Following a 13-month renovation by K/M2K, Long Lee Manor has finally welcomed its first guests back.
Located within Shamwari Private Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth in the malaria-free Eastern Cape, the Edwardian-era property has been seen many of its original features restored, with 18 new luxury suites focusing on guests’ comfort and privacy while maximising the views of the area.
“The reopening of Long Lee Manor is a proud moment for us: it marks the completion of the USD$25 million investment in refurbishment by the reserve’s owners, Investment Corporation Dubai. The first guests have arrived and are delighted by what they’ve found,” says Shamwari CEO Joe Cloete.
“This is the start of a new chapter for us. As one of South Africa’s flagship tourism brands and conservation success stories, Shamwari is eager to welcome guests from around the world.”
Long Lee Manor also comprises a two-bedroom family suite complete with its own private deck and plunge-pool; a poolside bar where guests can watch animals graze on the surrounding plains and drink at their own watering-hole below the lodge; the boma, a venue for hosting a traditional braai (barbecue); a fitness centre and spa with two treatment rooms, and The Long Lee kitchen garden and herb garden, where staff forage for indigenous produce that is prepared to compliment a new menu and wine-list.
Cloete adds that the interiors pay homage to the manor’s origins and give guests an “Out of Africa” experience; spaces combine rich leathers, luxurious linens and nostalgic florals, while the walls are treated with traditional timber panelling and textured wallpaper, and bathrooms feature white marble floors.
Elsewhere, the public areas – which focus on maximising the surrounding views – have been designed using traditional panelling, bronze, wallpapers, rattan and statement focal pieces such as an oval bar. The original stained-glass windows and fireplace of the historic manor house were also retained and restored.
Shamwari, meaning “my friend” in Shona, is made up of seven lodges – Eagles Crag, Long Lee Manor, Bayethe, Lobengula, Sarili Private Lodge, Riverdene Family Lodge and Sindile Luxury Tented Camp – as well as the Explorer Camp. The reserve is also home to Africa’s iconic Big Five and by staying, guests are participating in a conservation project that arrested the impact of human activity and returned rich biodiversity to 25,000 hectares of land; over the past 25 years, the site has restored much of the ecology and attracted or re-introduced indigenous game and birdlife, from the Big Five to the humble oxpecker.
