nosyposy
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What an absolutely beautiful place, although I feel those words simply don't do Strandloper justice. We absolutely loved everything about this gorgeous hotel, we have travelled widely across the world but this place will always have a special place in our hearts. It sits on the dunes, at the end of the village of Paternoster, a beautiful, laid back, unpretentious place, with delightful single story, white painted houses lining its quiet streets. The hotel is also single story and works in harmony with the local architecture, but rather than being in one building it occupies a series of buildings that have a "kick off your shoes" beach vibe from the outside and state of the art and simply stunning interiors within. Our ocean beach suite, had floor to ceiling picture windows, and a terrace that lead down to the beach on a series of wooden walkways. The beach at Paternoster is beautiful, but this end of the village is super quiet, and sits around a little headland, so it feels like you have the whole beach to yourself. The deserted beach stretches for miles, and after the hotel the backdrop is only of dunes and fynbos, and powdery white sands, as far as the eye can see. The room, like the rest of the hotel had been carefully curated, with stylish furniture, beautiful art, the finest linens, and the comfiest of beds, a bathroom that was sumptuous and decadent and a private enclosed garden with an outdoor shower. For the chillier evenings there was a woodburning stove and one of the many delights of staying here was coming back from an evening out to find the fire lit, and hot water bottles in the bed. The food in the Leeto restaurant (which also had a chic beachy vibe) was excellent, both breakfast and dinner were a culinary delight, served by staff who we said goodbye to as friends (Nandi, Kikki, we loved you guys, thank you for making our stay so incredibly special). We were lucky enough to chat to one of the owners, Simone, and it was clear that she had a deep passion for this place and a love of her staff. It was also wonderful to hear that the hotel had been involved in community projects (such as West Coast Kids), that they support community uplift projects including prioritising hiring staff from the local Paternoster community, and important conservation and sustainability initiatives, aimed at protecting both the flora and fauna of the area (and sustainable, regenerative tourism that supports local communities, really matters to us). The concierge service on offer was also fabulous and there was so much that they could arrange. The sea was a little rough to go sea kayaking and it was a little cold to have the planned beach picnic, but we went riding on the beach (fabulous, thank you Mark and Linky it was so much fun, you guys rock), I had the most incredible massage, and a yoga session with one of the most delightful women you could wish to meet (so much so Alicja came to do a private session with me later on in our South African stay). I can honestly say this was one of the hardest places we've ever had to leave, but the memories of the little slice of Heaven that was Strandloper Ocean Boutique Hotel will remain in our hearts and minds forever.