Windsor Hotel Hermanus

You stay at the Windsor Hotel on Marine Drive in Hermanus, where the building stands at the edge of the cliff above Walker Bay. The sea-facing rooms look out over the water; others face the mountains. Ground-floor rooms have small patios. The hotel was built in 1896 as The Sanatorium, a place for patients to recover in what was then called the 'champagne air' of Hermanus.

The property has a courtyard garden with a wild fig tree that is home to two spotted eagle owls. There is a bar, a billiards room with a full-size pool table, and a sea-front lounge on the first floor where you can sit with a book. Breakfast is served daily in the dining room.

From the hotel, you can walk to shops and restaurants in Hermanus. The Cliff Path, which runs along the coast for twelve kilometers, begins nearby. The path passes tidal pools, fishing spots, and viewpoints for whale watching. Southern right whales visit Walker Bay between June and November.

The current owners have run the hotel since 1996. They have renovated the rooms and added self-catering apartments.