Botha House, Pennington

Accommodation art

Any complicated feelings I might have had about staying in a former president’s holiday home disappeared when I saw the beautiful architecture of Botha House in Pennington. Gabled wings, a grand staircase, wood panelled dining room and an enviable position right at the sea make this a spectacular character stay.

What I love about Botha House:

• Impressive architecture with wings of the building facing different directions, balconies, and verandas that maximise the ocean-front setting
• Full height windows and exterior doors make the spacious rooms light and airy
• Understated decor allows the features and fixtures of the building to show themselves in all their historical finery
• Original, classically-lined, grand wardrobes, wood panelling and furniture
• Big bathrooms with sash windows, ocean views and ball and claw baths
• Almost ten decades of history which has seeped into the fabric of the building

 

Accommodation experience:

It is often the unexpected aspects of a place which snag one’s breath. At Botha House, it was a combination of the artistic architecture and the setting right next to the ocean, which created a play of light, with sunrise views to open the heart. I stayed in one of the luxury upstairs suites which had a fireplace, high sash windows on two sides of the room, as well as a grand old door leading onto a balcony. The changing sea and skies seem to come right into the room and lift one’s attention to be aware and appreciative of one’s surroundings.

To me, beautiful accommodation is art which fulfils all the senses. And Botha House delivers on every aspect of this creativity – providing a sense of history and intrigue, clever design, endlessly entertaining views, and soft comfort to awaken one’s body and mind to a unique setting, both past and present.