Bernie Van Der Linde
The Marine is one of the hotels in the exclusive Liz McGrath collection. The other two are The Cellars-Hohenort (feature to follow in the coming week) in Constantia Cape Town and the Plettenberg in Plettenberg Bay.
Although I have visited the Marine several times before with my husband, it was our (Travelbuddieslifestyle) second visit together at the Marine. We also visited this magnificent hotel during our previous Cape Town trip in October 2020.
The Marine hotel is a luxurious ocean-side establishment overlooking Walker Bay in the Western Cape’s Overberg Region.
It is renowned for whale-watching from the hotel’s many view points, including your ocean-view bedroom.
The hotel is particularly suitable for retired people who enjoy open spaces, families who want to experience the outdoors in a safe and tranquil environment or couples looking for romance or best friends (like the travel buddies) who seek a well-deserved retreat.
In this review, Petra and I will share valuable insights and experiences of our stay at the Marine, including the hotel’s most noteworthy features and facilities. We’re also going to suggest great attractions in the area.
Where is the Marine, Hermanus
The Marine is conveniently located within 106 km of the Cape Town International Airport.
It is well situated for day trips to Cape Town (120km), Franschhoek (99km), and Stellenbosch (98 km).
Overview of the Marine, Hermanus
This fabulous hotel has been awarded, too many to mention, awards and accolades from Condé Nast Traveller, World Luxury Hotel Awards, Haute Grandeur Global Awards, and TripAdvisor when you consider their many outstanding features.
The hotel’s ambience provides a tranquil and unique experience for the discerning holidaymaker. It is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and is located on Hermanus’ famous cliff path.
There are three distinct types of rooms: premier suites, luxury double rooms with sea views and double rooms.
Many of the hotel’s original and historical features have remained intact after several refurbishments making this hotel truly one of its kind. For example, the hotel still has no lift, and the classic sash windows still provide the charm of a bygone area.
The style and character of the hotel are elegant, clean-lined and stylish. The predominantly green palette of the hotel’s function rooms perfectly complements the turquoise ocean and surrounding areas.
There is a large tidal pool right opposite the hotel (down the stairs of the cliff path), and the closest swimming beach is only 3.6km away (Lang Baai).
There is also a well-positioned pool, a Carchele spa, an a la carte restaurant (The Pavilion) serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a lady’s bar (The Sun Lounge).
Our favourite room, the Sun Lounge, is every Instagrammer’s dream, with custom-designed furniture to enjoy a signature cocktail. Sue Bond Interiors recently revamped the Sun lounge.
Who would enjoy this hotel in Hermanus?
As mentioned earlier, this hotel is ideal for more mature people looking for a relaxed environment with safe walking spaces, families with children who want to experience safe and unspoiled beaches and couples who want a romantic getaway.
Business people, in particular, will find this hotel very practical as, during our stay, we experienced load shedding (a genuine South African phenomenon). Thanks to the hotel’s powerful generators, all activities continued uninterrupted. All the rooms have excellent Wi-Fi, suitable working spaces, and sufficient power points.
Moreover, this hotel is known for making its guests feel extra special. Therefore, this hotel is ideal for celebrating special milestones such as birthdays, anniversaries or even special events like engagements, graduations, or weddings. They have two elegant function/conference rooms that can accommodate about 60 guests comfortably.
The premier suites with ocean views
We stayed in a lovely spacious and airy room, number 220 which was decorated in pastel shades of green.
This category is their most luxurious room type. Our room had two large windows with breath-taking ocean views of Cliff Path Walk and a beautiful seating area.
Although our closed bathroom was small and relatively standard it had everything we needed, such as a shower and bath, double vanities and the most luxurious Molton Brown toiletries (some of the other premier suites have more luxurious bathrooms – see photo).
There was also a fully stocked complimentary minibar (replenished daily), and exclusive snacks from their personalised brand McGrath. Our room also had a coffee and tea station, capsule coffee machine, and conventional kettle.
Our King size bed was super comfortable (with the fluffiest duvet and pillows) and faced the ocean.
The facilities
The hotel has a lovely pool set in a secluded part of the hotel with many sun loungers. A beautiful spa on-site offers a selection of beauty and wellness treatments.
Although we didn’t try out the Carchelle spa for ourselves, we were given a tour of their facilities and treatment areas. They offer excellent spa day packages such as Mother-to-be, His or Hers spa, and De-stress, anti-fatigue day spa.
