Arniston Spa Hotel Review

Surrounded by exquisite beaches, white sand dunes and lush nature reserves, the charming seaside town of Arniston in the Cape Overberg has been a holiday destination since the early 20th century. In those days, holidaymakers would come by ox wagon, bringing all their supplies, including live chickens, with them. Fortunately, that is no longer required, and the town is as popular as ever, judging by how busy our hotel was while we were there.

Directly in front of the hotel is a beautiful beach embracing the ocean, where one can see whales frolicking during whale season (May to November).

To the left you’ll find the harbour with its colourful boats, and Kassiesbaai, one of the last working fishing villages in South Africa, which is a national heritage site. Further on is the Arniston Monument, which commemorates the wreck of the HMS Arniston ship, which ran aground in 1815.

Kassiesbaai

Walk to the right of the hotel and you’ll find Romans Bay, the town’s main swimming beach, within the Waenshuiskrans Reserve. The reserve is named after its famous cave that is believed to be big enough for an ox wagon with a full span of 16 oxen to rotate in. Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, is just a 40-minute drive away. We’d been as far as Cape Agulhas and De Hoop Nature Reserve before but this was our first visit to Arniston.

Arniston Spa Hotel

The hotel’s main entrance leads to the reception area, and a garden courtyard with a swimming pool. It is flanked by a curio shop, bistro, lounge and dining room. Books and board games are available in the lounge while outdoor games can be set up too. The walls are lined with artworks by local artists, which can be purchased by guests.

Swimming Pool

The 67 en-suite rooms have either sea or pool views and are spread over 3 floors. Our spacious ground-floor family room featured an open-plan bedroom and lounging area with a bed for my son in the latter. There was a television, a minibar, a beverage station, and Wi-Fi too. Light blue cotton bathrobes were provided in the bathrooms, as well as heated towel rails for the chilly winter days.

Hotel Room

While the upper floors have balconies, our suite’s glass sliding doors opened onto a private patio from where one could easily walk down to the ocean. We enjoyed the spectacular sunrises and mesmerising ever-changing hues of the sea, from there, as we sipped our coffee.

View from our room (Note the colour of the sea)

Breakfast and dinner are served in the sea-facing, glass-fronted dining room while lunch is served in the more casual bistro. 

Hotel Dining Room

Fresh seafood is the star of the show here and we enjoyed several of the ocean’s bounties, followed by decadent desserts. Vegetarian and halaal requirements are also accommodated with meat sourced from a halaal-certified supplier and prepared separately.

Food at the hotel

The hotel’s Ginkgo Spa is an oasis of calm and relaxation. The soothing music and lights will start melting your stress away before you even experience any treatments.

Ginkgo Spa

Children are welcome, and well catered for with family rooms, kiddies’ menus and a playroom set up during school holidays. We saw many families enjoying themselves.

If the idea of waking up to the sound of waves, exploring a charming coastal village steeped in history, and indulging in fresh seafood while watching the ocean appeals to you, then a stay at the Arniston Spa Hotel should be on your bucket list. And the best part is that the rates are so reasonable that you can enjoy your seaside holiday without breaking the bank.

Boats at the harbour

We are even more enchanted by the Western Cape after our visit and can’t wait to explore more.

For more information, visit Arniston Spa Hotel or book here.

Sunrise view from our room

Good to know

Arniston Spa Hotel is a member of the Cape Country Routes (CCR) collection, a group of owner-operated and managed accommodation and activity establishments located along scenic and historic routes in the Western and Eastern Cape. See their other properties here.

The hotel’s in-room guest information directory is a treasure trove of information about the history of the village and surrounding areas. Be sure to read it.

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.