Ocean View House Cape Town

The scale and scope of Ocean View is way beyond what you’d expect on arrival: a muralled wall behind a bus stop (jolly convenient!) opens to a steep drive that pulls you up the mountainside into a garden to fill the senses. Filled with enormous (and very friendly) Koi carp, tall tree ferns and lots of shady nooks to while away a hot afternoon, you’ll find reception inside the main house.

True to its name, the house offers truly sensational views across the Atlantic, certainly rivalling if not outdoing more expensive hotels along this coast. The décor is a bright and deeply textured modernised mid-century modern and regularly updated. The German owners have spared no expense on such details as tilt-and-slide balcony doors and very clever use of screening to ensure privacy between rooms and wind shading. Unusually for this busy coastline at this price, there is ample parking, including a huge shaded parking garage.

You’ve a choice of three room types; Classic, Superior and Suite. The price difference between the Classics and Superiors is marginal and to our mind, definitely worth the upgrade. The Superiors all offer a special feature which the Classics, in general, don’t. You’ll get maybe a private gas braai, a massive balcony, or just more space either in bedroom or bathroom. They also offer two apartments which are the last word in space and luxury, at four-star prices.

Several of the Superiors have options to have a second room with a private vestibule which is a great option for families with older children or two couples travelling together.

To our mind, though, the really unique selling point of Ocean View is the way the interleading spaces between the three houses from which the property is built have been sculpted to be not only beautiful to look at, but highly functional. You can choose from three swimming pools and numerous places to be totally private, but still in public, in the shade of ancient trees across the multiple terraces – it would be very easy to spend your entire holiday just on the property. One of the rooms, the Garden Suite, makes particular use of this, having its own large private garden, replete with its own koi pond, a bubbling mountain stream and two grassy terraces, one sunny and one shady.

In terms of location, OVH is right at the end of Bakoven, which is the village to the south of Camps Bay. It’s delightfully less flash than its cousin to the north but apart from a coffee shop, there’s no dining here. Bakoven Beach doesn’t have sand but large pebbles and because it’s not so well known and has none of its own parking is often completely empty even on weekends (there are public toilets at the beach though). It’s possible (but long) to walk all the way to Camps Bay Tidal Pool also along the beach but honesty we’d advise just taking the MyCiti Bus which goes either to Hout Bay or to Camps Bay from your front door. Parking in Camps Bay in the high season is a nightmare so take the bus (which is clean, safe and cheap).

Sustainability: The house has a staff of thirty, not all permanent, but all on twelve-month contracts. Pension schemes and medical aid is offered to the most senior and loyal staff, many of whom have been with Ocean View for more than thirty years. The house is not completely off-grid for electricity but close and manages to recycle 70% of its waste by volume.

Mobility: None of the rooms are designed for mobility impaired guest. The Garden Suite and most Classic Rooms are however ground floor , with a climb of stairs to get to the breakfast, pool and bar lounge areas.

Children: Children of all ages are welcome. Superior room and Milkwood suite can accommodate up to 2 children.