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A Royal Spread: Royal Meander Manor Boutique Guest Lodge

Nicholas Cronning says, ‘It was the view that instantly made my mother draw breath and ask where to sign.’

And that same view continues to elicit a similar reaction from guests at The Royal Meander Manor Boutique Guest Lodge. Owned and run by the Cronning family, Meander Manor – a four-star boutique guest lodge – overlooks the moody seas that crash onto the beaches of Shaka’s Rock on the KZN north coast.

First conceived some five years ago when dad, Donovin, fell in love with the site, the development of the Manor took years, with its press launch this past February. ‘It was a rambling old farmhouse set in thick indigenous bush when my father saw it.

He didn’t really know what to do with it, but knew he had to have it,’ Nicholas adds, grinning. Many conversions and extensions later, with the bush carefully left untouched, Meander Manor is complete. It boasts nine boutique suites, a fine restaurant, and a cool, enticing spa set in the deep shade of an existing old thatched cottage.

There’s also the verandah, which ambles along the front highlighting the view, and the luxurious, ever-present sense of space. Nicholas stresses, ‘We want guests to arrive and feel they are home-away-from-home, without compromising on professional decorum.’

Set in 10 000m2 of garden humming with birds, frogs and insects, the Manor, decorated by Helen Still, exudes a chic comfort: a little French provincial mixed with a touch of Bali and a smattering of Africa thrown in for good measure.

Besides holidaymakers, who clamour to reserve their spot in paradise, the Manor is a firm favourite with corporate guests who enjoy the pleasure of coming ‘home’ to a drink with a view and a dunk in the pool. Its newly opened conference facilities and attractive packages – golf weekends, romantic getaways, team-building activities, weddings, beach and bush sorties, and midweek specials – add to its lure.

So too the menu, which changes depending on available ingredients and includes favourites such as local curries, springbok and duck.

Shaka’s Rock and its environs offer a wealth of must-see places and activities. But those settling on the Manor’s verandah rarely feel the need to meander very far. It’s said that at one time, wine fundi John Platter owned the old farmhouse. It’s easy to imagine him popping a cork right there, and equally tempting to follow suit.

The Royal Meander Manor Boutique Guest Lodge, +27 (0)32 525 8107, www.meandermanor.co.za