Auberge Burgundy is a family-run boutique hotel at 16 Harbour Road in Hermanus, built in the style of a Provençal village house and standing directly opposite the Old Harbour and the cliff path. It has been in the same family since 1996, which in a town with this much turnover counts for something.
Best for
Couples who want to walk everywhere; whale watchers, because the cliff path starts across the road; travellers who prefer a small hotel with a restaurant and a spa to a large one with neither.
It is in the middle of Hermanus rather than out on a headland, so the trade is convenience against seclusion.
Location
Harbour Road runs along the seafront in the centre of Hermanus, and the hotel faces the Old Harbour, the small stone-walled basin where the town’s fishing boats used to work and where the whale crier still walks. The cliff path, the galleries, the restaurants and Grotto Beach are all within a short walk.
Walker Bay lies immediately in front of the town, and it is the reason people come: southern right whales calve here in numbers between June and November. Our Hermanus destination guide covers the town, the cliff path and the season in detail.
Rooms and style at Auberge Burgundy
Rooms and suites are individually styled rather than repeated to a template, and they range from compact street-facing rooms of around 28 square metres to larger sea-facing suites. Standard features include air-conditioning, Nespresso machines, good linen and wireless internet.
The look is Provençal: ochre walls, blue shutters, wrought iron, courtyards and a lot of greenery. It reads as a small European country hotel that happens to be on the South African coast, and the courtyard garden at the back is the best part of the building.
Facilities at Auberge Burgundy
Frances Restaurant serves Mediterranean-inspired food built around local produce, including the Klein River cheeses made a few kilometres inland at Stanford. There is a boutique spa for treatments, an elevated outdoor pool, and a courtyard garden that is unexpectedly quiet given that the hotel is in the middle of town.
There is no gym, no conference wing and no beach of its own. Grotto Beach is a few minutes away by car.
Who should consider Auberge Burgundy
Consider it if you want two or three nights in Hermanus without driving: the cliff path, the harbour, the restaurants and the galleries are all on foot from the front door. In whale season that matters more than usual, because the best viewing is from the path rather than from a boat.
Travellers who want a clifftop suite with the sea directly below will prefer the properties out towards Voelklip. More options across the province are compared in our Western Cape accommodation guide.
Trade-offs, honestly
Four things to weigh:
- Street-facing rooms are cheaper and look at Harbour Road rather than at Walker Bay.
- A central position means town noise, particularly over the Whale Festival weekend and in December.
- The building is a converted village-style house, so rooms differ in size, shape and stair access.
- The pool is small and elevated rather than a resort pool; it is for cooling off, not for swimming lengths.
Parking in central Hermanus is limited, so confirm what the hotel provides.
Explore the area
The Hermanus cliff path runs roughly twelve kilometres from the New Harbour past the Old Harbour to Grotto Beach, and it is the best land-based whale watching in the world for a reason: the water drops away quickly below the rocks and southern rights come within metres of the path. Fernkloof Nature Reserve, in the mountains behind the town, has marked trails through fynbos and a good display of Overberg flora.
Walker Bay Nature Reserve, managed by CapeNature, protects the dunes and coast east of the town. Further out, Gansbaai is the base for shark cage diving and Stanford for river trips and cheese; our Gansbaai guide covers that side of the coast.
Getting there and getting around
Hermanus is about 120 kilometres from Cape Town, an hour and a half by road, and the drive along the R44 around False Bay and over Clarence Drive is one of the best coastal roads in the country. Cape Town International is the nearest airport.
Once you are here, the centre of Hermanus is walkable, and this hotel is in it. A car is needed for Fernkloof, Grotto Beach, the wine farms of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley and trips further along the coast. Our seven-day Whale Coast itinerary shows how the towns link up.
How Auberge Burgundy compares
Against the clifftop hotels east of the centre you lose the direct sea view and gain the town at the door for less money. Against the guesthouses in the residential streets, Auberge Burgundy adds a restaurant, a spa and a pool. Against self-catering, you gain breakfast, dinner and a courtyard, and you lose a kitchen.
Practical notes for a stay at Auberge Burgundy
Whale season runs from roughly June to November, peaking in September and October, when the Hermanus Whale Festival fills the town for a weekend and accommodation sells out months ahead. If you want quiet whales, come in July or early August; if you want the festival, book very early.
Summer, from December to February, is hot, busy and expensive, and the whales have gone. March, April and May are the quietest and often the most pleasant months to walk the cliff path, and the Hemel-en-Aarde wine farms are at their best around harvest.
Before you book Auberge Burgundy
Ask which room you are being given and whether it faces the sea, the street or the courtyard, because all three exist and they are different stays. Confirm whether breakfast is included in the quoted rate, whether Frances Restaurant is serving dinner on your dates, and what the cancellation window is at checkout. Ask about parking and about stairs if either matters to you.
Current rates and availability
We do not publish rates for Auberge Burgundy, because they move constantly with season and demand. Use the availability button on this page to see what the property currently costs on your dates, what is included and what the cancellation terms are. The booking provider is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory or take payment.