Our Story.

Let us take you by the hand.

Let us take you by The Hand

The Last Word exclusive travelthe last word story let us take you by the hand
Beyond Boutique®. Towards a Statement.

Last Word began with a feeling. A hidden veranda-encircled sanctuary in Douala, Cameroon. One that lingered long after the first visit. It was elusive. Full of soul. Beyond boutique. That feeling stayed.

In 2003, we stopped dreaming and started building. Last Word was born, not with a roadmap, but with a determination to create a different kind of hospitality. Small, soulful places, where kindness mattered more than grandeur and guests felt something real. A cocoon of calm in beautiful, meaningful places. A team of mice who roar.

A New Kind of Luxury

Our hotels and safari camps aren’t for everyone. They’re for the few who understand what it means to travel lightly and feel deeply. We’re small by design, no more than 70 guests across all our properties at any one time. Intimate. Intentional. Independent.

This is not just hospitality. It’s elusivity - a word we coined to describe the rare feeling our guests experience. The sense that they’ve found something truly theirs. Lovely People in Lovely Places. A connection that flows both ways.

The Making of a Statement

We’re not trying to be the biggest. We’re here to be the most believable. To create a statement in hospitality built on trust, empathy, and kindness. To make people happy. And in doing so, make the world a little happier too.

Our philosophy is woven from many strands:

  • Our Purpose: To make people happy
  • Our Values: Kindness, empathy, trust
  • Our Promise: Lovely People, Lovely Places, Lovely Food
  • Our Positioning: Beyond Boutique
  • Our Invitation: Let us take you by the hand

These aren't just words on paper. They’re our alchemy, the inner energy that binds our team and inspires our guests to belong, believe, and become.

Today and Tomorrow

We’ve grown, not by adding rooms, but by adding colour, character, and meaning. We survived global storms. We held fast to our ideals. We painted over sameness and filled our places with laughter, generosity, and grace.

We believe in the dignity of small things done well. In the power of a smile. In kindness given and received. In crafting travel experiences that reflect the people who stay with us.

We’re not chasing stars. We’re chasing the sun.
And if you feel the pull, we invite you to come with us, to the edge of the horizon, where your story meets ours.

Let us take you by the hand.

The Last Word Our Story
Peter Fleck

Peter Fleck

Chairman

"If you want to charge a premium, make sure no one else can do what you do"

Nicky Coenen

Nicky Coenen

Managing Director

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb

Steve Robertson

Steve Robertson

Brand Director

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Widad Marnewick

Widad Marnewick

Reservations Manager

"Let me help you plan the perfect South African escape"

Bruce Deneys

Bruce Deneys

Sales Director

"Hope is not a strategy."

Kelsey le Voy Hufkie

Kelsey le Voy Hufkie

Content and Social Media Manager

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them" - Henry Matisse

Chad Cobbledick

Chad Cobbledick

Financial Strategy Manager

"Did you catch Saturdays game?"

Edwin Penhallrick

Edwin Penhallrick

Financial Director

"Show me the money!"

Michelle de Klerk

Michelle de Klerk

Public Relations Manager

Let us take you by the hand

What we do

Choose Wisely

The Last Word is no ordinary group of hotels. Small, elusive and distinctly special, almost handmade in its own way, they are a collection of collaborative human affairs crafted by inputs from all the players involved with the brand – guests, staff and associates. Such artisanal elegance attracts people who love life and bring life to life.

Explore more
The Last Word group of hotels
The Last Word Cape Town
VOTE NOW – 2024 TRAVEL+LEISURE AWARDS

All five of our Intimate Hotels and Safari Camps are nominated in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, please take a moment to vote for us by clicking here