Upon walking into one of the most prestigious hotels in South Africa we immediately knew that the Oyster Box had something special. It almost feels like a fabulous Palace upon arrival, amazing architecture and every detail just fits. We can elaborate for days (and we may just do that!) but that’s why GoTrendSA is bringing you one of the most in-depth reviews that we’ve ever done, we delve into one of South Africa’s biggest premier hotel destinations, The Oyster Box Hotel. The Oyster box hotel, nestled in Kwa-Zulu Natal is one of the most established hotels from the Red Carnation group. Situated in the popular area of Umhlanga. The buzzing vacation area really looks up to the Oyster Box as one of it’s reasons for being such a popular spot!
The staff at the Oyster box are ready for anything that you may need which is extremely refreshing. Whether you have something specific that you may require or if you have to travel to a nearby destination the staff are always on call 24/7 for anything that you may need. This overflows into how the Hotel is kept and managed. Every detail is intricate and perfect and we love the fact that there’s so many aspects that are worked on hard, but in an effortless way. Another cool feature of the hotel is that there’s an environment for every occasion: whether you’re sitting down for a world famous afternoon tea, a beautiful breakfast overlooking the ocean or simply just celebrating life on a night out with friends at the rooftop bar – the Oyster Box separates and aligns itself for functions and experiences that will become cherished memories that last a lifetime.
We were extremely fortunate to stay in one of the Oyster Box’s premier Villas. Each Villa has a unique feature to it – the more people you have with you, the bigger your villa can expand. Your villa can go from a two story, to a three story with the unlock of one door, which makes all of the rooms extremely customisable. We absolutely loved the fact that we had an in-apartment Jacuzzi that was right in front of two day beds which made it feel oh-so luxurious!
Have a look at our Oyster Box Villa Room Tour below:
The bedrooms and bathrooms were a very fair size making actual “living” in the rooms bliss. There was definitely no feeling of being cramped up or having a lack of space, which is something we experience a lot of in numerous hotels. One of our favourite things that we recently started to take for granted was the way various hotels have publications available to read for their visitors. Most hotels have a very limited selection, but, the Oyster Box really outdid itself with the amount of publications (local and international) that it had for their guests to read. It’s a lovely touch that we hope they carry on with!
We also had the massive opportunity to have Dinner at the Oyster Box! The Mediterranean-inspired Ocean Terrace, with gorgeous views across the Indian Ocean was ours for the evening, with Executive Chef Kevin Joseph and his team. Now, we always knew that there was a legendary Curry Buffet, but there was no ways we could foresee the amazing feast we were about to have! That’s right, there was a complete selection of eleven different authentic Indian curries! From Butter chicken to the VERY well known: “Hot Lamb Vindaloo.” Every curry fanatics dream is inside this restaurant! We sat down with a classic pineapple cocktail overseeing the ocean and beautifully lit up pool. And in that moment we knew that this establishment was definitely one of the best that we had ever sat in!
We have to add in that there have been plenty of celeb sightings at Oyster Box. No, we’re not talking about some the usual A-Listers that have stayed inside, (Khloe Kardashian, Prince William and Harry, Naomi Campbell – need we say more?) we’re talking about the resident feline celeb! Skabenga (which means hooligan or vagabond in Zulu), a Tabby cat, has been a permanent resident at The Oyster Box, for more years than anybody can remember. Having wandered onto the property as a stray, he was fed tasty, expensive titbits by guests and with life so good…who can blame him for never wanting to leave! Skabenga is kind of known for his exclusive parties, lavish lifestyle and more. If you’re lucky enough to spot him he may just take a selfie with you!