Review of The Oyster Box

Overlooking the Indian Ocean and the iconic Umhlanga Rocks Lighthouse, The Oyster Box lies just a short 20-minute drive from the impressive King Shaka International Airport. Enjoying a spectacular location on the ocean, with direct beach access, its neighbouring beaches are known for surfing, diving and for dolphin watching. The property is just a five-minute walk to Umhlanga Village Centre.

Durban’s city centre is also close by with a wide range of things to see and do including visiting the bustling and aromatic Victoria Street Market, Durban’s oldest Botanic Gardens or The Gateway Theatre of shopping, the largest entertainment and shopping complex in the Southern Hemisphere.

There are 86 individually decorated elegant rooms, suites and villas at The Oyster Box, all looking out over the Indian Ocean or the lush hotel gardens. 

Premium rooms offer balconies to soak up the views with suites opening out onto spacious, wide terraces and private plunge pools. The lower-ground floor cabanas are ideal for those who arrive with pets. Furry friends are very welcome here - as long as they kowtow to the resident feline Skabenga. The Sea Facing Family Rooms are, as the name suggests, perfect for a family of four offering bunk beds and a private balcony with a separate lounge area.

Alternative family accommodation could include the Superior Garden Villas which can be converted into a two-story space by inter-connecting with a Garden Villa Loft. The separate lounge and bar with plunge pool and quiet terrace are perfect for children.

Expect louvred shutters, white balustraded terraces with rattan tables and chairs, fresh fruit, mineral water and flowers, exquisite linens, soap and pillow menus, spacious marble bathrooms with bespoke amenities, large beds – some of them four poster - and richly patterned and textured soft furnishings of pale blues, taupes or yellows. 

The duplex two-bedroom Presidential Suite meanwhile is opulent in the extreme with carved golden headboards, fireplaces, chandeliers, a soothing white and French grey décor and a wraparound terrace, perfect for cocktails or a private dinner. The ground floor houses an elegant lounge with baby grand piano, a private study, a dining room for up to eight people, a separate kitchen and a private bar. The living area flows out onto a terrace and private garden with a rim-flow plunge pool with fabulous sea views. Upstairs, the two en-suite bedrooms offer that same perfect view with even the marble soaking tub looking out over the coastline. The suite, which comes with butler service, can be configured with an additional en-suite bedroom if required.

Presidential guests are also treated to a host of goodies including welcome champagne, complimentary airport transfers, delicious wines from the Western Cape winery Bouchard Finlayson, spa discounts, complimentary laundry and so forth. There are flat screen televisions, splash television in the bathrooms, an Onyx sound system, Bluetooth docking stations – in fact all the luxuries you expect today, and more.

Set within the lush, sub-tropical gardens of the hotel lies the contemporary Spa at The Oyster Box offering peaceful restorative journeys to ease away the stresses and strains of everyday life. Rest, relax and enjoy the treatments with products such as Elemis, Tata Harper and B|Africa. Guests are welcome to use the well-equipped fitness centre, the plunge pool overlooking the private gardens and the traditional Middle Eastern hammam. If hunger beckons, the spa offers a buffet of healthy snacks and wholesome meals from the Spa Health Menu can be enjoyed in the property’s Spa Café.

For those with energy to spare, The Oyster Box offers direct access to the Umhlanga Promenade, a three-kilometre coastal walkway ideal for running and walking.

For sunbathing and cooling off, there are two large swimming pools – one looking out to sea, surrounded by red and white striped loungers and parasols and the other set deep within the hotel’s gardens - open to all guests.

If a little me-time is desired, then The Clock Library is the perfect sanctuary. Club like in feel with a wide range of books and featuring a fascinating collection of antique clocks, this is the only room in the hotel for the private use of resident guests.

For film buffs, the private 24-seat cinema is an obvious lure. A monthly schedule of releases offers screenings five times per day but there is also a wide selection of films available for guests to make their own choice. It comes complete with Dolby Surround Sound, leather seats and complimentary popcorn and sweeties.

Pampered pets are welcomed at the hotel with a collection of pet-friendly services including pet beds, pet menus and pet friendly rooms. There is one proviso though – the “top cat” has to be Skabenga, the hotel’s resident feline.

For golfers, some of the finest fairways are within easy reach including the renowned Durban Country Club, the only course on the African continent to be rated in the top 100 courses in the world.

