Mooibaai

On any given day, you can hear geese honking and chickens clucking as the wind whistles through the air at Mooibaai Cottages. What was originally a farm, which is evident from the Cape Dutch architecture, has been transformed into modern yet tastefully decorated cottages.

There are panning views of the mountain vista from the pool, and a large garden where young and old can play with Parker, the 7 year old dog that lives on the property with owner Valérie Simons.

For Valérie, pivoting from banking to hospitality was a calling. After her first visit to South Africa from Belgium, Valerie knew she wanted to remote to the Western Cape and open a BnB. While her first choice was to operate from either Stellenbosch or Cape Town, settling into the relaxed tempo of Hout Bay was the best decision she made. What started as a one-woman operation quickly turned into the three-woman team she heads now.

Mooibaai blew up, seemingly overnight. After appearing in two blogs (German and Dutch) Valérie is lucky to get 2 months off for a vacation every year – otherwise she is fully booked.

Cottages:
The Hippo room is 45m² and is allocated for two, but an additional two guests can be accommodated for a charge. A king size bed and walk-in shower can be found in the room that flanks the pool.
Considerably smaller is Penguin, which is 36m² in size and houses a queen size bed, can only fit an additional cot if needed. Smaller still, Ostrich (30m²) with a king size bed, has a walk-in closet as well as a walk-in shower.
Main House Rhino, is the same size as Ostrich and, with the same walk-in shower, can be found in the main house and affords it access to the patio and garden.
The largest of all the rooms is Elephant. This spacious 46m² bedroom affords you a sizable walk-in closet, double shower, bath and also has direct access to the house patio and garden.

All rooms have handheld hair dryers, a dedicated tea and coffee station, and can use the complimentary WiFi. The communal kitchen is at guests’ disposal should they want to prepare meals – though a quiet time is implemented from 10pm as guests staying in the main house may be disturbed by the noise.

On warm days, either sit poolside, in the garden or in the front of the house where two generous lemon trees bear fruit every year. A glass of Spioenkop is always chilling in the fridge and there are always nibbles of some sort on the counter in the kitchen so those enjoying parlour games in the lounge can enjoy themselves. Just off the pool, a lapa is available for guests wanting to enjoy a bonfire on summer evenings, as there is no shortage in supply of firewood.

Children: There is one dedicated family room in the main house (Elephant) and one next to the pool (Hippo), but all the outside cottages have ample space for a cot should you be travelling with small children. Should a big family need additional room, the entire main house can be rented with the exception of allowing other guests access for breakfast.

Sustainability: There is no conservation infrastructure at Mooibaai, neither are there contingencies for scheduled powercuts. There are grey water systems in place.

Ethicality: Not only is Mooibaai owned by a woman, but there are only women employed to service the property save the one male groundskeeper. All staff are residents of the Imizamo Yethu township

Mobility: All rooms sit on the ground floor. However, there are stairs that lead to the boma, pool and outdoor shower, making is impossible for wheelchairs. Mooibaai is situated on a slope.