We’ve been digging through our archives and made a striking discovery that has become our newfound inspiration at Ellerman House. It unearthed a fascination for fynbos, which you will see coming through in many ways, from a new Exceptional Ellerman Experience to a unique collaboration between an artist and luxury vehicle brand, and most recently in our brand-new range of amenities.

History has it that Bantry Bay was formerly known as ‘Botany Bay’. In 1808, the land on the lower slopes of Lion’s Head was granted to Dr. Ludwig Liesching, a German man who landed in the Cape in 1787 as surgeon-mayor in the military service, who established a botanical garden to plant medicinal herbs and cultivate rare botanical specimens. Together with his friend Johann de Ziegeler, they built terraces all the way down to the sea and the estate naturally became a showpiece. Famous people from all over the world who travelled to the fair Cape visited these spectacular gardens.

To this day, our stunning surroundings spoil our visitors with its beauty and continue to inspire us to preserve its unique diversity. To pay homage to our environment, we developed a new range of amenities named after ‘Botany Bay’, creating a scent that is unique to Ellerman House in collaboration with Wild Olive African Artisans under the expert guidance of Marioara de la Tara. Marioara founded this socially and environmentally conscious manufacturer of 100% natural perfume and cosmetic products, whose primary resource and inspiration is the Cape Floral Kingdom – the world’s smallest yet richest botanical treasure. This bespoke fragrance is a composition of fynbos and indigenous Southern African herbs, that will remind you of your time on African soil.

The scent has broad appeal, catering to both male and female guests. It’s so good you’ll be tempted to steal it – the best form of feedback! In fact, we encourage it. We’re moving to glass in an effort to reduce our impact on the environment and urge guests to pack our single-use amenities as the perfect travel set, including shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand & body lotion. The rest of our amenities are bottled in sustainable glass containers, available for purchase in our studio collection, including foam bath, hand & body wash, hand & body lotion, soaps, diffusers, room sprays and candles.