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 Cape Town Hotels
If ever a city was chilled, it's Cape Town, wrapped tightly round enthralling Table Mountain. And, along with cool restaurants, jazz cafes and nightclubs, historical buildings and shopping malls, it's made a speciality of particularly charming and appealing guesthouses and boutique hotels. Here's our pick in the buzzing city centre and its leafy suburbs. Our selection of Cape Town hotels are listed by price category, and their order bears no reflection on our preference. |
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| Luxury: Excellent service at one of the city's outstanding large hotels |
| Location: On the V&A Waterfront |
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| Opened in 1996, the attractive, classically-styled building that houses Cape Grace stands on its own quay on the vibrant Waterfront and in our opinion is easily the best of Cape Town's larger hotels, with cheery, well-orchestrated service at its heart, where nothing is too much trouble for the charming staff. Superb food in the onewaterfront restaurant; 122 sensible, elegant bedrooms and suites. |
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| Mid Price: Stylish small hotel with gorgeous bedrooms |
| Location: Higgovale, on the slopes of Table Mountain |
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| In leafy, upmarket Higgovale, Alta Bay combines the qualities of a seriously glamorous hotel (six luxurious, beautifully designed bedrooms; lunch and dinner menus; waiter service; spa treatments) with the small-scale intimacy of a superbly-run guesthouse. The elegant modern property descends via show-stopping views of the city and bay to an airy sitting room, langourous terrace and lush plunge pool. A model of its breed. |
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| Mid Price: Conversion of old manor house and wine cellars with understated style |
| Location: Constantia, next to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens |
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| This gorgeous hotel is all restrained elegance, peacefully set amid gardens and vines. The name reflects its two parts: the impressively restored 18th-century Klaasenbosch wine cellars and Hohenort, a fine manor house previously owned by the Spilhaus family. Its trademark is a pampering attention to detail. Both staff and facilities are exceptional. If you’re in the mood, you can dine by candlelight in the wine cellar at the most romantic table in Cape Town. |
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| Mid Price: Cape Country house in stunning six-acre garden |
| Location: Newlands, near the Liesbeeck River |
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| Bang opposite the cricket ground in the leafy suburb of Newlands, the Vineyard is a friendly hotel in traditional Cape Country style. Beyond six glorious acres of landscaped garden, the magnificent, truncated form of Table Mountain serves as a backdrop. If you can, book a room with a mountain (rather than a courtyard) view. All the spa, fitness and health facilities you could wish for, plus delicious buffet breakfasts and poolside lunches. |
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| Mid Price: African touches lift the decoration at this impressively-equipped hotel |
| Location: Higgovale on the slopes of Table Mountain |
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| The eight rooms at this delightful hotel would be classed as junior suites in most hotels and have enough ‘amenities’ to satisfy the most dedicated sybarite. These include laptops with wi-fi connection, skype phones, i-pod docking stations, plasma TVs and dvd players, not to mention marble bathrooms and private terraces. The attractive decoration is modern with colourful African touches. There’s also a plunge pool, surrounded by decking. |
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| Mid Price: Seductive boutique hotel in classic country style |
| Location: Bishopscourt, near Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden |
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| This inviting boutique hotel is one of a group of five in the Cape Town area called the Last Word Resort Residences. The kind staff will collect you from the airport and even ferry you to and from restaurants in the evening. There are five luxurious bedrooms, all different, but each smartly decorated in classic country style. Some have private patios opening on to the lush garden. Other bonuses are an eternity pool and floodlit tennis court. |
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| Inexpensive: Delightful guesthouse in a conversion of three Victorian houses |
| Location: Tamboerskloof, near the Table Mountain cableway |
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| A beautifully decorated conversion of three Victorian terraced houses makes a charming guesthouse. Inside, it is airy and stylish, done out in subtle calm colours, patterns and textures. The large comfortable sitting room has an honesty bar (there’s also a guests’ fridge), and the library has internet access as well as books. Bedrooms are all different, with bags of character and crisp cotton linen. Immaculate, attentive housekeeping. |
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| Inexpensive: Well-located and chic guesthouse in a leafy cul-de-sac |
| Location: Gardens, at the foot of Table Mountain |
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| Welgelegen is the Dutch word for well-located, an apt description for this gem of a guesthouse in a leafy cul-de-sac near the hip restaurants of Long and Kloof Streets. Decorated with panache by the previous owner, an interior designer, it occupies two Victorian houses linked by a flowery patio with a plunge pool. Service is friendly but never intrusive with such personal touches as electric blankets for chilly nights and home-made biscuits. |
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