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TRAVEL
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April15
#4 The Oyster Box
I recently took my South African-born
grandmother to this beachfront hotel
north of Durban to celebrate her 85th
birthday – what a perfect place! She
regaled me with tales of the iconic
lighthouse, while the opulence of The
Oyster Box itself took her back to her
youth of high teas and dinner dances.
Today, a pianist still plays in the Palm
Court while china cups are clinked,
and fruit skewers are served to guests
lounging on red-and-white deck chairs
beside the pools. The quirky brass
Dolphin Bell still ignites excitement as
guests ring it when they spot dolphins
frolicking in the Indian Ocean breakers.
This is a charming hotel that is mature
and grand, yet fresh and engaging. I have
visited here on other occasions with my
young family, and they’ve been equally
impressed, delighting in the free-flowing
milkshakes, poolside games, and easy
access to the beach below to play on the
sand and explore the abundant sea life
in the rocky coastal pools.
The original cottage, “The Oyster
Lodge”, was built on these grounds
in 1863. Made of Burmese teak,
corrugated iron and reinforced concrete,
it was originally used as a navigational
beacon and later as a tea garden and
then a restaurant, before opening as
The Oyster Box Hotel in 1954, on the
site next to the lighthouse.
In 2006, Stanley and Bea Tollman of
Red Carnation Hotels purchased the
rundown property. It was their vision
to restore and develop the hotel to its
original glory; they wanted to keep the
authentic period touches while bringing
it into the 21st century.
The hotel we see today is a fitting tribute
to their vision. While a number of the
original features remain intact in the new
structure, the hotel has, for the most part,
been rebuilt: fromthegrand revolvingdoor
at the entrance, to the reception and foyer
with its terrazzo tiles, familiar wrought-iron
balustrade and original, inlaid hand-
painted tiles and friezes. The recognisable
black-and-white checkerboard floor has
been re-instated throughout.
The lighthouse on Umhlanga beach
was completed in 1954. It stands guard
over some of the most treacherous waters
of SouthernAfrica, warning ships of hidden
dangers, but also welcoming ships sailing
into the safety of the Durban harbour. The
circular tower, paintedwhitewitha redband
at the top, rises 21metres above thebeach.
Umhlanga Lighthouse has never had a
keeper; TheOyster BoxHotel, originally the
first beach cottage in the area, has always
acted as its official warden and custodian.
In fact, in the days before the lighthouse
was built, the red painted roof of the hotel
served as a beacon for ships.
oysterboxhotel.com