Families are welcome at The Oyster Box with children invited to attend the supervised Holiday Club during their stay. The playroom offers a range of games activities and facilities including use of the Xbox, PlayStation, DVDs and board games. There is storytelling, face painting, arts and craft projects, films and more.

Children under 12 stay free at The Oyster Box and enjoy complimentary treats during their stay including soft drinks, milkshakes, ice cream and candy floss. Healthy child-focussed menus are also available in all the restaurants whilst each child is welcomed with a backpack filled with fishing nets, beach balls and colouring books.

For those who want to see a little more of Africa and to learn about its history, The Oyster Box can arrange both day and overnight trips to the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields, to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa’s first National World Heritage Site) and the &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to see the big five – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. Closer by are the staggeringly beautiful and diverse Drakensberg Mountains and the Beachwood Mangroves, a 76-hectare reserve with a profusion of black, red and white Mangroves.

The essence of The Oyster Box is that of a colonial seaside hotel oozing with nostalgic charm, its façade reminiscent of the grand hotels of the Raj and even its doormen wearing pith helmets. Retro elements abound with the hotel’s signature red and white candy stripe pool side seating and parasols instantly recognisable across Africa. The staff smile, the furnishings are opulent and comfortable and the views over the ocean unbeatable. 

Behind this however is a very popular property where both royalty and celebrity have stayed, which runs smoothly and thinks long and hard about sustainability and corporate responsibility whilst offering every modern convenience imaginable. It is very much based in the Africa of today, working with local communities, promoting contemporary KwaZulu artists on its walls and serving up pure Durban style in its restaurants.

The hotel itself says it offers a unique collection of dining experiences and so it does. From the chic, fine-dining Grill Room which blends classical continental cuisine with the copious produce of Africa to the amazing curry buffet of the more relaxed Ocean Terrace.  

With at least eleven curries daily – meat, fish and vegetarian options – all using delicate blends of spices and fresh herbs from local traders, the curry buffet dishes range from the mild to the fiery hot. This smorgasbord of curry is renowned throughout the region, no mean feat given Durban is one of the largest “Indian” cities outside of India. The restaurant is also known for its bistro-style menu, perfect for casual al fresco dining.

Breakfast is also served at The Ocean Terrace with their breakfast buffet offering a cornucopia of indulgence from Norwegian salmon cured inhouse to fresh fruit, charcuterie and cheeses to Eggs Benedict and waffles, with wild oysters plucked fresh from the property’s own offshore oyster beds.

High Tea is another “occasion” at The Oyster Box. Nationally famous, booking in advance is highly recommended. Taken in The Palm Court, there are waving fans, palm trees and crystal chandeliers imported from London’s Savoy Hotel. To the tinkling backdrop of the resident pianist, the buffet tables are resplendent with platters of local culinary treats such as samosas and fragrant chilli bites, to fresh scones with cream and preserves and other teatime classics.

For a sundowner cocktail at the end of the day, head to the rooftop Lighthouse Bar for panoramic rooftop views over the ocean from its wide terrace. Regular live music accompanies an extensive menu of light snacks, platters and fine wines. The iconic Chukka Bar has occupied the same position in the hotel for over half a century. Filled with polo memorabilia, the Chukka Bar boasts impressive collections of specialist beers, single malt whiskies and imported cigars. The Oyster Bar is open all day long for a convivial coffee, a seafood lunch or impromptu drinks – taken either at the marble topped bar or on the comfortable banquettes looking out to sea. Set beneath a glass ceiling within The Oyster Bar, the Wine Cellar offers a unique private dining opportunity for hosting a handful of diners with a bespoke menu, complemented with personally selected wines by the property’s sommelier.

From water-saving initiatives to coastal cleanups and careful preservation of the flora and fauna that surround the hotel, sustainability and responsible tourism are at the heart of The Oyster Box.  Initiatives have included back of house innovations around water saving, energy efficiency, the gradual phasing out of single use plastics and waste management, through to guest facing programmes that encourage environmental awareness and conservation. Even the two swimming pools are heated using the excess heat from the hotel’s air-conditioning system.

As part of Red Carnation Hotels, The Oyster Box see itself as an environmental steward, working hard to protect the wildlife and environments within which it operates.

Red Carnation Hotels work alongside The TreadRight Foundation and The TTC family of brands to #maketravelmatter through conservation, leadership and support for communities.