Bay Lodge

South African interior designer, Marius van der Merwe, fell in love with ‘Plett’ as a child when visiting his grandmother’s beach house for his annual holidays – and years later, he had the opportunity to transform his beloved childhood memory into an elegant and contemporary designer hotel. Today, Bay Lodge is a seriously ‘glam’ barefoot luxury beach retreat with just six well-appointed suites looking out across ‘Plett’s’ lagoon.

The décor is contemporary modern and the overall effect is exquisitely calm and uplifting. The visual focus of the house is, of course, the sea and a virtually uninterrupted sweep of glass captures the inspirational ocean panorama. The open-plan lounge and dining room is a light and colourful space with crisp sea air drifting in through wooden shutters.

Gorgeously light and spacious, three of the suites are located at the pool deck level and a further three up on the second floor. All suites boast a king-size bed with monogrammed linen, a minibar stocked with masses of treats and a dock for your iPod –and the ‘pamper factor’ continues through into the bathrooms which boast underfloor heating, beautiful sandstone walls, chic sinks and a generous supply of Molton Brown goodies. Bay Lodge’s pièce de résistance is without a doubt the roof terrace with its jacuzzi bath and fourposter salas, each with spectacular 180-degree views of the sea and the mountains. Reminiscent of South East Asian outdoor living, the salas (or relaxing day beds) are just the spot to finish a good book or while away the afternoon to the sound of the waves. If you’re not tempted by the pool or by a swim on the beach, you can simply stay put till dusk, or descend for a drink in the lodge’s own marble bar.