and if you want the run of a house the Beach House and Lookout Villa sit on the same headland with their own pools and full hotel access.
Condé Nast Traveler readers voted it the number one hotel in South Africa in 2025. Awards come and go. The view from Church Street does not.
Rooms & Details
Double Room
Individually decorated rooms with a spacious bedroom and en-suite bathroom. King or twin beds, air-conditioning and under-floor heating. Wetu: about 30–45 m²; sleeps two.
Typical in-room kit across the hotel: complimentary Wi-Fi, satellite / smart TV, safe, hairdryer, bathrobes, tea and coffee, minibar, and a bottle of wine on arrival.
Luxury Double Room
Aqua interiors that pick up the marine setting, with a private sitting area, bedroom and en-suite bathroom. Air-conditioning throughout. Official size band 35–70 m²; sleeps two.
Garden views vary by room (Wetu). Wine on arrival and a stocked minibar; replenishments are charged.
Luxury Double Room with Sea View (6)
Six Luxury Double Rooms with sea view, each with its own angle on Plettenberg Bay. Sitting area, walk-in showers, air-conditioning, king or twins. Wetu: about 38–54 m²; sleeps two.
Wetu notes sunset from the room and closer views when whales or dolphins move into the bay. Same hotel-wide kit as the other doubles.
Suite (5)
Five Suites, each with its own palette and a separate lounge. Bedroom with en-suite bathroom and air-conditioning throughout. Official size band about 48–70 m².
Wetu lists occupancy as two; Small Luxury Hotels lists three — confirm when you book. Several have a step-out balcony or terrace with ocean views.
Premier Suite (7)
Seven Premier Suites, larger than the regular Suites, with a separate lounge and a private step-out balcony through French doors. Official size band 50–78 m². Satellite TV and air-conditioning throughout.
One Premier Suite has direct access to the pool. Wetu lists occupancy as two; Small Luxury Hotels lists three — confirm when you book.
Beach House
A two-bedroom private house on the hotel grounds (about 150 m²). Two en-suite bedrooms lead off a large sitting room with fireplace, plus a dining room and a small service kitchen. Sleeps four.
Official: private heated swimming pool, complimentary minibar, personalised shopper, dedicated concierge and the Villa Breakfast Experience. Full use of the main hotel.
Lookout Villa
A three-bedroom private villa of about 190 m². Three en-suite bedrooms, open-plan lounge and dining, and a well-stocked galley kitchen. Sleeps six. No dedicated Lookout Villa photo sits in this listing’s gallery.
Official: private heated swimming pool and a secluded garden. Complimentary minibar, personalised shopper, dedicated concierge and the Villa Breakfast Experience, matching the Beach House.
Restaurant and Sandbar
Breakfast — continental and English — is included and can be taken in the restaurant or in the room. Lunch and dinner are at Amelia’s (Executive Chef Ewald Schulenburg). The marble-and-glass Sandbar is for afternoon tea, cocktails and tapas over the water.
The hotel sits on a Plettenberg Bay headland on South Africa’s Garden Route, with Garden Route National Park close by. Combine with Gondwana Game Reserve, AfriCamps Klein Karoo, or continue east to Addo Elephants National Park.
Pools
Two infinity pools hang over the bay; the Blue Wing and villa pools are heated. Fresh Wellness Spa and a gym sit on the property. Lookout Beach is about a five-minute walk.
Amenities & Features
Cancellation Policy
Official hotel terms (must be confirmed in writing): Summer (October–March) — 100% of the stay if cancelled 30 days or less before arrival. High season (December–February) — 100% if cancelled 60 days or less before arrival. Winter (April–September) — 100% if cancelled 14 days or less before arrival. Early departure or no-show: 100% of the stay.
Photo Gallery
Rates
Prices start from $205 per night. Final pricing depends on season, room type, and availability. Check current rates on our booking partner's site for the most accurate pricing.
What's Included
- Breakfast (continental and English; included in the hotel rate)
- Whale watching from the hotel in season (southern right and humpback whales, typically June/July to mid-November; Go2Africa notes about August–December)
- Swimming in the hotel pools (two main pools overlooking the bay; Blue Wing and villa pools heated)
- Treatments at Fresh Wellness Spa
- Dining at Amelia’s and drinks at the Sandbar
- On-site fitness studio
- Lookout Beach walk (about five minutes)
- Travel Desk can arrange beach sports, cooking lessons for children, airport shuttles, car hire and Garden Route excursions
- Babysitting on request (book ahead)
Bed-and-breakfast basis on Go2Africa rates. Official inclusions typically extend to continental and English breakfast, complimentary Wi-Fi, a bottle of wine on arrival, a stocked minibar (replenishments charged), tea and coffee, and access to the pools, gym and hotel facilities. Spa treatments, most lunches and dinners, drinks at the Sandbar, babysitting and extra beds are extra unless stated on the rate.
