The Plettenberg, an SLH Hotel

You stay at The Plettenberg on a rocky headland in Plettenberg Bay, where the hotel’s thirty-seven rooms and two villas look out over the Indian Ocean. The property is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and The Liz McGrath Collection, with rooms ranging from thirty to seventy-eight square meters. Each has air conditioning, and some have private decks or plunge pools.

Amelia’s restaurant serves seafood with views of the bay — bouillabaisse, line fish, and local catches. The Sandbar, off the Sun Lounge, mixes cocktails in a space with white leather and marble finishes. Afternoon tea is available with scones and cake, served indoors or on the terrace.

The hotel sits along the Garden Route, close to beaches and forests. Activities nearby include whale watching, scuba diving, and kayaking. The Lookout Villa, one of two private villas, has three bedrooms and a private pool. French doors in the Premier Suites open onto views of the bay.

Check-in is at three in the afternoon; check-out by eleven.