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Cape Town is known for its breathtaking beauty, very rich culture, and the gentle, relaxing vibe it gives off. Due to these features, it’s one of the top travel destinations among the tourists and is considered to be one of the ultimate favorite cities in the world.
If you are planning to travel to Cape Town for the first time ever, you may find it a little hard to choose the lodging that will match your preferences in terms of the level of comfort, your budget, and other amenities or facilities that you may be looking for. Yet the city has a great variety of luxurious and lavish hotels to choose from.
Your lodging decision, however, will be based on your willingness to spend, the level of comfort you want, and you want to do or explore in Cape Town.
For example, whether you want to stay at a place that has many transport links to other places available, you want to lodge somewhere where you can experience the hustle and bustle of the city or if you want to live with the sea nearby.
Below is a guide for you that explains the top 10 lodging options available to you in Cape Town.
1. Labotessa
This unique lodging hotel will give you an experience of some old fashion charm with the style of the place always being on point. It’s situated in one of the oldest places in South Africa, the Church Square, which dates back to the seventeenth century, and hence, gives Labotessa a unique European townhouse touch. The hotel is located in the heart of the city with extraordinarily historical and beautiful architecture surrounding it.
The hotel is laden with the bespoke and tasteful interior, where a lot of attention is paid to detailing. The entrance of Labotessa is through Cape Town’s one of the very dedicated scent boutiques. The hotel is not very high-key with a very laid back atmosphere. There aren’t many staff on board and do not have people dedicated to carrying your luggage.
Any other staff member can help you with it when needed. There is also a complimentary minibar. Even though this hotel does not have excellent facilities, yet it compensates for it through the suites that are perfect for independent travelers. The basic service includes laundry, room service, parking, and Wi-Fi.
The rooms are luxury suites that are spacious and feel like private apartments. There is also a Grand Penthouse with three bedrooms that you can book as well in case you are visiting with family or friends. The interior of the rooms is very sophisticated, with artworks displayed all around.
The Starlings Café is a decent spot as a restaurant. Labotessa actually collaborated with a cult coffee shop in Claremont that helped the café offer a great breakfast and lunch menu to its visitors.
2. Kensington Place
This hotel became operational in 1997, and since then, it has not stopped topping the lists of best boutique hotels. The elegance of its décor, spacious rooms, and great service with delicious food make the hotel an unforgettable lodging experience on the slopes of Table Mountain.
Kensington Place is situated in a forested ravine running into the city of Cape Town. As a result, all around it, you will find lush green trees with an oasis. Despite being located in the heart of nature, the hotel is only five to ten minutes of stroll away from the bars and restaurants of the Kloof Street, with the city center being only 30 minutes of walk away.
The design of Kensington Place is a fusion of hip and classic style, while every corner of the hotel reflects luxury and extravagance. Regardless of its small size, the service provided in this hotel is of a five-star standard. The guiding service of the hotel is also exceptional. The hotel asks you about the activities you want to explore and helps you choose the best time for doing those while it can also aid you in arranging the guides for your trips and activities.
The facilities include a small pool, a garden in the style of a courtyard, and some very relaxing outdoor lounging areas. Even though the hotel lacks the facility of a gym yet, it makes it up for it by providing its guests with vouchers to the gym in the Wembley Square area, which is barely ten minutes away from the hotel.
There’s a bar, parking space, and spa in addition to the facilities mentioned above. Moreover, the basic set of services include room service, laundry, and Wi-Fi.
3. The Cellars-Hohenort
This hotel is a country-style lodging that is surrounded by the greenery of Constantia and is twenty minutes away from the main city. The lodging comprises of contemporary rooms in two quite historic building; the Hohenort manor house and Cellars. These buildings are of very classic style with old-fashioned architecture. The décor of the rooms is also mainly traditional, and the gardens surrounding the building provide a great view from the windows of the rooms.
