The best surf & yoga hotels · Cape Town
Ellerman House
Ellerman House was built in 1906 for Sir John Ellerman — Britain's wealthiest man at his death — and has been a hotel since 1992. The 13-room Edwardian mansion on the Bantry Bay cliffs holds what is described as the most significant collection of South African art in private hands: two hundred years of the country's visual history, from Thomas Bowler's 1800s Cape Town watercolours to William Kentridge's social commentary work, hung throughout the house and in a dedicated contemporary gallery on the grounds. The wine cellar runs to 9,000 bottles of South African labels, with daily tastings included in the rate. A $7.75 million refurbishment completed without a single day's closure restored the original teak staircases and stained-glass windows, and installed eco-systems that cut energy use by 30 percent. Yoga classes run on the clifftop porch at dawn, with the Atlantic below. Relais & Châteaux. 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List.
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The hotel
The design
The teak staircases and stained-glass windows are original. The restoration took two years and didn't close for a single day.
Local artisans restored the Edwardian bones during a $7.75 million refurbishment — teak staircases, stained-glass windows intact — while Cape Town designers added hand-woven mohair and fynbos-inspired palettes. The eco-systems installed during the work cut energy use by 30 percent. In-house guides lead private tours of the two-century art collection; the rotating contemporary gallery on the grounds shows living South African artists.
The design
The teak staircases and stained-glass windows are original. The restoration took two years and didn't close for a single day.
Local artisans restored the Edwardian bones during a $7.75 million refurbishment — teak staircases, stained-glass windows intact — while Cape Town designers added hand-woven mohair and fynbos-inspired palettes. The eco-systems installed during the work cut energy use by 30 percent. In-house guides lead private tours of the two-century art collection; the rotating contemporary gallery on the grounds shows living South African artists.
The yoga
Dawn yoga on the clifftop porch. The Atlantic is below.
Classes run daily on the clifftop porch at dawn, open to the Bantry Bay surf coast. Specialist instructors from Cape Town's wider wellness community can be arranged for guests who practice seriously. The hydrotherapy spa — cantilevered above the cliff — runs rooibos-infused treatments and sea-salt scrubs alongside it.
The yoga
Dawn yoga on the clifftop porch. The Atlantic is below.
Classes run daily on the clifftop porch at dawn, open to the Bantry Bay surf coast. Specialist instructors from Cape Town's wider wellness community can be arranged for guests who practice seriously. The hydrotherapy spa — cantilevered above the cliff — runs rooibos-infused treatments and sea-salt scrubs alongside it.
The sustainability
Energy use cut by 30 percent. The refurbishment didn't close for a single day.
The restoration reduced energy consumption by 30 percent through newly installed eco-systems, while avoiding the waste of a full strip-out by staying open throughout. The gardens are planted exclusively with indigenous fynbos and Cape Floral Kingdom species. The 9,000-bottle wine cellar sources only from South African estates.
The sustainability
Energy use cut by 30 percent. The refurbishment didn't close for a single day.
The restoration reduced energy consumption by 30 percent through newly installed eco-systems, while avoiding the waste of a full strip-out by staying open throughout. The gardens are planted exclusively with indigenous fynbos and Cape Floral Kingdom species. The 9,000-bottle wine cellar sources only from South African estates.
