Durban - A deep breath, then I smiled quietly to myself as I stepped out of my air-conditioned bedroom – one with a bath smack in the centre – to rest my elbows on the railings of a balcony that has a view worth a thousand words.
I was enjoying a getaway break a few weekends ago at the 40-room Peermont Mondazur Hotel and Spa on the sprawling, beautiful San Lameer estate near Port Edward.
The hotel balconies offer great views of towering palms where weavers busily go about building nests, near the hotel’s large, aquamarine pool that perches on stilts at the edge of the lagoon of the Umhlangamkulu River and lagoon.
The river snakes through rolling dunes of dense foliage from which peep outcrops of terracotta villas of similar Indonesian-style design. It’s pretty spectacular, like one is in a different country, rather than close to Southbroom. And as one swivels one’s head, the foliage and villas stretch as far as the eye can see.
There are more than 600 villas, individually owned and decorated, and some for hire, on the tranquil, secluded estate, the centrepiece of which is a renowned, 18-hole golf course where it is not uncommon to see impala and other wildlife.
Also here is some amazing birdlife – 195 different species I am told, among them the fish eagle and the breeding Crowned Eagle.
A leisurely stroll or short golf-cart ride away and one is on a private stretch of Blue Flag beach close to a small seafood restaurant and a tidal pool where, when we there one evening, a sand sculptor was winning tips and praise for two fun, large sculptures. One depicted a couple (the man had real jeans, running shoes and even a six-pack of note) asleep on a lifesize double bed… while nearby a large, toothy sand-sculpted crocodile eyed them both.
After a beach stroll and a show of the first beads of perspiration, a return to the hotel and its riverside Lagoon Cocktail Bar was a must.
Open from 9am to 11pm daily, the pub televises sport regularly. It is in a great spot alongside the Lagoon Grill right next to the pool, spilling tables and chairs on to a long terrace that overlooks the lagoon.
It makes for a perfect place for sundowners, especially when the moon peeps through palm fronds that catch and play with the fading light, and weavers’ nests become silhouetted against the darkening sky. It’s fun, too, to watch as large catfish and the occasional turtle come close to shore to gulp in air and create splashes and ever-widening circles as they seek food.
Originally a farm that was turned into a hotel, the Peermont Mondazur Hotel and Spa started out as a popular leisure destination in the mid-’70s when it was bought by the Sanlam Home Owners’ Association and became San Lameer.
In 1982, the Protea group took over, with Peermont buying and refurbishing the hotel in 2005. It is now a four-star establishment.
In recent times the rooms have gone through a major revamp, very cleverly designed with a nice, clean, contemporary edge to accommodate many things, in a compact, uncluttered way.
Of the 40 rooms, 18 are Deluxe with two twin beds, eight are Deluxe King with a king-size bed, seven are Classic with a king-size bed, one is Classic with two twin beds, and two are Superior King with one king-size bed. There are two impressive executive suites with a king-size bed and two junior suites with king-size beds. Smoking and non-smoking rooms are available.
All rooms, the rates for which include an ample and enjoyable buffet breakfast in the 90-seater Lagoon Grill, have air conditioning, bath and shower, electronic room safe, electronic shaver point, hairdryer, international direct dial telephone, mini bar (on request), 18-hour room service, tea and coffee station, writing desk and a flat-screen TV with South African channels and selected DStv channels.
Meals in the Lagoon Grill are good, it must be said, with the lamb shanks a particularly good bet. The restaurant specialises in seafood and is open for breakfast from 7am to 11am, lunch from noon to 3pm and supper from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Light meals are available on the pool deck.
The hotel has two function rooms and three breakaway rooms that can accommodate banquets and conferences for delegates from eight to 120.
The hotel also has the popular Camelot Spa which, overlooking a second pool at the hotel, has luxurious facilities including a flotation pool with underwater lights, a Rasul chamber with a twinkling LED-light roof, and nine therapy rooms in a separate area for complete relaxation and regeneration.
Treatments include specialised massage, skin treatments, hydrotherapy, slimming treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures. It is open from 9am to 7pm every day.
The spa is owned and managed by Bonny Richardson, whose bubbly personality and big smile will be instantly recognisable if you remember the regular Bonny’s Best Buys advertising slot which started on TV in 1990 and ran, would you believe, for 16 years.
Formerly in advertising and direct marketing, she was a finalist for Business Woman of the Year in 2000.
Of the spa, Richardson says: “Converting the original, 100-year-old farmhouse was a challenge.
“Also, managing staffing and costs without a crystal ball required magic, but after three months the first season hit us.
“We outperformed all the Camelot Spas countrywide. By the second season we were in full swing. We got to fourth place out of 700 spas in the country in the Les Novelles Spa of the Year 2012,” says Richardson. - Independent on Saturday