Continuing my journey around South Africa as I check out over 70 properties in Cape Town, the Cape and the Garden Route.
(The sea view from the Auberge Burgandy in Hermanus)
THURSDAY 16TH MAY
This morning after a delicious breakfast we said goodbye to Keith and Cindy at our home for the past few nights, An African Villa, and drove for about half an hour to the area known as Sea Point to visit a new property called Winchester Mansions.
Winchester Mansions
This is our first visit to Winchester Mansions and we were overall very impressed. The downside with this hotel is the endless number of different room categories which can be confusing. However it is a stunning property with lovely sea views and a large heated swimming pool. We were greeted warmly by Vanessa before heading off to look at the rooms. The rooms are large and even the most basic entry level rooms are adequate – some have a partial sea view. The selling point for this hotel is the large bathrooms all with separate shower and bath. The hotel is also ideal for families as one of the suites offers 3 bedrooms no less. On a Sunday in the courtyard you can enjoy Sunday brunch with a jazz band. The hotel also has a small spa. The Classic Rooms are classic in style and the Modern Rooms are decorated in Antique/Double Grey and white. The hotel also has parking which is important for all our clients doing self drive holidays. We both loved this hotel and would highly recommend it. The hotel is situated between Camps Bay and Cape Town.
The Radisson Blu Waterfront
This is a stylish hotel with an open foyer leading to the Tobago Restaurant. Unfortunately only one room was available for us to see and this was a standard Mountain Room with a partial view of the stadium. The hotel has a new Spa. It also has a small long swimming pool overlooking the sea by the Tobago Restaurant. In the restaurant area you will also find the modern looking bar. The terrace area is lovely with views over the marina and waterfront in the distance. The hotel has ample parking.
Meeting our team in Cape Town
After our inspection on the Radisson Blu Waterfront we headed to the V&A Waterfront were I met Collin and Fasiega for lunch. It was great to see Collin again and to meet Fasiega who receives my hundreds of emails! We had a lovely lunch and it was brilliant talking about all the properties John and I have seen. After lunch we headed to Albatros’s new offices to meet the rest of the team. It was an absolute pleasure to meet everyone as always and I am so proud to be working with such a great team of people in Cape Town. Many thanks to Collin and everyone at Albatros for the lovely gift – it was very much appreciated.! After seeing the Albatros team we then headed for Chapman’s Peak for the stunning drive to Afton Grove.
Afton Grove Guest House
We were met on arrival by two members of staff and were shown to the Executive/Honeymoon Suite and were offered tea or coffee that was brought up to the room. In the room we had some flowers waiting for us from Chris and Louise welcoming us back to Afton Grove. We then met up with Chris for pre-dinner drinks. It was so great to see him again. This delightful guest house is made up of semi-detached Garden Cottages that overlook the manicured gardens. The guest house also offers two self catering cottages and breakfast can be added to the rate. We had dinner at the guest house with Chris and Louise and the meal was typical Cape Malay cuisine. The guest house has a lovely little pool. Chris is a keen birder so it’s great for clients with this interest. They can also arrange horse riding on Noordhoek Beach. Highly recommended for budget to mid price clients especially if they are staying in the Cape for over 4 nights.
FRIDAY 17TH MAY
After a delicious breakfast at Afton Grove of omelettes and pastries we carried on looking around the rooms. The best room is the Family Self Catering Cottage as it has a large seating area, a small kitchen and a lovely bedroom and large bathroom. We then said our goodbyes and travelled via Fishhoek and Bettys Bay to Hermanus. The drive took approximately 2 ½ hours mainly due to there being a diversion just outside Hermanus which held us up!
Quarters, Hermanus
This is a beautiful modern property with 18 rooms. There is a small reception area that again has a modern design. Breakfast at Quarters is taken at Oskars Restaurant which is opposite the hotel. The standard rooms are quite small however the Superior rooms are huge and we would certainly recommend this room category. The Superior room has a large lounge area, a nicely equipped kitchen and a good size bedroom and bathroom. Some of the rooms are inter-connecting with a standard room making this an ideal option for families. They even hosted us for lunch at Oskars Restaurant which was very nice of them considering we have not worked with them before. I would highly recommend this property and will be using it in the future.
Auberge Burgundy, Hermanus
This hotel is very pretty with its lovely yellow façade and true to its name it has a real French feel to it. At Auberge we were allocated a twin suite which is huge, airy and bright. The subtle coloured sofa and wicker chairs are very nice as is the white bedding. There is a balcony that we can see the ocean from and with the windows open I can hear some delightful Ibiza tunes! The Suite also overlooks the pool. The Auberge Restaurant across the road opens for breakfast and lunch however closes in the winter from dinner. Overall this is a very nice property. We had a fabulous dinner at Lemon Butta. The Sushi to start with was one of the best we have ever had. The service was fantastic. This was our dearest meal so far at R530.00 (£38.00) including a 10% tip and wine and water. Highly recommend this restaurant to clients if they love seafood. It was awesome!
Posted by Paul Hickey-Fry
