It’s not often that a man creates a hotel to house his art collection, but when Paul Harris purchased Ellerman House in 1988 his intention was not only to transform the gracious Edwardian mansion into an exclusive oasis, but match the Cape Riviera views with an unparalleled showcase of South African art.

Curated by Harris, albeit with guidance from friend and gallery owner Everard Read, this is a deeply personal collection, broad in scope: the earliest artworks date back to the 1830s, and it includes all the great 20th-century masters such as Maggie Laubser, Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto, Alexis Preller and Pierneef, as well as some of the country’s best living artists, displayed in the contemporary gallery Harris purpose-built in the gardens. There is commissioned work too, most notably in the Wine Gallery, with its extraordinary corkscrew cellar, and a fascinating rendition of South Africa’s range of terroirs (spawning in turn a superb collection of wine, including The Ellerman 2018 – a masterpiece in liquid, if wine is art!).

Unusually, art is not confined to public spaces: you’ll find works in all 13 bedrooms as well as the two private villas flanking the main house. A downloadable app provides information on each, but do book an art tour with Talita Swarts – her in-depth knowledge about the circumstances surrounding each work is fascinating, and deepens the visual pleasure. With her nuanced interpretation, the Ellerman House collection is not only the best introduction to South African art, but also a repository of the country’s complex history. With a strict resident-only policy it is also, of course, very exclusive. Padding back from the pool, bare feet in plush carpet, you can revisit corridors at leisure – deliciously alone, chilled Sauvignon in hand – at home in the city’s most luxurious art gallery.

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