Having a very warm and welcoming staff, the hotel provides a number of services and facilities to its guests. These include a martini bar, spa, and two gigantic pools.
The gardens of the hotel are also spread over a large area with a beautiful landscape that you can explore using the maps available at the reception. Other services that the hotel offers are laundry, room service, tennis court, fitness center, parking, and Wi-Fi.
4. Ellerman House
You will find the Ellerman House as some Edwardian mansion located on a beautiful cliff-side that overlooks the sea. This glamorous hotel offers spectacular views and some very top-notch South African art experience. The luxury and glamour of the hotel also come as a part of the location since it stands tall among some of the most expensive properties in the whole of Africa.
The views from Ellerman are breathtaking, giving you a nice exposure to the ocean and Bantry Bay. The interior of the hotel is gracious and gives you an antique vibe along with a touch of contemporary style. It feels like the hotel is a fusion between the old-age architecture and contemporary interior styling.
Along with all of this aesthetic appeal, the hotel offers much privacy since it has only thirteen rooms. The hotel also has an extensive art collection like those of the art museums in South Africa, and you explore the art gallery using the hotel’s resources such as a physical art guide or an iPad for self-guide.
Ellerman House offers award-winning services to its guests, with staff being very attentive and responsive to your needs. The facilities include a bar opening onto a terrace that has a stunning view of the sunset, a fitness center, a huge pool, and a garden. There’s also a pantry where you can just walk-in and enjoy sweets, savory items, cocktails, and wines. Other services include parking, laundry, room service, sauna, and Wi-Fi.
5. Gorgeous George
The entire hotel is laden with rich textures and furniture giving it a very urban hipster look. The rooftop of this place is an amazing spot for spending the entire day just unwinding, which gives makes this hotel a unique experience.
The entire hotel’s outlook resembles that of a small Soho House. The rooftops, as mentioned before, are not only eye-catching due to their Moroccan vibe and a very relaxing interior with the accents of green and wood paneling. The entire space is romantically lit, making it an even more delightful area of the hotel where you can unwind with your partner.
The service of the hotel is also friendly, and since Gorgeous George is not a very mansion-like space, you may find yourself lodging in a very cozy and small space. The facilities that the hotel offers include a bar, pool, laundry, room service, and Wi-Fi. It also has a plunge pool, conservatory, library lounge, and a restaurant.
6. Cape View Clifton
The mountain peninsula of the city has a huge variety of great views to offer its tourist, but what this small boutique hotel offers is next to none. It’s a stylish lodging space that overlooks the Twelve Apostles with the view of the sea underneath a blue sky.
The hotel is situated in one of the most expensive places in the city. Despite having this great location with perfect views, the bars and restaurants from the hotel are not very accessible if you choose to walk, and you may also need transportation to reach the tantalizing beaches that you can only view from the hotel.
The style and character of the hotel give a very chic, casual, and classy vibe, and the neutral colored interior and exterior set off beautifully against the blue sky and sea. The hotel is very much a self-service space, yet the staff is always available with its warm and welcoming nature.
The facilities include a fitness center, a tiny pool, bar, laundry, parking, and Wi-Fi. It also offers complimentary cake all day long to its guests, which is a plus if you are a dessert lover.
7. Cape Cadogan
The hotel is built in the nineteenth century national monument and is one of the best lodging spaces in the whole of Cape Town. It has fifteen individual rooms that are well decorated and a location that is not very from the main city center, making bars and restaurants easily accessible to its guests.
The hotel is designed like a mansion with a historic double-story façade having windows that are shuttered and covered in long curtains. The hotel is styled like a small chic guesthouse where each room is decently furnished and decorated, giving off a very well-groomed vibe. The colors used to style the hotel are neutral, usually with only the headboard, pillows, and throws adding color to the rooms. Thus, it makes the hotel look very contemporary in nature and character.
The services and facilities are not very extensive here due to the guesthouse being small and urban. Yet the nature of the service is outstanding. The staff is very caring and efficient.
