It has all been said before, this is a fabulous hotel. The staff are just lovely, they really do care that the guests are having the best possible time.

The restaurant serves a selection of exquisite food with excellent vegetarian choices if needed. The house wine list is fantastic (all South African of course...).

We both had Spa treatments which we enjoyed, the therapists worked hard to unknot my tight shoulders!!

We did have one huge disappointment - and that is the 2 nights we booked for were just not enough, next time we'll stay longer...

A lovely location, complimented by the very best in terms of quality and service.

Birkenhead Head is most amazing and deceptive when you arrive in that it is very discrete from the road then you walk through the hotel and arrive overlooking the ocean which is quite breathtaking.

The staff are friendly and welcoming and nothing is too much trouble, the food is excellent, we were all inclusive and were fed and watered extremly well, the quality of all the meals was of the highest standard and you take breakfast outside over looking the ocean where we watched seals swimming.

The rooms are all very different and fully equiped with all that you need. The pools are small but just the right size to cool off in the heat of the day, the infinity pool overlooks the ocean and is perfect for total relaxation, the sunbeds are comfortable and again drinks are forever flowing.

Overall this is the most amazing place in all areas, the views and location are spectacular and are not to be missed.

It hardly seem necessary to add more superlatives, but Birkenhead House is certainly a gem. Although the sea frontage is minimal - only two rooms wide - it is cleverly planned so you really feel in touch with the ocean.
With only 12 rooms and 65 staff, you are looked after very well - nothing seems too much trouble. Food and wine are superb (though, as seems to be the norm in SA, service is VERY leisurely - allow plenty of time for breakfast and lunch).
Make sure you take the wonderful clifftop path to Hermanus (8km / 75 minutes, though what they don't tell you is that about 15 minutes of that path is along the main road).
We were only able to stay for one night, and wished it could have been longer.
Incidentally, Hermanus is only 1.5 hours from Franschhoek and 2.5 hours from Cape Town, so can easily be fitted into a week-long Cape holiday).

This is, quite simply, the best hotel I've ever stayed in. The location is stunning - perched on a cliff top with the waves crashing beneath you. If you are there during whale watching season, you sit having breakfast or sundowners and the whales are 'doing their stuff' right in front of your table. Magical!
From start to finish we felt totally pampered yet thoroughly at home. Our room was stunning - sparkling wine on arrival, bowls of fresh fruit, our own private plunge pool and outdoor 'daybed' facing the ocean. We were warmly welcomed and told to treat the place as though it were our home - pad around in bare feet (or the sumptous bathrobes), eat and drink whenever we felt like it (no strict meal times here).
The all-inclusive system is usually something I would run a mile from, but trust me, once you set foot inside this place, you won't want to leave. Ever! We loved it so much we immediately booked a second night. We had to move next door to Birkenhead Villa - it was smaller but equally luxurious. Not as stunningly lovely as the house (to me). I found it more masculine but our room was fabulous with a great view from the balcony.

In both, the food was lovely and the selection of inclusive 'house wines' excellent (and I work in the wine trade and am therefore quite fussy).
The staff pander to your every need yet are unobtrusive. If you can bear to tear yourself away from this heavenly retreat for a moment - the coastal walk to Hermanus is spectacular. As is a walk along the vast, neighbouring beach.
Pure bliss. Go there. You won't regret it!