Location
How to Get There
From Plettenberg Bay Airport (about 15 minutes)
The hotel’s nearest airstrip is Plettenberg Bay Airport (listed by Go2Africa). From the airport road, turn towards Robberg Road, then via Piesang River Road, Strand Street, Sewell Street and Church Street to number 40 at the seaward end of the street.
From George Airport (GRJ — about 103 km, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes)
George is the main scheduled airport named on the hotel FAQ. Take the N2 east through Wilderness, Sedgefield and Knysna. At the Plettenberg Bay roundabout by the Shell Ultra City, take Marine Way (which becomes Strand Street), turn left into Sewell Street, then right into Church Street. The hotel is on the left at the end of Church Street. The Travel Desk can arrange airport shuttles and car hire.
From Cape Town International Airport (CPT — about 506 km via the N2)
Follow the N2 east along the Garden Route to Plettenberg Bay, then the same Marine Way / Church Street approach. The drive is a full Garden Route day rather than a short transfer.
From Gqeberha / Port Elizabeth
Take the N2 west to Plettenberg Bay. Turn left at the Engen into Beacon Way, continue to Main Street, then left into Church Street; the hotel is at number 40.
Nearby Attractions
Lookout Beach, Central and Hobie Beach, Robberg 5 Beach and Robberg Nature Reserve (Cape fur seals), Keurbooms Lagoon and Beach, Plettenberg Bay Country Club (3.8 km), Goose Valley Golf Club (4.2 km), Pezula Golf Club (37 km), Simola Golf & Country Estate (40.5 km), Knysna Waterfront, Knysna Elephant Park, Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, Bloukrans Bungy, Ocean Blue Adventures whale-watching boats, Botlierskop Private Game Reserve
Things to Do
At the property
Swim in the two main pools over the bay — one cooled, one heated to around 25°C — with poolside service. The Blue Wing and both villas have heated pools (24–28°C). Book Fresh Wellness Spa (TheraVine treatments are named by Go2Africa). Use the fitness studio. Have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Amelia’s (07:00–10:30 breakfast; 12:00–22:00 lunch and dinner) or settle into the Sandbar. High tea is served in the lounge or on the terrace. The hotel boutique stocks South African design, including Ardmore ceramics.
In the area
Lookout Beach is a five-minute walk (shallow lagoon, good for families). Central and Hobie Beach are about 1.3 km; Robberg 5 about 3.7 km; Keurbooms Lagoon 3.5 km. From the rooms and terraces you can watch dolphins year-round and southern right and humpback whales in season. Four Top 100 golf courses sit within 40 km, starting with Plettenberg Bay Country Club (3.8 km) and Goose Valley (4.2 km).
Day trips
Robberg Nature Reserve and its Cape fur seal colony; boat-based whale watching with operators such as Ocean Blue Adventures; Knysna Waterfront, Knysna Elephant Park, Monkeyland and Birds of Eden; Bloukrans Bungy; canopy tours; and Botlierskop Private Game Reserve for a Big Five outing. The Travel Desk books shuttles, car hire and excursions.
Good to Know
Check-in / check-out: Official FAQ and Small Luxury Hotels list check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00. The hotel’s terms and conditions still print check-out at 10:00; we have used the guest FAQ / SLH figure. Early check-in can be guaranteed by pre-registering the room from the night before (charged as an extra night).Breakfast: Continental and English breakfast are included and can be taken in the restaurant or in the room.Children: The hotel is family-friendly: children’s menus, beach sports, cooking lessons, complimentary cots, extra beds at a surcharge, interleading rooms on request, and professional babysitting arranged through reception (book ahead). The Lookout Villa sleeps six; the Beach House sleeps four.Parking: Complimentary on-street parking for hotel residents and restaurant guests.Power: Generator backup covers load shedding across the hotel.Payments: Cashless establishment. Major credit cards accepted.Pets: The hotel is pet-friendly (canine companions); confirm conditions when you book.Spa and gym: Fresh Wellness Spa on site; a fitness studio is available to guests.Medical: Mediclinic Plettenberg Bay has a 24-hour emergency unit nearby.
Who It's For
Couples and honeymooners who want a proper seaside hotel on the Garden Route, and families who need cots, extra beds, children’s menus and either interconnecting rooms or a villa. Golfers have four ranked courses within 40 km. Not a safari lodge — there is no Big Five on the property — and not a self-catering beach house unless you take the Beach House or Lookout Villa.
Best Time to Visit
The hotel is open year-round. Official FAQ: April, May, August and September are typically pleasant (about 20–25°C). Summer (November–March) is hottest; January averages a maximum of about 32°C, July about 18°C. Southern right and humpback whales visit the bay from June/July through mid-November, with peak viewing in August–September (Go2Africa lists whale watching from about August to December).
