New life has been breathed into a stagnant north coast development with the official launch and opening of the Ocean Reef Hotel and Apartments in Zinkwazi.
Situated 40 minutes from Umhlanga, the property had been developed during the boom years with investors purchasing villas and apartments to incorporate into the hotel rental pool. The property slump saw those dreams collapse until entrepreneurs Owen Smit and Robert Murphy acquired the hotel and some of the apartments on auction last year.
See the picture gallery below.
Now operating under the dynamic, innovative Signature Life Hotels group banner, Ocean Reef boasts 38 rooms and fills a niche within the north coast holiday town. Linked directly to the beach via its own private boardwalk, the hotel is located in an unspoilt habitat with a bathing lagoon and indigenous coastal dunes.
The architectural design blends Indonesian inspiration with an African feel, while the Bamboo Food Workshop offers a fine dining element to Zinkwazi.
– Nicola Jenvey