Hunter’s Country House
Hunter’s Country House began as a private home rather than a planned hotel. Craig and Jill Hunter bought a thatched cottage on Pear Tree Farm in 1979. They started letting rooms to guests once their own children had grown up, formally opening Hunter’s Country House in 1989. That origin still shapes the property’s character today. It reads as a family-run country estate that happens to host guests. A purpose-built hotel, by contrast, feels different from the outset. The family’s continued involvement is part of what distinguishes it from many of its Garden Route peers.
Setting and Architecture
The estate sits on a private, gated property along the N2. It’s roughly ten kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay and twenty-four kilometres east of Knysna. As a result, it’s equally convenient to both towns. It shares the same grounds with its smarter sister property, Tsala Treetop Lodge, and with Zinzi Restaurant. This means guests at Hunter’s effectively have access to three distinct dining venues, despite booking what is, on paper, a single property.
The main lodge is built in timber, stone and thatch. The style leans toward classic safari lodge rather than coastal hotel. Small, characterful lounges, a library, Persian rugs and fireplaces under exposed beams define the interior. The Manor House dining room continues that register with chessboard-tiled floors and chandeliers. Twenty-seven one-bedroom cottages and suites scatter through the estate’s extensive gardens. Each has a fireplace, satellite television, minibar, bath and separate shower, and a private veranda. Some of the higher categories add their own terrace, pool and garden.
Reputation and Service
Hunter’s has built a long-standing reputation for consistency rather than novelty. It won South Africa’s “Hotel of the Year” award as early as 1996. Reviewers who’ve returned across multiple visits, sometimes decades apart, tend to report the same level of quality each time. That consistency runs through to service as much as facilities. Guests regularly describe staff as warm, attentive without being intrusive. A private dinner arranged at short notice, evening chocolates and handwritten notes, in addition, happen as a matter of course rather than as an upsell.
Dining and Family Facilities
Dining covers genuine range across the shared estate. Sage @ Hunters offers refined country-style à la carte dining. Zinzi Restaurant serves a more casual but still serious à la carte menu, widely regarded as one of the best on this stretch of the Garden Route. The Conservatory, meanwhile, provides a lighter, bistro-style option for guests who want something simpler. Guests can also dine at Tsala’s glass-walled restaurant next door. This gives Hunter’s guests effectively four distinct dining settings during a stay.
Families are genuinely well catered for here, in contrast to Tsala next door, which sets a minimum guest age. Hunter’s has a Cubs Corner play area for children up to six and babysitting on request. A Teen Scene area suits older children, alongside a large pool with sun loungers. The estate’s own grounds give families plenty to do without leaving the property. Forests, a lake or two, and bicycles all keep things occupied. The surrounding area extends that considerably too, with Birds of Eden, Monkeyland and whale watching at Plettenberg Bay all within easy reach.
Why Stay Here
- A long-established, family-run estate with a consistent reputation stretching back to the 1990s
- Twenty-seven cottages and suites set in extensive gardens, with some categories including a private pool
- Access to four distinct dining venues across the shared estate, including the highly regarded Zinzi Restaurant
- Genuinely strong family facilities, including dedicated areas for younger children and teenagers
- A central position between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, convenient for exploring both
Accommodation
Twenty-seven one-bedroom cottages and suites spread through the estate’s gardens. Each has a fireplace, satellite television, minibar, bath and separate shower, and a private veranda. Higher categories add a private terrace, pool and garden. The main lodge building houses the reception, library and Manor House dining room.
Dining
Sage @ Hunters offers refined, country-style à la carte dining. Zinzi Restaurant, shared across the estate, is widely regarded as one of the better restaurants on this stretch of the Garden Route. The Conservatory, meanwhile, provides a lighter, bistro-style alternative. Guests can also book dinner at Tsala Treetop Lodge’s glass-walled dining room next door.
Experiences
The estate’s own gardens, forest and lake offer walking and cycling without leaving the property. The team can also arrange romantic picnics on request. Nearby attractions include Birds of Eden and Monkeyland, plus whale and dolphin watching at Plettenberg Bay. Boat trips through the Knysna Heads, horse riding, mountain biking, treetop canopy tours and bungee jumping round out the list.
Best For
Families wanting a genuinely well-equipped Garden Route base, couples seeking privacy within a larger estate, and travellers wanting access to several strong restaurants without leaving the property.