I was one of a number of writers invited to attend a media event at Tintswalo Atlantic, at the water’s edge below Chapman’s Peak Drive, to allow us to experience Sundowners and Canapés on its deck, facing the majestic Sentinel in Hout Bay.

Five Star PR handles the publicity for all the Tintswalo Lodges, and its owner Janie van der Spuy and I arrived at the entrance gate at the same time, driven down to the lodge by a driver waiting for the arrival of our party. I was on the early side, so we had an opportunity to chat to co-owner Lisa Goosen and her daughter, now working in the family business too, with Janie. Being a smart PR person, she organised a dry cappuccino for me, perfectly made. A welcome drink of Simonsig Brut MCC was offered as well. A gin table had been set up, with various brands such as Six Dogs and Musgrave, with a beautiful tray of botanicals. I loved seeing the fresh flowers throughout the Lodge, presented in very unusual moulded glass vases made to fit wooden bases. 

Last year my Parisian friend and I were very lucky to enjoy Sundowners and dinner at Tintswalo Atlantic.

Restaurant Review: Tintswalo Atlantic dinner with a view!

A massive tub of oysters arrived on the deck, with wedges of lemon and a number of sauces to spice up this delicious delicacy. At the same time, a large tray of beautifully presented canapés was taken from guest to guest, consisting of salmon and cream cheese pancake stacks, lamb topped with red onion marmalade and with tzatziki, wontons filled with vegetables, and duck spring rolls. My special love is churros and chocolate sauce, and they were served at the same time, some of us alternating the sweet and savoury Treats. 

I had been sitting on a couch inside the lounge initially, and Jacqui Cooks came to chat, both sharing some of our life stories. Jackie has a day job at Arabella and writes The Jax Blog after hours. We have both experienced exciting changes to our lives since the beginning of this year. We moved outside on to the deck, the wind having quietened down, and from about 19h00 we were all furiously capturing the sunset in its various stages. 

The minute the sun had set, the air had a chill, a sign that it was time to drive back home. We were driven back up to the gate, where we had parked our cars.  The colours in the sky around the Sentinel, the mountain with the rhino-like ‘horn’ and a human face profile, was worthy of a stop in a parking section of Chapman’s Peak Drive, to take yet another sunset photograph. 

POSTSCRIPT 24/1: I wrote to PR Consultant Janie van der Spuy,menquiring about the ‘#Localswelcome we were requested to use in our Social Media communication. This was her reply:

‘Dear Chris

Thanks so much for taking the time to join us – it was greatly appreciated, and many thanks for the lovely blog too!

It’s a bit of a difficult one and I will explain why: we wanted to kick start the year with a small media event for our top bloggers and social media contacts, before you all got too busy again ? and also while the weather is good – but for now, while the hotel is still in high season, we’re not actively promoting drinks/sundowners/lunch or dinner for non-resident guests as we may well disappoint them if we are unable to accept bookings from non-resident guests while the hotel is full.

So last night was really envisaged as the start of an ‘awareness campaign’ which we hope to run throughout the year to attract more ‘locals’ and make them feel welcome and their business appreciated. A lot of Tintswalo’s clients are valued repeat guests and they’d like to set out getting to some new clients/markets this year.

To start the #LocalsWelcome campaign we’re currently promoting the Valentine’s stay-over offer (pse see attached) which we hope will appeal to locals, as for many people Tintswalo Atlantic is a real ‘bucket list’ destination and Valentines could be the perfect opportunity to book a stay at a reduced rate and enjoy some great value-add (eg dinner included).

Once we move out of high season, it will be easier for non-resident guests to secure bookings for casual drinks or dining – subject to availability and by prior reservation, and when the time comes, we’ll definitely be promoting that.

The reason for ‘reservations required’ is of course the position and lay-out of the lounge/deck/restaurant, with space being very limited – and if the hotel is fully booked with resident guests, it’s not always possible to accommodate non-resident guests, so walk-ins are unfortunately not accepted.

Hope that all makes sense – do let me know if you have any other questions?

With thanks and kind regards,

Janie M van der Spuy’

Tintswalo Atlantic, Chapman’s Peak, Hout Bay, Cape Town. Tel (021) 201-0025. www.tintswalo.com Instagram: @tintswalo_atlantic

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein