Plantation
Ways
Inspired by a tea plantation on a trip to Mauritius, the owners designed their all white Antebellum-styled home to evoke breezy, laid-back living.
Smack bang on Robberg beach with uninterrupted views of the iconic Robberg Peninsula and Indian Ocean, makes a Southern Cross stay unique.
As you can tell, no dogs are allowed on the furniture. Although smart, there is no time for stuffiness in this delightful beach house which instantly sets the mood for an insouciant stay.
Bursting with charm and cleverly merging whimsy with all the cons of modern day living, one cannot help but feel the hypnotic lull of the briny setting of Southern Cross. Literally, any closer and you’d get wet.
From our customers
This is going to be my first very long review because there’s so much to say.We arrived at the beach house and we were surprised to find the helper Joe waiting for us instead of the manager.According to the website, the inspiration for the beach house is Mauritius, but clearly the warmth of Mauritian people was not present.We got quite a small room for 5 nights. There was no air conditioning, no fridge and a broken safe. Anyhow we were excited about the architecture of the house, the aesthetics and the location.At night after taking a well deserved shower, my daughter found a black scorpion in the bathroom. I went outside to look for help and there was no one except for 4 guests. Someone upstairs must have heard me because the next moment, the helper Joe miraculously appeared with a dustpan and a brush to get rid of the scorpion.We decided to use a towel to block the big gap under the door because we didn’t want any more unpleasant surprises.The next day, we met the manager Wendy who told us breakfast is served at 8.30 am.That’s quite late especially if you want to go out for activities before it gets too hot.I told Wendy about the scorpion and instead of reassuring me she told me that there could even be big spiders and snakes!Excuse me, but what kind of manager/ host does that?We stayed 5 nights; the breakfast was repetitive and rationed. One muffin and 1 croissant per person. Same thing every day.Another big problem that I had was the lack of service. As from midday, the place is empty. If you need help or anything else there’s no one around. God forbid if you have an emergency then good luck! At one point we were the only guests, which is no wonder considering the price and the service.We didn’t have a car, so dinner was a bit problematic and we didn’t get any help from the host. Wendy told me she was going to give me the number to call a taxi but never did, so fortunately I managed to find a taxi in this unknown area.Since there was no fridge in the room, we had to walk back and forth every day to the kitchen and this is a 4*? We paid 17,500 rands and to my surprise there was a room with a kitchen that was completely empty. If she wanted she could have upgraded us.I find it very strange that rather than making their guests feel more comfortable, they left us in a small room with a very old toilet. Two times I have called Wendy because I needed help and both times she didn’t pick up the phone. When i asked her she said she sleeps at 6.00 pm !If my flight wasn’t booked I would have checked out earlier; wouldn’t have mattered if I lost money. The place is very pretty but the service is not good. The only friendly faces were Eunice, Joe, William and Akim.The two dogs Marley and Summer are so lovable, they made up for the bad service we got. This place is so overrated and overpriced and also made me think of apartheid times ! You can have a beautiful gorgeous guest house but if you don’t treat your guests equally the beauty is taken away.On the eve of our departure, I was sitting on a couch outside an empty room because I didn’t want to be in the sun. Wendy went inside the room and closed the door behind her. I found it strange thinking, what was she doing inside? Little did I know, she went out using the other door that she left wide open. She must have thought that I will go inside the room so better close the door!This actually made me laugh at how petty a person can be! I have been in South Africa for 23 years and this has been my worst experience so far. Are South African tourists treated this way when they go to 4* hotels in Mauritius?A warning for photographers, you might have the security check up on you if you wake up early to capture a sunrise.The summary of Southern Cross Beach House is, beautiful on the outside but empty inside. Additionally, Wendy is a very condescending person, never made us feel at ease and always made passive aggressive remarks. And the owner? The less said, the better.
Had a wonderful stay at Southern Cross Beach House. Wendy the host was full of knowledge and recommendations for the area. The house itself has lovely views looking out over the ocean and across to the Tsitsikamma mountains. The rooms were extremely clean and very well presented and designed. Wendy’s breakfast was also wonderful, with a special mention going to her homemade crepes. I originally was unsure if I wanted to stay outside of the main hub of plettenberg but am so glad we did. The location of southern cross beach house was just a short drive from town (making it very quiet and peaceful) and also closer to the Robberg Nature Reserve which hosts one of the best hikes in the world. Very happy with our stay and would highly recommend to others.
In short: a dream. wonderful hosts, lots of tips, right on the beach, very well-maintained facility and delicious breakfast. Be sure to go hiking on the peninsula!
This was a very nice stay with very friendly people. The direct access to the beach is very nice and the pool was great. Breakfast is good and plenty. Thanks!
Wow what an amazing place! Wendy and the wonderful staff made such an amazing breakfast with croissants, muffins. Eggs and bacie 🥓, cereal yoghurt, tomatoes 🍅 mushrooms 🍄 bread, fruit, coffee, oj, hot chocolate for breakfast. Swam in the pool. Walked to the beach on a lovely walk way. Bedroom is stunning. Everything is so clean and white. Love the palest pink walls. Awesome view! Saw the biggest dolphins 🐬 swim by. Just breath taking! Definitely going back! ThankYou
Beautiful and right on the beach and very helpful and friendly staff
Words cannot describe how wonderful our stay was at the Southern Cross Beach House: our warm and generous host Wendy gave us a very much appreciated upgrade upon arrival, room 6 is stunning, spacious and very private. The bed is very comfortable and the room is very clean. The house is ideally located with an easy boardwalk to the long sandy beach and view of the Robberg nature reserve and Tsisikama mountains. The excellent breakfast served on the terrace with the view of the mountains coocked by Wendy and her team was delicious. If you are lucky, one or both of the two resident dogs will grace you with their presence. We had a very special stay (thank you, Wendy, for great and funny conversations), and we certainly will be back.
Would 100% recommend. The house is beautifully decorated, very tidy and clean. The terrace has a fantastic view and it’s just a short walk to the beach. Great location!Wendy, the manager, is very accommodating and makes a delicious breakfast. Also loved the addition of the honesty bar and the two very friendly dogs on the property.We’ll be sure to visit again.
Our last but one stay on our South African road trip. And yes, what a great place Southern Cross Beach House is. When we arrived the host was there waiting and welcomed us and made us feel right at home from the start. We had room 3 which is just great. Breakfast is served outside on the sun deck and there is a good choice and a fresh cooked breakfast if one wants it. The guest house is only a 10 Mon drive into town where there are plenty of good restaurants to select. The host gave us a really good selection of recommendations that would suite anyone's palate.In all a great quality and quiet guest house. Well recommended
The guesthouse is beautifully decorated. From the garden, there is a beautiful view of the sea and beach. You can exit from the property straight onto a boardwalk that leads you down to the beach, so it is perfect for a walk or day on the beach. The breakfast had loads of options and you could sit outside, watching the sea, when the weather was good! The host helped us with restaurant and activity recommendations.While the location was brilliant for the beach, it is further from town and so you need to drive/taxi to nearby restaurants. So long as you know this, then it is a good place to stay!
