Cape Town features a wide range of accommodation options for visitors, but there’s a range of exclusive boutique establishments throughout the city that strike the right note. If you’re looking for a personal touch in the true lap of luxury, look no further than one of these celebrated Cape Town boutique hotels.
The Grand Daddy Hotel, Cape Town
Boutique Hotel, Hotel, Independent Hotel, Bed and Breakfast
Grand Daddy Airstream Trailer | Courtesy The Grand Daddy Hotel
Even though The Grand Daddy Hotel is set on the lower part of vibrant Long Street, this boutique hotel manages to maintain a sense of calm and style. There are traditional hotel rooms available, but they are most famous for their incredible rooftop. There you’ll find several imported Airstream trailers, each of which has been masterfully decorated according to a specific theme. At certain times of the year there are functions and a cinema on the rooftop, and the glitzy indoor bar is a popular destination for locals and visitors come the weekend.
Ellerman House may have the best position on the Atlantic Seaboard from which to watch the sun slip behind the ocean. Though it may be hard to believe, there’s much more to this lavish boutique hotel than its spectacular panoramic views. Service at Ellerman House is unsurpassed, there’s an extensive collection of local art, and an in-house spa in which to truly unwind.
There are few hotel locations in the world as spectacular as Tintswalo Atlantic’s. It’s located on a small strip of land between the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive and the cool Atlantic Ocean in the outlying suburb of Hout Bay. There are just 12 suites at the hotel, each of which hovers tantalizingly over the ocean and is custom decorated to a specific, luxurious theme.
The tranquil City Bowl suburb of Higgovale is home to some of the country’s most expensive real estate. Accommodation in the area is usually in the form of guest houses and bed and breakfasts, with hotel options limited in the area. But Kensington Place is a superb boutique hotel nestled among the trees on a quiet street that ticks all the boxes for an idyllic stay. There are only eight suites on the property, but each is spacious and meticulously designed.
Most hotels in the V&A Waterfront precinct follow a similar approach—luxuriously modern, but relatively large and impersonal. Dock House is a boutique hotel and spa that bucks that trend and delivers all the intimacy of a small establishment just meters from the country’s most visited tourist attraction. The hotel has all the facilities you could wish for, including a spa, gym, pool, and garden, and the 1800s property lends them all an air of historical charm.
Welgelegen is a luxurious Victorian-style hotel centrally located in the Cape Town City Bowl. There are several popular restaurants and bars within easy walking distance of the hotel on the vibrant Kloof Street. Though when you see just how comfortable this boutique establishment is, you may not want to leave. There’s a pool, library, manicured gardens, relaxing courtyard, a luxurious in-house spa, free wifi, and flat screen television to keep you busy.
With space at a premium in the vibrant suburb of Camps Bay, many accommodation options tend to be smaller guest houses or boutique hotels. POD Hotel is one such establishment that’s made a name for itself as one of the most sought after accommodation options in the area. The hotel is just a short walk from the beach, but with each modern room offering mountain or sea views, and a small lap pool outside for guests to use, you may find it difficult to venture out into the real world.
This suburban boutique hotel is located in the trendy residential suburb of Tamboerskloof, on the slopes of Signal Hill. Though just a short walk away from some of Cape Town’s top bars and restaurants on Kloof Street, this chic hotel is pleasingly peaceful. They offer two room types and self-catering apartments which cater to different requirements and budgets.
The Glen is an elegant boutique hotel set in the Cape Town suburb of Sea Point. Its location away from the hustle and bustle of the Cape Town CBD makes this a popular choice for people to relax and unwind. There are several well-appointed rooms, suites, and apartments to choose from, as well as a spa and a restaurant for guests to use.
Cape Town’s Bree Street may have seen a resurgence of late, with several dozen top bars and eateries opening up along the busy strip, but it was one of the city’s first major thoroughfares. This is part of the charm of the Cape Heritage Hotel located on this popular street. It’s close enough to the inner-city action for you to simply walk, and yet the charming history of the building that dates back to the 1700s is enough to transport you to an altogether different era.
