Marine Hermanus in Hermanus

Walter McFarlane, who had moved to Hermanus from nearby Elgin in the 1880's, built the Marine Hotel in 1902. The hotel started off quite modestly with a mere 21 rooms and over the years the hotel has seen numerous extensions and changes of ownership. Following the purchase of the Marine by David Rawdon in the early 1980's and four years of painstaking renovation, thirteen years of successful management ensued. However a new custodian was required to take this grand old lady into the new millennium. Liz McGrath became the new owner of the Marine Hotel in March 1998 and so began the complete makeover of this historic hotel.

As with the sister properties of The Collection, namely the Cellars-Hohenort and the Plettenberg, the world class quality that has become the hallmark of Liz McGrath was injected into the Marine. This was achieved by using exceptionally talented designers to ensure the highest standards of style, elegance and comfort in both the bedrooms and the public areas of the hotel.

After a concerted nine-month restoration period, the Marine reopened in October 1998 as a five star hotel. In January 2000 the hotel was accepted as a member of the Relais & Chateaux Association and secured its position among the finest hotels in the world.

This grand old lady has never looked so glamorous - a fitting tribute to those who built the Marine a century ago - but now possesses all the amenities a modern sojourner could wish for.