Grande Dame of Plett gets grand makeover

The Plettenberg, one of Plettenberg Bay’s best-known hotels, has updated its old-world glam in a recent refurbishment. The five-star Liz McGrath Collection hotel has overhauled its newly renamed Garden Room, Blue Room and Villas.

Situated on a rocky headland, The Plettenberg overlooks the ocean and offers spectacular 270-degree views of the bay. The site itself provided the inspiration for the new interior direction. One of the main aims of the revamp was to bring the Garden Room and Blue Room up to date and in keeping with the rest of the hotel.

The interior redesign was headed by the daughters of the late and much-loved Liz McGrath, Lesley Kelly and Susan Nathan, who co-own the hotel along with their brother Michael McGrath, the Liz McGrath Collection’s current chairperson. Lesley and Susan add their aesthetic style to all three of the group’s hotels, including the Marine in Hermanus and the Relais & Châteaux Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia.

The aptly titled Garden Room looks out on to the natural fynbos and rocky coastline of the Garden Route, as well as the cultivated hotel garden directly beyond its windows. The focal point of the room is undoubtedly the magnificent view from Robberg to Nature’s Valley and the mountains in the East.

The room was previously decorated in a more subdued style that, according to the sisters, did not do it justice. The new direction they undertook entailed uplifting the fabrics and accessories, and the addition of a striking botanical wallpaper that makes an undeniable statement in the room. It provides a bold counterpoint to the sea view that surrounds it.

The sisters wanted to create a feeling of “the beach, the sea, vibrant life and a huge vista. It’s a special room to soak up the view of the beach, mountains and ocean, so a strong wallpaper was selected and accentuated with white pots and lush indoor plants, and cream sofas with lovely turquoise cushions,” they explain.

In the Blue Room, the sisters wanted to create an inviting zone to relax in that carried a dynamic sense of life and leisure. A striking and strident blue now sets the tone here.

“We decided that because The Plettenberg has the most spectacular site overlooking the ocean, we would introduce the wonderful colours of the sea and the Plett skies. These same colours are reflected in the suites and rooms throughout the hotel, where turquoise tones and blues prevail.

Although the Blue Room doesn’t have a sea view, it immediately feels fresh, modern and inviting. The cool, contemporary look-and-feel is in complete contrast to the older antique English appearance it had previously.

Away from the all-access rooms, the new interiors of the private Villas are awash with the hues of the ocean and offer stand-out views over the bay. Here, calmer and more soothing sea tones predominate. www.theplettenberghotel.com