The hotel also offers many fun experiences and activities for their guests and outside visitors, such as wine dinner evenings, Fish and Chips Fridays (R155 pp or 9.30€) and their prevalent traditional Sunday roast special (R205pp or 12.30€)
What we most enjoyed about the hotel in Hermanus
We loved waking up to the sound of the ocean and having the most magnificent view from our bedroom windows.
The best part about staying right on the cliff path is being able to take a stroll early morning and late afternoon along the ocean and admiring the beautiful houses along the cliff path.
Unfortunately we visited the hotel in May, but from June to September, you can do some whale watching from one of the many benching along the cliff patch (read out exciting post about the whale crier of Hermanus on our Instagram page).
All aspects of the hotel are very well maintained. We loved that the hotel is within walking distance of the central hub of Hermanus with the most exquisite boutiques, coffee shops and quaint little shops.
The staff
The Marine has professionally trained and knowledgeable staff who will do anything to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. We were offered their fabulous in-room breakfast experience comprising natural fruits, freshly squeezed health juices, home-baked croissants, and muffins.
Dining options
If the weather plays along (like it did during our stay), you can enjoy your breakfast outdoors with magnificent mountain and ocean views. Again, there is nothing your heart can desire that the chefs of the Marine can not prepare for you. We had the traditional Eggs, Benedict, with Salmon and freshly prepared fruits and yoghurt.
The Pavilion is their al la carte restaurant, offering breakfast, dinner, and lunch with spectacular ocean views. For dinner, Petra enjoyed the Springbok shank (R285 or 17€), and I had the catch of the day R205 or 12€), which was the Sea Bass (a must-have). One would expect the prices of such an outstanding five-star restaurant to be exorbitant, but on the contrary, the prices were very affordable.
PRO Tips
- If it’s within your budget, upgrade from a standard room to a premier suite with ocean views. Moreover, if you enjoy the finer things in life, ask for room 219, as this is the most spectacular room at the Marine. It has incredible ocean views, a lovely lounge area, a separate walking closet with an upstairs bedroom (see photos of this room) and don’t miss the stunning crystal chandelier.
- The best time to visit the Marine is from July to November, mainly for whale watching. Although we’ve had the best weather this time in May in all the years, we’ve been going to Hermanus.
- It must be noted that the weather is not a deciding factor for visiting this hotel as it is a seasons’ hotel. There are a variety of activities to do during Winter and Summer.
Our verdict of The Marine in Hermanus
The Marine in Hermanus is one of the best South African hotels and belongs to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. This is one stay you will not regret.
The review is intended to assist you in planning a trip to the Marine in Hermanus.
We enjoyed this hotel for its excellent hospitality and fabulous location (close to great wine farms, Cape Town city centre and the Hermanus hub).
We love the hotel’s elegant, sophisticated rooms with the most amazing ocean views.
We enjoy the dining options, and our favourite room is the Sun Lounge for cocktails in Summer or wine tasting in Winter.
We highly recommend upgrading to a premier suite with ocean views.
How to book your stay at The Marine, Hermanus
Best Features
- Stylish, airy rooms with luxury amenities
- Premier ocean view rooms with spectacular ocean views
- Great location in the hub of Hermanus and close to Cape Town
- The Sun Lounge
- Whale watching from the cliff path
- Warm hospitality of staff and being treated special
- Close to some of the best wine farms
Best nearby attractions
- Sea kayaking along Walker Bay (R450 pp or 27€ ) Depart from the Old Harbour, Marine Drive, Hermanus
- Horse riding at Pearly Beach, Gansbaai (from R900 pp or 54€)
- Shark cage diving, Gansbaai,
- Benguela Cove Wine Estate, wine tasting and tours, 17 kms
Value for money
Although this hotel is part of the Luxury Small Hotels of the World, it offers excellent value for money when you consider its standard room. These rooms allow you to experience Marine’s signature absolute comfort and elegance style. At R3815 or 230€ per night, breakfast included, for two adults, (during May) with a complementary minibar, we reckon this is excellent value for money.
Our reviews are a true reflection of our experiences during our stay at the Marine. This means we comply with ethical solid practices to ensure our reviews are fair and trustworthy. We only do reviews of hotels that we have personally visited. Although this was a hosted review, we were in no way influenced by any person in our opinions, views or experiences of the hotel.
