One fearful night in March 2015 that dragon set great swathes of the Cape Peninsula to fire and Tintswalo Atlantic, at the very foot where the mountain meets the sea, was lashed with flames and burned, almost entirely, to the ground. It is too tempting to talk about rising from the fiery ashes as a great and vibrant phoenix as I’m sure many other writers have already used that analogy so rather I describe its rebuild - in fewer than eight short months - as the product of a formidable team of people passionate about reclaiming their former and privileged position as the only hotel in the Table Mountain National Park.
Husband and wife team Ryno and Melissa du Rand, the general managers of Tintswalo Atlantic, said that the response to assist in the rebuild was tremendous. “We have forged great relationships with our past guests, and so we sent out emails to most, made a few phone calls to others, and offered them a personal invite to join us in replanting trees on the property,” said Melissa. “The reaction was overwhelming – the local Capetonians jumped at the offer; some couples who were married at Tintswalo Atlantic even expressed that they would like to have their (future) children christened at the site of their tree. They helped to plant some of the 750 trees that were donated by local business Just Trees and at last count, 400 of these trees were already regreening the surrounding mountainside."
Gaye Corbett, co-owner and CFO of Tintswalo Lodges, commented on the interior of the lodge, saying: “We did not just want to discard the dead trees; they were part of our original journey and I wanted to retain the spirit of them in the new lodge”. The wood is being used to create furniture that will form part of the new hotel bar and the dining room table.
Gaye explains that the greatest challenge initially was just getting over the shock of losing the lodge. “We had to get to grips with the fact that it was all gone and to somehow see the rebuild as an exciting challenge and not a complete loss, which is what it felt like after the fire. We realised that the only time you can truly and totally lose something is if you feel you can never recreate it again. When we had decided to go ahead, we put a deadline in place and knew we’d stick to it. Once we had our building team in place, it was easy. Before we knew it, the job was done and the lodge was back in all its glory!”
And then, there is the silver table from the original lodge – it was the only item that was saved. Tintswalo Atlantic's General Manager Melissa du Rand knew how much that table meant to me, so she and assistant general manager, Tania Batista Hofer, managed to drag it to safety before the fire engulfed the property. Now it is even more special!"
Apart from Gaye, the main task team behind the new interior is Tintswalo Lodges CEO, Corbett daughter, Lisa Goosen and Caroline Wright, from Spatial Concepts, who were also both involved in decorating the original lodge’s interior. When asked whether they have tried to replicate everything exactly as it was before, Gaye comments, "It is impossible to recreate, due to the uniqueness of each of the old pieces, however, we have aimed to retain the same atmosphere, while trying to bring in new elements too. Returning guests will see similarities as well as some refreshing changes, like the wonderful new fabrics. We do feel the pressure of recreating the space, as there is an expectation from our supporters who loved the ‘old Tintswalo Atlantic' very much."
The 10 suites and a two-bedroomed Presidential Suite are decorated as they were previously and named after Islands. Two years ago we stayed in the Zanzibar suite but for this May 2016 stay the Java suite was our home. It is furnished in elegant and comfortable aquamarine shades with turquoise and brown in the form of dark timber armoire and writing desk. There is a spectacularly carved wooden headboard while deep purple velvet cushions crown the bed.
A notable change to the room interior is a row of plug points including two USB charging ports and two diamond two or three prong and circular two prong plug adaptors at desk height as well as two data points.
The shell decals, such a wonderful part of the original interiors, have been beautifully recreated and in a move away from the welcome yet ubiquitous Nespresso offering in hotels, they have the latest generation Illy Francis Francis pod espresso dispensers. Bathrooms in all the suites focus your attention on the view and watching the sunset over the Atlantic while in a bubble bath should be on one’s bucket list.
The biggest difference to the new Tintswalo Atlantic is the absence of the 300-year old Milkwood trees that leant over the cove as if to keep the sea away from the mountain. If the pebbles and rocks could talk, there would be stories of happy family holidays, ragamuffins, community projects, a devastating fire and, most recently, deluxe accommodation and fine dining celebrations. While the initial footprint remains the same, it feels more open and airy and there is a now a view of the mountain backdrop, which was previously obscured, as well as of the sea.
Another change is the current reception area and entrance is in the same clean-lined clapperboard as the rest of the suites in a move away from the previous stone cladding that reminded me of Great Zimbabwe which links to Tintswalo’s sister properties in Waterfall, Gauteng and Safari Lodge in the bush in the Manyeleti concession of Kruger National Park. Tintswalo means “the intangible feeling of love, gratitude, and peace bestowed upon someone offering you a meaningful and worthy gift” and a better name for what they offer could hardly be chosen.
Executive chef, Jeantelle van Staden produces magnificent cuisine at Tinstwalo Atlantic. This is a five-star offering and priced accordingly but there are local winter rates that are affordable and worthy of investigation and while the property is not ideal for walk-ins, meals and visits can be booked in advance.
I can unreservedly recommend Tintswalo Atlantic for even the most discerning guest but also as the perfect location for a board meeting or corporate "bosberaad".
For reservations and enquiries please contact res3@tintswalo.com or by telephone on 011 3008700
