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Oyster Box Hotel Photo By ThisParticularGreg –

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Oyster Box Hotel

Oyster Box Hotel is a beach resort in South Africa on Umhlanga’s beachfront. Its excellent service, extraordinary cuisines, and quality standards have earned five-star hotel recognition from key players and won numerous accolades in the tourism industry.

In 2021, readers of the Travel + Leisure magazine placed Oyster Box at number 2 in the top 3 Resort Hotels in Africa. The rating was based on the facility, its location, services, cuisines, and overall value.

The picturesque resort is located along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline near Durban barely 20 kilometers from the King Shaka Airport. Oyster Box hotel is one of the landmarks in Umhlanga and forms part of the 4 Red Carnation Hotel Collection that is based in Africa.

Bookings are done online through the Oyster Box Hotel website, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Safari.com,  Hotelbookings.Durban, and UmhlangaBookings.  

1. It Began As a Simple Cottage

Oyster Box did not always exist as a hotel. It was first set up as a simple cottage known as the Oyster Lodge around the 19^th century (1863). It was used as a beacon to guide passing ships to navigate to their destinations.

In 1952, nearly a century late, it was bought by Ken O’Connor and his sister Kay O’Connor, a family that lived within the locality. The new buyers transformed the cottage into a tea garden that later became a restaurant. It opened as the Oyster Box Hotel in March 1954.

2. Oyster Box Hotel Was Renovated for 2 years

After being in operation for 55 years, Oyster Box was purchased by the Tollman Family in 2006.  The resort underwent a 2-year reconstruction (October 2007 to September 2009) to create its existing structures.

The Tollman family are the founders of Red Carnation Hotels. Red Carnation has 19 boutique properties, both 4 and 5-star, across the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, US, and South Africa. Oyster Box’s owner, Stanely Tollman died in 2021 at the age of 91.

The hotel is currently being managed by Roberto Rosa who has had experience in the tourism industry for 3 decades.

3. It is Accessed Through Umhlanga Rock Drive

Umhlanga is best known for its tourism accommodation in South Africa. It is on the Eastern side of the country, North of the metropolitan beach city of Durban. A 20-minute drive through Umhlanga Rock Drive after exiting the King Shaka International Airport will lead you to Oyster Box Hotel.

4. Oyster Box Hotel Has One of The Most Breathtaking Views

The resort is located a few meters from the golden rocky sandy beach of Umhlanga. The resort’s Ocean Terrace faces the iconic Umhlanga lighthouse and Indian Ocean beachfront. The lighthouse was put up in 1954 as a replacement for the Bluff lighthouse. It is a distinctive Durban landmark.

5. The Oyster Box Spa was Named Best Luxury Destination/Hotel Spa

During the World Luxury Spa Awards in 2013, the resort’s wellness spa took home two awards i.e Country Winner (South Africa) in Best Luxury Destination Spa and Continent Winner (Africa) in Best Luxury Hotel Spa. The World Luxury Spa Awards are accredited globally as the world’s leading awards initiative for luxury spas.

The award-winning spa is set up in a serene environment amidst sub-tropical gardens. It has 6 treatment rooms, a grooming lounge, a gym, a hydrotherapy bath, and a tranquility lounge.

Their services include touch therapy (traditional and specialized), facials (Tarter Harper and Elemis skincare), and their ‘perfect finishing’ (manicures, pedicures, waxing). The services can be provided individually or as half or full-day packages.

The spa opens daily from 8 am to 8 pm. They post monthly offers and events on their website and social media pages.

Guests are advised to make reservations for their treatments. They, however, charged a 100% cancellation fee for treatments called off less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.  

6. Its Interior Design Retains The 1950s Traditional Style

During the 2007 renovation of the resort, Stanely Tollman wanted to maintain the authentic interior design and architectural concept of the 1950s. The resort was eventually rebuilt but maintained some of its original interior concepts like the inlaid hand-painted tiles and friezes, the grand revolving entrance door, and the wrought-iron balustrade.

The black and white checkerboard flooring is seen in the hotel entrance and covers majority of the ground floor. The walls are decorated with artistic pieces of South African culture.

The beautiful Palm Court has crystal chandeliers and skylights allowing plenty of sunlight into the courtyard. Here, guest enjoys their tea with a live piano session as an accompaniment. It also has a cinema with an occupancy of 24 people!

Collectively, the hotel has 86 rooms, suites, and villas that are decorated with their own individual touch. For guests who want a bit more privacy, there is a secluded area set aside with a rim-flow swimming pool, a private lounge, and 8 guest seating dining room with a private bar.

7. Oyster Box is a Holiday Destination for Royalties and Celebrities

Oyster Box’s admirable reputation has earned it vacation stays by the British Royals, Prince Harry and Prince William, and King Goodwill Zwelithini. The resort was the reception venue for Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene’s wedding in 2011.

American actors and media personalities such as Charlize Theron, Javier Bardem, Khloe Kardashian, and Sean Penn have been accommodated in the vicinity. The resort has also hosted the professional English football team, Manchester United.

8. The Resort Has an Array of Cuisines

There are 3 dining areas in the hotel i.e Ocean Terrace, Palm Court, and Grill Room. The resort has its very own wild oyster beds which they get their fresh oysters from.

At the Ocean Terrace, guests are served fresh seafood and local flavors. The Palm Court hosts the High Tea daily with a buffet of both sweet and savory treats with local traditional snacks like samosa and fragrant chili bites.

Both resident guests and walk-in visitors can enjoy the diverse cuisines provided they reserved a seat through online booking.

The Hotel has 3 bars each with its own character. The Oyster Bar, Chukka Bar (the only smoking venue in the hotel), and Lighthouse bar offer their visitors fine wines, signature cocktails, imported cigars, single malt whiskies, and exclusive wine cellar tables.

The Oyster Bar opens from 7 am-11 pm,  Lighthouse Bar from 12 noon- 11 pm, and Chukka Bar from 2 pm to 11 pm.

9. Oyster Box Hotel Was Voted No. 1 Top Hotel in South Africa – TripAdvisor

The seaside hotel has been in the top 10 of TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice Awards (Top Hotels In Africa) from 2016 to 2021. It was voted the number 1 top hotel in South Africa in 2016, 2017, and 2019.

10. Oyster Box Hotel was 2019’s Best 5-star Hotel in South Africa

Oyster Box is recognized as a business that delivers world-class products and services contributing to the growth of South Africa as a global destination. This factor led it to be nominated as one of the seven KwaZulu- Natal (KZN) tourism businesses in the annual Lilizela Tourism Awards. It was awarded the 2019 best 5-star hotel (SA) making this the fifth time in a row.