When I say higher than a kite….believe me… a visit to Cape Town South Africa’s Camps Bay will leave you breathless!
There Are Five Red Carnation Hotels Recognized as “World’s Best” This is one of my favorites
If you had to choose a favorite company in which to use your bucket wish list …this would be the one! Travel and Leisure has voted Red Carnation Hotel properties into thirteen different categories, including three No. 1 placements. And I can share why.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Camps Bay is LuxEcoLiving’s #1 
Choice for Luxury and Fine Dining
“Rangani Musingosa is the personal assistant and butler to Mrs. Tollman. He was one of the most wonderful people we met on our trip. I was literally “blown away” when he showed us to our special Presidential Suite.” WATCH!
LuxEcoLiving photo credit/Swans created from towels with rose petals adorn the nightly turn down service.
Toni Tollman’s sheer genius as the designer of all the Red Carnation Collection Hotels is to be treasured. Her taste in everything from fabrics, to antiquities, to lighting, and decor makes each guest feel like a royal. I was particularly enamored by her ability to edit the details; whether is was a crystal vase filled with Bea Tollman’s classic candy selections, or the beautiful bedding with linens which welcomed the most restful nights sleep after a very long journey from America.
Why The Tollman’s Are Leaders In The Travel Industry… because they care about every single detail from top to tails. They are loved by the industry and revered by their staff.
If I could say I found a mentor in life that I would like to emulate it would be Beatrice Tollman, affectionately known as Bea. She is the legendary founder and President of the ultra-luxurious Red Carnation Hotel Collection that includes three of the finest and most beautiful properties on earth: The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town, The Oyster Box Hotel in Durban and Bushmans Kloof located in the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa.
I knew the minute I met her two beautiful and brilliant daughter’s, Vicky and Toni Tollman, both intricately involved in the family business.Vicky oversees and manages the magnificent and world famous Bouchard Finlayson vineyard with its prestigious wines grown in the Hemel-en-Arde Valley, one of the most sought after regions for its rich terroir.
The Oyster Box in Durban is exceptional!
Beatrice Tollman Founder of Red Carnation Hotels Collection
LuxEcoLiving photo credit Bouchard Finlayson vineyard
And I might add once you have experienced the Tollman girls you will dream of being adopted into their family. The Tollman’s are one of the most fascinating family dynasties in the travel industry. Known for their unparalleled service and incomparable abilities to provide continuity of luxury, taste, and refinement of style across all of the collection’s properties. The feeling you get at each location is like being at home except the service and interiors makes it very difficult to leave thanks to Toni Tollman’s ingenious designs.
At “41” in London (RCHC) with Vicky and Toni Tollman
To experience any one of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection properties is a welcome mat into the precious and savored world of food. Bea’s outstanding recipe’s are featured in her cookbook, ” A Life in Food,” treasured recipe’s family owned and others discovered from her worldly lifetime travel experiences. Whether its a bowl of the most delicious chicken soup or her trademark Honeycomb Ice Cream, a visit to any of her hotels is more than exceptional. It’s a very special and unique experience.
WHAT TO PACK? LET TRAVELSMITH HELP YOU DECIDE
When you are planning a big trip and need advice about packing… there is no better place to shop then TravelSmith online. Light, colorful and easy. The best and most versatile clothes for safari wear and evening wear. The best T’s and undergarments. Hats, shoes, luggage. Whatever you need they have it. Packing which is usually a nightmare for most women (men are the exception) this time, it was a breeze for me with their special insert organizers (The Eagle Creek Pact-It Specter Small Garment Folders and their signature TravelSmith Smart Envelopes) for socks, shirts and other items that usually get stuffed on the sides and take up weight and worse, get lost when unpacking.
Jim was more then pleased with the vests and shirts and that fabulous, easy to pack Panama Hat…. and did I tell you that we slept so comfortably in our economy seats thanks to Travel Smith’s blow up Super Snoozer Memory Foam Pillow and foot rests… a must for economy or premium economy. I might add the Air Tamer..a MUST HAVE!!! I’ll share more TravelSmith tips throughout this series.
“Cape Town’s Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa… is pure magic!”
One of the most beautiful hotels in the world. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean where the sea meets the sky, the hotel, with its brilliant white façade, is used by sailors as a nautical navigation point. Cape Town lies just fifteen minutes away by complimentary shuttle, and outdoor activities include walks and picnics in Table Mountain Park, helicopter tours and whale watching. Part of the Red Carnation Collection’s family motto is something they call TNT. These “tiny noticeable touches,” which you will discover throughout this hotel will leave absolutely no room for comparison.
“We have traveled the world and never have experienced this kind of luxury, service and most of all a deep respect for Beatrice Tollman’s generosity for her staff and management. It shows. They just love her.”
Traveling to South Africa and Kenya for the first time in our lives was the best experience we have ever had. We are craving the memories and can’t wait to discover other parts of that continent. The exceptional beauty and grandeur of Cape Town is unlike any place on earth. First, you are literally swept away by the geological formations of the Twelve Apostles which emulates, in the early morning sun, the silhouette’s of spiritual muses that awakens one to the breathtaking beauty and natural landscape of what some call the 7th wonder of the world.
As a tourist, before you plan your visit, one of the most important things you should do is research the people and places you would like to visit. For us Lion World Travel was the best decision we ever made not only for us personally but for the planet. WATCH Brett Tollman share his passion and learn how you can help too.
LuxEcoLiving’s Twelve Apostles
“It was truly a journey of a lifetime thanks to The Red Carnation Collection of Hotels. The most incredible luxurious interiors of any hotel company in South Africa and the world!”
Brett Tollman, is the CEO of The Travel Corporation, one of the most respected companies in the world. Their mission is to spread and share the natural beauty and versatile cultures of Africa while providing guests the opportunities of their dreams; getting to see the Big 5, going on safari’s in remote places that captures or I should say, ingrains a greater passion for social responsibility.
Traveling throughout Africa for us was more than seeing the animals up close… it was an awakening to how and what we could do to help sustain their lives and the lives of people who are proud to call Africa home.
“If we can all leave the world in a slightly better place, then we have left our mark on the world in a good sense…. by treading lightly, as opposed to leaving a heavy footprint with pollution or not caring about our planet. We all need to play a part. We should think about it a little each day.” Brett Tollman
“Here I am, where I ought to be.”
― Karen Blixen, Out of Africa
Editor’s Notes: Up Next Bushmans Kloof Cederberg South Africa
A very special thanks to Rangani Musingosa and staff
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa Victoria Street, Camps Bay, Cape Town, 8005, South Africa
A very special thank you to both Arnelle Kendall and Lucille Sive from The Travel Corporation
And Kimberly Strenk for TravelSmith our sponsors