The hotel is not very huge, so you cannot expect staff like doormen, but within the small size of the staff, you will always be able to find someone who can help. The services include pool, laundry, parking, room service, and Wi-Fi.
8. The Silo
The hotel is regarded as a destination hotel due to its facade, concrete architecture, extensive decoration, and a vantage point on a South African museum for contemporary art. The hotel is centrally located, providing easy access to the Robben Island ferry, V&A shopping mall, and Zeitz MOCAA. The views from the building are crazy and super aesthetic as well.
The interior of The Silo is a mixture of eclectic furniture, Egyptian chandeliers, Persian carpets, and bold colors everywhere. It’s not very modern in its style and character and is rather a comfy, opulent space for you to rest after rigorous city exploration.
The staff and services of the hotel are also decent enough. The people working at the hotel are attentive without being too overbearing. There is also a decent range of facilities available to the guests, including Wi-Fi, parking, bar, pool, laundry, and spa.
9. Dorp Hotel
Situated on the mountainous slopes of the Signal Hill, Dorp is a place that is lavish, yet unpretentious. With its super cute fairy-tale gardens and unconventional spaces, the hotel is one of its kind. It’s a product of a creative maverick, giving you a lodging experience that is unmatched.
The hotel has a compound containing buildings that are inspired by the Georgian style. It’s a very pretty space with a garden giving every photograph of yours a beautiful background. The hotel is also very generous with its service giving its guests double volume spaces, rugs that are layered, and a cabinet full of drinks. Each room has a unique touch to it. There is also a conservatory with a shower for you to enjoy.
The facilities include two pools, out of which one is only accessed by the guests of just one special room, bar, laundry, parking, restaurant, and Wi-Fi. Since the hotel is located in a Muslim neighborhood, you may not get to buy liquor. However, Dorp allows you to bring your own or request for some.
10. MannaBay
A hotel on the slopes of Table Mountain, MannaBay is a lodging that will give you the real luxury feel with breathtakingly beautiful views of the city and the mountain. The atmosphere in the hotel is kept very intimate with a service that is very personal and generous.
The interior of the hotel is sumptuously decorated with a very well kept garden on the terrace, having a fire pit and a bar. The rooms are also very private and intimate since also there are only 8 of them. The kitchen is sort of an open-planned one, and the butler service is available on-tap. The style and character of the hotel speak about the boutique nature of MannaBay that includes dramatic walls, monogram linen, and a diverse set of furniture.
The service of MannaBay is more like a guesthouse than a hotel, yet the care you will receive from the hotel is unmatched. The managers here can make a reservation on your behalf for dinner with their comprehensive knowledge, and you can also get complimentary transportation to that restaurant.
Transportation to the airport is also free. Other services and facilities include laundry, sauna, fitness center, bar, pool, and Wi-Fi. You can also get a complimentary phone, which has a local SIM card installed and provisioned, giving you readily available access to a directory of important phone numbers. This particular service makes the place more personal and home-like for its guests.
Conclusion
It’s true that finding the perfect place to lodge in a completely new city is daunting for tourists and visitors. Hence, we’ve prepared this extensive guide that will greatly help you figure out where to stay in Cape Town, with all the best options considered.
From exclusive and luxurious boutique hotels to small and cozy guesthouses, South Africa offers a variety of places for you to stay at while you visit the city. Some situated on the slopes of the mountain while others overlooking the beaches of the city, the hotels in South Africa offer something unique to all their guests.
It could either be in terms of service or views, but each hotel has its own way of making you mesmerized and helping you in feeling comfortable.
You can choose the hotels based on what you prefer more. For some guests, it’s the budget constraint, while for the rest, it could be anything from the service to the style and design of the hotel.
Whichever is the deciding factor for you, we hope that with this guide, you will be able to pick the place that suits you more and offers services that you are looking for. You can stop worrying about lodging in the city and explore South Africa with more ease and comfort.
