Travel and Leisure Magazine reaches more than 16 million travellers every month, and their team includes a network of hundreds of writers and photographers across the globe, all providing a local eye on the best places to stay, eat, see, and explore.
Each year the publication asks their readers to weigh in as to their best destinations, and these awards are sub-categorised by continent, by offering and by accommodation type. Winning one is very prestigious as it means that it is the travellers themselves that are endorsing your product, not just one or two judges that happened to visit the location.
Birkenhead House in Hermanus, part of the Royal Portfolio, was recently voted as the Best Resort in Africa by T+L readers, which is no mean feat, especially when you consider it has already received over 20 other awards since 2003.
Birkenhead House sets the standard for luxury hotels in Hermanus, a quiet seaside town just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town. With its exhilarating cliff-top position overlooking the whale watching paradise of Walker Bay, Birkenhead House provides luxury accommodation for those seeking time out to relax and recharge body and mind.
Surfers show their skills in the waves below, and during the summer months the sheltered coast of the town provides a refuge for literally tons of Southern Right and Humpback whales that move through the area, often only metres from the shore.
The hotel’s contemporary décor is an artful mix of beach-house and quirky opulence. The all-inclusive rate means that guests never need to leave the comfort of Birkenhead House, where all meals and drinks are included. Delicious, coastal-inspired cuisine made using fresh seafood and flavourful ingredients from the local shoreline makes for an unforgettable dining experience for guests. Every meal is accompanied by expansive sea views overlooking the Atlantic ocean.
For the more adventurous, Hermanus offers activities aplenty including whale watching, shark cage diving, golf, horse riding on the beach, hiking, surfing, mussel picking and even wine tasting. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is just a short drive away and is one of South Africa’s premier wine routes. Restaurant and wine-tasing opportunities abound in this delightful and picturesque part of the South African coastline.
The 11 rooms at Birkenhead House are located in three different houses which make up Birkenhead House.
Four types of room – from standard to deluxe superior rooms, all of which sleep two people – offer a range of accommodation options. All are 40 square metres and above and all are opulently decorated, offering magnificent sea or mountain views.