Paternoster, South AfricaBek Bay
Abalone Hotel & Villas - Paternoster
Bohemian seaside guesthouse
Bek Bay Paternoster, South Africa
Renovated
2025
Price
$$
Rated for
Design Wellness LocalOutside the door
Bohemian seaside guesthouse
It runs like an eclectic seaside home, filled with collected art and arranged around sunlit garden courtyards.
What it’s good at
Notable
Eclectic seaside interiors layer vintage Persian carpets with bold Vladimir Tretchikoff art prints.
Notable
Acoustic Welnamis vibrational therapy joins ocean-facing saunas and traditional African bodywork.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Abalone Hotel & Villas puts an elevated spin on seaside style with elegantly design accommodations that overlook the coastline, some from their own private balconies and pools.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Bek Bay beach lies just down the lane, and Paternoster's fishing village is a short walk along the coast.
The rooms
Rooms sit around the central courtyard, and selected ocean suites look across the water from private balconies.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
Two heated pools sit in the central courtyard, and an outdoor lap pool runs alongside the villa terrace.
The spa
An outdoor stone plunge bath looks toward the sea, beside treatment rooms for body wraps and facials.
The Blues Restaurant
Glass doors open to sunsets over the sea, and a blue-tiled bar serves cocktails beneath blown-glass pendants.
At the table
The Oyster Lounge serves fresh oysters and Nikkei sushi on an outdoor terrace shaded by a timber pergola.
How it began
The original owners bought the site in 2003 to fit truckloads of personal antiques, gradually adding rooms for guests.
The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.