Birkenhead House is a small hotel on a raised headland between two coves in Hermanus, about 90 minutes from Cape Town, looking out over Walker Bay. It belongs to The Royal Portfolio and runs at the scale of a private home: 11 rooms spread across three houses, each individually decorated, the Deluxe Superior Rooms facing the sea with large balconies and one with its own plunge pool. Hermanus is known for whale watching from land, and southern right, Bryde's and humpback whales pass close to the cliffs between June and November. The hotel is named after HMS Birkenhead, which sank off Danger Point, visible from the terrace, in 1852. Rates include meals, local drinks and house wines, and a shuttle runs into town. The kitchen cooks with produce from the coast, and the chefs lead mussel picking on the rocks below the hotel in season. Below the house lie two beaches, Voëlklip among them, with surfboards on loan and the cliff path running past. The spa has four treatment rooms and a gym, and the Hemel-en-Aarde wine valley is a short drive away.
- Nearest airport
- Cape Town International Airport (CPT), about 90 minutes by road
- Rooms
- 11 rooms across three houses
Insider tip Come in September or October for the whales, and book the mussel picking with the chefs, who then cook your haul.
Why I choose it The setting over Walker Bay is hard to beat for whale watching, and with 11 rooms it feels like a house party by the sea.