Sponsored Article: Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa on South Africa’s Garden Route

December 1, 2009| By:Five Star Alliance

This article is sponsored by the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa on the banks of the Knysna lagoon in the heart of the Garden Route of South Africa.

Whatever your dream is – a romantic honeymoon, a family holiday, a quiet weekend break or a week of pampering and relaxation – Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa offers the perfect venue. With superb accommodation, gourmet dining, an award-winning spa and a host of activities, the choice is endless.
Located on the Eastern Head of Knysna on the exquisite Western Cape coast, just a 40-minute flight from Cape Town, Pezula is surrounded by rugged cliffs, ancient forests and sheltered beaches. With sweeping views of Pezula Championship Golf Course, the Indian Ocean and the Knysna Lagoon, it is a haven of privacy and luxury.
Seventy-eight stylish suites, including two presidential suites, are housed in detached villas and deliver a whole new world of luxury in an elegant African style. Each has its own patio or balcony, individual climate control, satellite television, a DVD player, electronic safe, direct telephone, Wi-Fi connectivity and walk-in wardrobe. A pantry kitchen with delicious deli snacks, a well stocked drinks cabinet and real log fireplaces add unparalleled luxury to the accommodation.
Bathrooms are huge with oval-shaped calabash baths and wet rooms big enough for two. Beds are beautifully dressed with Egyptian cotton linen and guests are supplied with luxurious toweling gowns and slippers.
The main building houses a sumptuous cigar lounge, champagne and whisky bar, library, wine cellar and gourmet restaurant, Zachary’s. Executive chef Geoffrey Murray delights in serving up the freshest local ingredients in his inimitable style. His menu offers a variety of 'modern ethnic' dishes inspired by his worldwide experiences.
The hotel offers a number of other exciting dining options. The Boma is the ideal venue for a meal with an authentic African feel. Sit around the open fire as you watch a spectacular African sunset. As the light begins to fade, allow the sounds of the night to seduce your senses. Then relax at the elegant safari-style table while the staff prepare and serve traditional barbeque fair.
The Montrose Castle on the beach offers hotel guests a stunning beach venue. Recently renovated, the castle, which was built in the 1930s, is on Noetzie Beach, one of the most unspoilt and secluded beaches on the Garden Route coast. Here hotel guests can enjoy a picnic prepared by Zachary’s restaurant while they relax and soak up the sun.
Situated on the lower level of the hotel, the multi-award-winning Pezula Spa is a calm sanctuary that reflects the soul of Africa and provides world-class professionalism in the delivery of a superior health and wellness experience. This year the spa was named Favorite Spa in Africa by the SpaFinder Readers' Choice Awards and Best Overseas Hotel Spa by the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards.
The extraordinary facilities of the Pezula Spa include a 12m heated indoor pool, state-of-the-art gymnasium, outdoor Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, rainforest shower, nail bar, hair salon and nine therapy rooms, as well as a post-treatment room with heated water beds. It offers a comprehensive range of treatments which combine natural therapies with the most technologically advanced equipment available.
Guests of Pezula also have access to a vast range of activities including horse riding and hiking through the ancient indigenous forests, canoeing up the pristine Noetzie River, birding, nature trails and beach activities at secluded Noetzie Beach. The estate’s Field of Dreams sporting complex offers four world-class tennis courts, a multi-purpose sports oval for soccer, cricket, soft ball and other team sports, facilities for pétanque and archery and a 300m golf practice range.
Younger guests are well catered for with a number of supervised activities. Parents and guardians can be totally confident that their children will be taken care of by trained, experienced child minders. At Pezula the emphasis is on fun in a healthy, natural environment and wherever possible children are encouraged to play outdoors, interact with other children and learn about nature. Babysitters are available in the evenings if parents wish to dine alone.
Pezula Championship Golf Course adjacent to Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa is a sweeping spectacle of fairways and greens rolling through the pristine Southern Cape landscape. The breathtaking, award-winning 18-hole course which was designed by David Dale and Ronald Fream of GolfPlan USA, rates amongst the best and the most scenic golf courses in the world.
Covering 254 ha on the Knysna cliff-tops, the Pezula Championship Course has views of both the Knysna Lagoon and the Indian Ocean. Par for the course is 72. It is designed to include a full range of shots, making it a challenging, rewarding and complete golf experience for players of all levels. Signature holes have been earmarked as the 13th and 14th. The average round takes 4 hours 50 minutes, including a half-way break.
The Clubhouse facilities are in keeping with the overall five-star experience and include a terrace, restaurant, bar, golf shop, short game practice area and putting green. The Shareholders' Lounge houses a library, private lounge, dining area and bar. Golf carts are obligatory and the resort's carts are fully equipped with GPS systems and computerised scoring. Golf lessons are available from the Club's PGA Professionals.
Pezula’s latest offering for the high-end market is Pezula Castle on Noetzie Beach which offers ultra-luxury accommodation for up to 10 guests in the spacious Main Castle and the romantic Honeymoon Castle.
Built into the rugged coastal cliff-face with its ancient milkwood forests the Castle offers panoramic views of the beach and the sea. Guests have every conceivable wish catered for by a team of hand-picked personnel including a resident chef, housekeeper and butler. Menus are selected daily in consultation with the chef according to the freshest available ingredients, and the bar is stocked with guests’ drinks of choice. A fully equipped gymnasium, heated outdoor pool and thatched gazebo complete the extraordinary facilities.