While domestic travel bolstered The Marine luxury hotel in Hermanus, Western Cape – which became a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World platform earlier this year – international guests are returning.
“We were grateful to our domestic tourists who ensured that, at times, we reached 100% occupancy levels – especially in the first and last weekends of the month. And we know we will retain them as guests,” said The Marine GM, Melissa Burns,who noted that one of the biggest blessings to come out of COVID was to encourage locals to explore their own country.
She toldTourism Update that the five-star hotel – part of the Liz McGrath Collection – was looking into growing numbers from source markets such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, and seeking to retain its traditional key source markets such as the UK, US and Germany.
“It helped us survive the time of red lists and long-haul traveller uncertainty,” she said, adding that this support also meant that no hotel staff were retrenched.
Burns said post-COVID-19 trends included last-minute bookings as well as extended stays. “With remote working becoming popular, we’ve seen our average length of stays increasing from 2.5 to three days to between four and seven days,” she highlighted.
To address ongoing uncertainty about travel, Burns pointed out that The Marine had very flexible cancellation policies.
The hotel also offers a local in-house travel desk, which it manages in conjunction with Hermanus Tourism, to help guests explore the Overberg area. “We believe in supporting our local industry and also carry a lot of local wines on our menu and have relationships with a number of wine estates,” Burns noted, adding that bottomless bubbly evenings and high teas had been introduced, not only for in-house guests but to draw locals to the hotel as well.
The Marine is an iconic landmark on the famous 15-kilometre Hermanus cliff path and is situated within walking distance of the many attractions of South Africa’s ‘whale watching capital’ – including art galleries, bespoke boutique stores and restaurants.
Guests staying in the sea-facing rooms can watch the whales in the bay during whale season, from August to November, from the comfort of their rooms.
