The Oyster Box: coastal charm, blissful views and a celebrity cat

I often get asked about the origins of the hotel name. Built in 1869 and originally used as a navigational beacon, a beach cottage known as the ‘oyster box’ was converted into a hotel in the 1930s.

Character is in the hotel’s bones – it’s intangible but it follows you around the property, whether you’re in the lush sub-tropical garden, sat beneath the soaring ceilings of the elegant Palm Court restaurant, or enjoying the sunset from our al fresco Ocean Terrace. The beautiful, classically shaped hotel pool overlooks Umhlanga’s iconic lighthouse and the Indian Ocean and our guests have direct access to the sandy beach.

While our beachfront location and this beautiful building set us apart there’s more to our story than that. The Oyster Box is part of the family-owned Red Carnation portfolio, and this is where our founders Stanley and Beatrice Tollman had their very first date, and where Stanley began to dream that the couple might one day own their own hotel. Their lives came full circle on their 60th wedding anniversary when the Oyster Box joined the family-owned Red Carnation family.

One of the main reasons guests return to the Oyster Box is the warm and personal welcome they receive from the staff; not to mention the greeting they get from our honorary guest relations manager, Skabenga. The hotel’s famous cat – and longest standing resident – has become a social media phenomenon.

Each day when I get to the hotel I always try to grab five minutes to head up to the Lighthouse Bar, a rooftop eyrie, to greet the day and enjoy a quick cup of Rooibos tea or coffee. With a 180-degree view of the coastline it’s a truly blissful setting.