Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / South Africa / Cape Town / Ellerman House
Ellerman House
Cape Town, South Africa · Independent · Grand Luxury
The greatest art hotel in Africa. Built in 1906 as a Cape Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay — originally Florida House — Ellerman House installed the first private lift in Cape Town before Sir John Ellerman (of Ellerman Bucknall shipping) bought and renamed it in 1962. Paul Harris acquired the property in 1988 and opened a seven-room hotel in December 1992. Today its 13 rooms and two villas hold nearly 1,000 South African artworks spanning 1820 to the present, alongside a cellar of around 8,000 bottles drawn exclusively from South African producers. Relais & Châteaux member.
- 13 rooms
- Opened 1992
- Neighborhood: Bantry Bay
- Architect: Graham Parker (GAPP Architects, Villa); Visser & Thomas Architects (Gallery)
About Ellerman House
- When built in 1906, Ellerman House contained the first private lift installed in any Cape Town residence — an extraordinary technological statement for colonial-era South Africa.
- The wine cellar holds approximately 8,000 bottles drawn exclusively from South African estates, making it one of the most focused single-country cellars in any boutique hotel worldwide; the wine gallery is architecturally integrated with a carbon-fibre corkscrew sculpture by Angus Taylor.
- The art collection of nearly 1,000 works spans 1820 to the present and constitutes one of the most important privately held surveys of South African art, including prized J.H. Pierneef landscapes and works by Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, and Maggie Laubser.
History
Built in 1906 as a Cape Edwardian mansion and operating as a luxury hotel since 1992, it has presided over one of Cape Town's most exclusive residential enclaves for more than a century.
The setting
Ellerman House stands at 180 Kloof Road in Bantry Bay, perched on the western slopes of Lion's Head with unobstructed Atlantic views stretching to Robben Island. Built in 1906 as a Cape Edwardian mansion and operating as a luxury hotel since 1992, it has presided over one of Cape Town's most exclusive residential enclaves for more than a century. Lion's Head is accessible twenty-four minutes by car, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront twenty-seven minutes, and the Zeitz MOCAA thirty-three minutes. With only thirteen rooms and two private villas, this Relais and Chateaux property combines cliffside manor intimacy with proximity to the city's finest dining, galleries, and mountain trails. 2 km from Clifton Beach.
Restaurants and bars
- Curate — Restaurant
Experiences
- Curate Music Sessions — Intimate acoustic music performances with fine South African wines and cuisine in the Ellerman House Wine Gallery, surrounded by fine art.
- Curate Terroir Series — Interactive terroir dinners hosted by respected winemakers, with a seasonal multi-course menu paired with the winemaker's wines.
- Dining — Contemporary South African cuisine, cellared Cape wines and seasonal menus.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Private pool
- Sauna
- Fitness center
- Tennis
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveler Gold List (2025)
Open Ellerman House in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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