We stayed for two days on our honeymoon. The food was excellent. The hotel's restaurant was one of the best I have ever been to and the cocktail bar was very cool. The staff were extremely friendly and the views from the hotel over the bay were breath taking. We had a lovely room and I we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

Davinder

A small seaside hotel, with minuscule pool and garden. Greatly overpriced and somewhat out of its class as a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux group.

As for Plettenberg itself, don't be fooled by the tourist board hype. With its total absence of historical, architectural or cultural features, its featureless main street and residential developments, and unspectactular scenery (other than the bay), Plettenberg is one of the most uninteresting places we have ever visited.

The guests' lounge looked appealing with antique furniture and paintings, but was occupied by the hotel cat, who sat and slept on every upholstered chair. On our return home, we felt this should be drawn to the attention of the management, as some people may not wish to pay so much to share seats with animals. The email we received in reply was less than reassuring....in summary, the cat had been there for ever, animals often enhance boutique hotels........ and effectively we could take it or leave it.

There are lots of quality B&Bs available in the area at a fraction of the cost.

We spent 3 nights at The Plettenberg a fortnight ago and we were very disappointed. we booked rather late so a sea view room was not available. we know Plett very well so this did not add to our disappointment. the room was very ordinary and not at all comfortable. the airconditioner blew right over the bed, the shower leaked like a sieve, the bed was uncomfortable and the room had not been decorated for many years.

The staff could also do with some charm. Staff seem to hang around everywhere and make quite a noise. They are not energetic and have no passion.

In all, we were very disappointed. we expected MUCH more from all the hype surrounding this hotel.

Our time here constituted the relaxing element of our hectic dash along the stunning Garden Route - between Cape Town and a Game Reserve outside PE. With that in mind, the Plettenberg provided the perfect vehicle for 3 days of chilling out in a beautiful setting. Our room was very elegant - we rejected our first allocation and were upgraded (for free) into a room in the annexe with sea view. The staff were friendly, helpful and highly professional. Breakfast was delicious - as was dinner - although the latter was very formal. A stunning and informal alternative is to eat at Lookout Restaurant, which is on the back of Lookout Beach 2 mins from the hotel. It has a beautifull deck with views of whales, dolphins and the sunset over the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Bliss! Quite an eclectic crowd and superb fresh fish in an open-air setting. Back to the hotel - the vantage points from the 2 swimming pools were breathtaking. We watched dolphins play in the surf and in general had a fabulously indulgent time. A late afternoon checkout was offered at no extra charge - all helping to ease the pain of this relatively expensive accommodation option - which in retrospect was definitley worth the investment.