Cape Town - Tintswalo officially opened its doors after the lodge burnt to the ground.
The owners Gaye and Ernest Corbett, and Lisa and Warwick Goosen, officially welcomed the media and special guests to the lodge to experience it for the first time.
The finished product noticeably impressed everyone, some of whom were fortunate enough to enjoy a night or two in the opulent suites for the full Tintswalo Atlantic experience. Commenting on the “big reveal”, freelance travel editor and writer Lynette Botha said, “ I love the new look and feel of the lodge – it remains true to the original spirit, but feels like it has had an injection of vibrancy and energy, on all levels.”
Speaking to those present at the launch event, Gaye gave an account of the challenges and triumphs of the past several months, saying, “The greatest challenge initially was just getting over the shock of losing the lodge. We had to get to grips with the fact that it was all gone and to somehow see the rebuild as an exciting challenge and not a complete loss. When we had decided to go ahead, we put a deadline in place and knew we’d stick to it. Once we had our building team in place it was easy. Before we knew it, the job was done and the lodge was back in all its glory!”
Gaye was instrumental during the lodge’s rebuild, working on everything from sourcing furniture and creating mosaics, to painstakingly applying the shell detail in all the bathrooms by hand.
Executive Chef, Jeantelle van Staden and her team prepared delicious canapés for the guests, which were perfectly paired with wines from La Motte while enjoying the glorious sunset. An emotional video was screened, showing the devastation on the night of the fire, the destruction in the days that followed and then the process of the rebuild. Guests were entranced by it, with many shedding a tear at the enormity of what transpired.
Gaye revealed the highlight of the property re-launch was the satisfaction of knowing their creations complements the uniqueness and beauty of the lodge’s location.
Ever optimistic, Gaye continued, “We were given an unique opportunity to correct the small mistakes that we made the first time around and in addition to this, all our staff were given a chance to take part in various local projects and give back to the community for all the support and kindness we had been shown after the fire. Life really is about give-and-take and one rarely has the opportunity to be able to give. All of them enjoyed these activities and gained in stature and empathy.”
For reservation enquiries please contact Tintswalo Lodges by telephone on+27 (0) 11 300 8888 or by email on [email protected] /[email protected] / [email protected]
Adapted from a press release for IOL