One Marine Drive Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Overstrand Local Municipality

Coming to South Africa for the first time and deciding to book independently, we did a lot of research before booking One Marine Drive in Hermanus. The research was worthwhile because we could not have been happier with absolutely everything about the hotel and stay.||||LOCATION: PERFECT! Far enough away from the centre of Hermanus not to be disturbed (wonderfully quiet Location). View was spectacular due to the slightly higher position above the cliffs, but no issues for walking, and walk we did! (15km one day - just back and forth along the cliff paths.) Cliff path was entered right across the road, either West to new harbour (walked to the boat trip) or East into Hermanus and further. Fick's Pool Bar was also right across the road and was the first place we visited on arrival - lovely wine, lovely tapas and the most amazing view, welcome and ambience. We walked back from Hermanus Centre each night and never felt unsafe - about 15-20 mins. Perfect location for whale spotting if you have a room with a view and a balcony - first morning, there was a whale right below the cliff where we were and I watched it whilst still lying in bed!||||ROOM: We knew exactly which room we wanted and ensured it was available before booking - Superior Sea View room (top floor, has the wraparound balcony). Absolutely perfect. Bathroom wonderful and with an eco friendly approach (bucket for saving all the cold water when you first run the shower, that was then used by housekeeping!) - all lined, including robes and slippers were great. Layout was great, with plenty of room - certainly enough for a short stay (we did 5 nights). The best part was the balcony - only downside was dragging yourself away from the views and the whale sightings!||||FOOD: Perfectly adequate choices for a small boutique hotel, but quality couldn't be faulted. Breakfast only available, with full range of fruit, individual yoghurts, pastries, meats and cheeses, as well as an 'egg' menu. The Eggs Benedict were to die for, but do were the omelettes and the smoked salmon and scrambled egg crostini. Selection of teas and coffees were topped up whenever required. Tea and coffee are always available, either from a small station outside our room overlooking the pools, or from the room where we had breakfast. Every day at 4:00 p.m. a 'suprise' cake is available to have afternoon tea. This brings me onto...||||SERVICE: Service at breakfast was very special. So well staffed and attentive but not intrusive. Anything you wanted was quickly provided and staff were very subtly observant, knowing when to clear/top up. Housekeeping was great - we tipped every day - and the room was always immaculate when we returned, with a very nice turndown service each evening.||||Service overall throughout our stay was amazing. From a wonderful welcome on arrival, through arranging dinner reservations from their recommendations to arranging our transfer to Cape Town, were impeccable. Particular mention to CeCe (not sure of spelling) who was a delight throughout, but so were the other staff.||||ETHICS: Whether it was the eco friendly systems as referred to above or the way the hotel chain supported their staff, there was clearly the right approach. On leaving we were given a bracelet that had been made by staff. The Living Journey hotels support staff in supporting their children and their education, and the bracelets were a symbol of this work and effort - my wife treats it very specially for that reason. Information about 'Ease the Journey' can be found on the hotel website.||||From feeling a little nervous before we arrived, we. ultimately felt very sad to leave, knowing this was a truly memorable experience and stay.||||Thank you so much to the staff at One Marine Drive and to The Living Journey for the amazing place they have created at One...

We stayed at One Marine Drive 3 weekends ago and it was an absolute spoil. The staff are very welcoming and friendly and just want to serve you in any way that they can.

The hotel is beautifully decorated in a chic modern style. There are only 8 rooms and I would definitely recommend a sea facing room. You often see whales from your balcony and the views of the ocean are stunning. The rooms are small, but have everything you need. The heated towel rail is great.

You have access to tea and coffee making facilities 24/7 either in the lobby downstairs or outside your room. The selection of teas, hot chocolates and coffees are very generous. Every afternoon there is a complimentary tea treat in the lobby, we had lamingtons on day 1, vanilla cake on day 2 and vanilla cupcakes on day 3.

Breakfast is delicious, with just enough options on the continental buffet and the hot breakfast that you order a la carte is also very good. The kitchen staff are also happy to make you whatever you'd prefer, you just need to ask in this hotel.

The pool area is lovely, we just didn't get to swim, as it was still quite cold.

The location of the hotel is very convenient, a couple of steps from the cliff path and a 10minute walk into the centre of town.

I would highly recommend this hotel for your next stay, if you're looking for personalised service in a...

What an absolutely incredible hotel. We spent five days at this beautiful place to celebrate our honeymoon, and from the moment we arrived we felt so relaxed and at home there. The team are amazing, they literally bend over backwards to help you in any way they can, they are the most polite, caring and genuinely lovely people we've ever met. We dealt mostly with Natasha, Nicole, Sakhi and Sandisa who were all absolutely delightful and so friendly and helpful - they are a credit to this business and I hope the owners realise this. They even arranged for our room to be decorated for Christmas which was just wonderful and they arranged a delicious picnic for us to take to the beach on Christmas day. The breakfast was outstanding, eggs cooked any way to order as well as continental and cereal options - you couldn't want for anything. On Christmas day they arranged a special breakfast and even got us little gifts! The hotel itself is spotless and the balconies have the most incredible views - you're so close to the sea! The rooms are all beautifully individually decorated, and the beds are so comfy, we didn't want to leave! We truly left One Marine Drive with new friends, and we will definitely return one day - what an absolute gem of a place, I can't recommend...