We join Paul and John as they begin their South African inspection trip in Cape Town.
Monday 13th May
After waking up to gorgeous weather and a stunning view I made my way downstairs for a hearty breakfast before heading out to start my very busy day visiting most of our accommodation in Cape Town. The next place on my schedule to visit was another Real Africa favourite – Leewenvoet House.
Leewenvoet House
This place may not have the stunning views due to its location in the city centre but it certainly makes up for it in style. The deluxe/honeymoon rooms are large, spacious and decorated in soft dove grey. The B&B has been expanded and modernised since I was last here a few years ago and I love it’s new look and the space. There is a small but inviting swimming pool with a lovely terrace with views of Table Mountain. I really think this guest house offers exceptional value for money .
Cape Town Waterfront Hotels
Next up was Protea Breakwater Lodge a much larger place which used to be an old prison and has plenty of history. It’s a good place for those on a budget wanting to stay on the waterfront where most other places are a lot more expensive. Then I moved onto the Commodore Hotel which is next door. This is also a large hotel with a spacious reception area with a swimming pool and outdoor dining area. Some of its rooms have excellent views of the harbour and again this is good value for money. Also next door on the waterfront is the Portswood Hotel which I also popped into to view some rooms and their facilities. In contrast to these more budget orientated hotels my next stop was something else – the Queen Victoria Hotel.
The Queen Victoria Hotel
The Queen Victoria Hotel is stunning! The reception area is modern chic with a monochrome palette. All the rooms are situated around a large, airy central atrium with a truly stunning modern curving staircase winding upstairs. All the rooms are stunning with huge beds and great designer bathrooms. There is also a bar and restaurant and guests have use of the pool at their sister hotel the Dock House. This hotel offers a 5 star option for the young, fashionable visitor who is looking for something less formal and traditional that the well known Cape Grace or Mount Nelson. Their sister hotel the Dock House is smaller with 6 rooms in a very similar modern style but is much more intimate and good for a honeymoon. They have a lovely breakfast room and garden with swimming pool.
The Victoria and Alfred Hotel
Then it was onto another great hotel in the stunning Cape Town waterfront – the Victoria and Alfred Hotel. This hotel really does have a superb position and offers three types of room; loft, piazza facing and mountain view rooms. The views over Table Mountain were amazing and these were my favourite rooms with a lovely airy feel to them. This is a lovely 4 star restaurant with a great restaurant overlooking the water and I can highly recommend it.
The Cape Grace
Next up we headed over to one of Cape Town’s most famous luxury hotels, the Cape Grace. I have been here several times and I am pleased to say it was as stunning as ever. The newly updated décor is based around the history of Cape Town and gives the hotel real history and character. There are plenty of facilities with a shop, reception and the Signals Restaurant which serves meals throughout the day. There is even a library for some quiet time out. The rooms themselves are all large and beautifully decorated. I would recommend a superior room as these are very spacious with a balcony with great views over the harbour and yachting marina. The other rooms such as the Rooftop Terrace and the Luxury Table Mountain View rooms are also great. One of my favourite elements of the hotel were the quirky chandeliers made to look like they had come from a shipwreck with a mix of different items such as cups fitted into them. I really do love this hotel!
The Aquarius Luxury Apartments Hotel
Finally last on the day’s itinerary were the Aquarius Luxury Apartments/Hotel. This is a modern building in Bloubergstrand offering aparthotel accommodation. We unpacked our bags and checked out our home for the night. We had a two bed roomed apartment, ideal for a family, with a large living area and a fully fitted kitchen. The hotel/apartments are close to the beach with great views of Table Mountain as well. There are plenty of restaurants nearby if you don’t want to do self catering and we took ourselves off for a well deserved dinner at the Thai place next door. I can recommend that too!
Posted by Paul Hickey-Fry