The Collection is a group of three 5 star hotels in the Cape
Province, South Africa
The Collection is dedicated to the
ethos of the Relais & Chateaux – “Courtesy, Charm, Character, Calm and
Cuisine” and offers first class, luxury accommodation.
Each of the three hotels in the
group is different (like children in a family), but in essence, all radiate the
characteristics of a well trained family with their trade mark of understated
luxury and fine food. I say ‘children’ because each hotel has been nurtured,
loved, groomed and cared for and brought up by a mother figure. That mother
figure is proprietor Liz McGrath.
The first in the group of the
three hotels ‘The Plettenberg’ which was the reinvention of the landmark and
well known “Lookout Hotel” opened in 1988. The late Gerald McGrath a producer
with RCA Records and his family lived in Johannesburg and had purchased the
Lookout Hotel as a property investment a few years before his death.
In the mid 1980’s I worked for ‘Lookout Enterprises’ the head office of the Lookout Hotel, a
business that owned the Lookout Hotel and a chain of bottle stores situated in
the then small town of Plettenberg Bay, a coastal resort with a permanent resident
base of 2 000 people that saw many people come and go every year. This was due
to its coastal lifestyle attraction and the contrasting quiet all year trade
except for the seasonal business that lasted a mere six weeks of the year over
the December holidays.
I still remember the day that Gerald
McGrath died. The Lookout head office staff received the news that he had suffered
a heart attack while on a golf course in Johannesburg and had died. We were all
shocked. Liz McGrath and the family were devastated at their unexpected loss. To
survive the turn of events Liz threw herself into her passion and today she is
quoted as having “all her addictions fulfilled by her hotels” - her addictions
being ‘love of food, gardening and décor’. She has shared and excelled in her
passion for hospitality and good service with the world at large. Liz McGrath
has accomplished what many people can only dream of achieving in a lifetime.
She is the proprietor and owner manager of three five star hotels in some of
the most appealing holiday and relaxation destinations in the world. She has
dedicated the last quarter century of her life to her passion, worked hard at
it and contributed to the success of South Africa’s tourism industry.
South Africa is proud of
Liz McGrath – someone with finesse, a fine eye for detail encapsulating magical
experiences for guests. She is one of the finest ambassadors a country could
ever have. Liz was awarded the Woman of the Year at the 2008 Relais &
Chateaux Congress held in Washington and in 2010 she received the Relais &
Chateaux Garden Trophy. These are International awards recognizing the best hotels
and hoteliers in the world.
In January 2008, Peter Tempelhoff accepted her offer in a
position to oversee the 5 celebrated restaurants within 'The Collection' group and
the food has reached new heights of excellence http://www.petertempelhoff.com/ . Inside
my copy of “The Collection Cookbook” (first published in 2003) I found this
week a newspaper cutting that I had kept, “Travel & Food” February 19, 2006
entitled ‘My Kind of Holiday’ - Garth van der Walt has a Q & A format
interview with Liz McGrath. Out of the fifteen questions & answers I have
chosen two to quote to you:
“What is the best
thing you have been given on holiday?” (GvdW)
“My
husband bought me a beautiful string of pearls from a jeweler in Florence,
after my jewellery had been stolen”. (LM)
“Your favourite
SA destination, and why?” (GvdW)
“Plettenberg
Bay, because I have a hotel there and because 30 years ago my husband and I
drew plans on a sand dune and built a very special beach house”. (LM)
My own love of Plett developed on
my first holiday which was two months in length when I was about nine or ten years old.
Once you get bitten with the magic of Plett, you become hooked - hook, line and
sinker. There is a magic about Plett. It is the ultimate family beach holiday destination to soak up the sun, walk on beautiful long stretches of beach searching for pansy shells, enjoy wind free outdoor summer weather, the best paddling, body and board surfing. It is just pure bliss.
I have had one stay at The Plettenberg and my brother has had five or six or
more wonderful December holidays at The Plettenberg Hotel. I have actually lost
count! Over the years The Plettenberg became
his home from home December getaway, a place that he was able to relax and
unwind after a busy year in the big city! A romantic holiday retreat where he
eventually, proposed to the love of his life and a few months later held a wedding
reception.
As his young family grows (having
a son who is now two and a half years old) so will his needs for an alternative holiday
retreat but he’ll be back.
Liz McGrath continues to draw
plans (maybe not on a sand dune or plans intended for brick & mortar) but she is
still project planning for The Collection on a daily basis. Working her magic
for South African and International travellers from all over the world!
Liz McGrath is featured
this month in Leadership Magazine, Edition 331 October 2012
http://mags.capemedia.co.za/leadership/331/ (pages 44-46) highlights Liz McGrath’s
outstanding achievements.
