The Top Hotels to Book in City Bowl, Cape Town

Few Cape Town city centre hotels can compete with the sense of fun at the upscale Pepperclub Hotel, exemplified by the cinema and bakery-style cafe. A stay here offers much more than central accommodation, whether that means a house cocktail in the Paparazzi Bar or a treatment with Table Mountain views at the Cayenne Spa. The Loop Street location is superb – within walking distance of cafes, bars and restaurants – while the rooms and one- to three-bedroom suites are chic, ecofriendly retreats.

This classically styled hotel, with columns ringing the pool and rising from the marble lobby floor, is equally as impressive for its location between the city centre and the V&A Waterfront. The markets, museums and malls of the latter are on your doorstep, while the towers of downtown stretch towards Table Mountain, and major roads lead from the grand hotel entrance to the beaches and vineyards immediately beyond Cape Town centre. Like the public areas, the rooms and suites are fit for an emperor, with views of the city or Table Bay.

The design credentials of this chic hotel near the Company’s Garden park – the oldest garden in South Africa – are announced by the central atrium, where Signature Pod rooms extend over the plant-speckled communal space below. This luxury hotel quickly became a design landmark when it opened in 2009, thanks to head-turning features such as the 5,000-piece crystal chandelier in the bar. It has lost none of the lustre today, from the pool deck with views of the Lion’s Head bluff to rooms themed around Moët & Chandon or Glenmorangie.

For old-world luxury there’s simply no beating the Mount Nelson, fringed by rambling mature gardens with palms and fragrant roses. You can spend days at this Belmond hotel stretched out by the pool; taking gourmet afternoon tea in a sunshine-flooded conservatory; or getting jet-lagged muscles massaged in the Librisa Spa, which has a Finnish sauna and steam bath. Rooms are a picture of elegance, with the quaint detached cottage suites – complete with private verandas – a real highlight.

With million-dollar views straight out to Table Mountain, the Taj serves up the best of Cape Town. The location drops you in the thick of city life – you’re within walking distance of some of the hottest restaurants in the city, Heritage Square and the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum, showcasing 19th-century local Muslim culture. Stay put and – once you tear your eyes from the windows – classic luxury awaits with marbled bathrooms, an Indian-inspired spa with fragrant body rubs and a series of chandeliered restaurants and lounges.

When Cape Town days turn sweltering, the pool at this boutique stay is heaven-sent. If you can rouse yourself from the loungers, the location is pretty great, too, just steps from some of the finest Cape Town museums, including the South African National Gallery and the artefact-stuffed Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum. Fortify yourself with an al fresco breakfast at the Eighty-Ate restaurant, then head out for a hike on the majestic Table Mountain. On your return, a chilled glass of fizz will be waiting for you by the pool.

Now here’s a stay with real personality. The Grand Daddy, set in the restaurant hub of Cape Town, just a couple of blocks from popular Bree Street, is all heritage from the outside, with tall windows and grand columns. But step inside and you’re in the 21st century, with button-back leather headboards and metallic pendant lights. Want a really memorable stay? Book one of the seven rooftop Airstream trailers, each individually designed to evoke a South African road-trip vibe.

Now here’s a pool with a view! When you take a dip in the rooftop plunger at Park Inn, you’ll do it gazing out to Table Mountain. Book the right modern bedroom and you can practically see the South African peak from your bed or private balcony. For business travellers, there are desks and conference facilities plus a handy restaurant for burgers and pizzas, ideal if you’re too tired to head out after a long day.

History geeks will get goosebumps staying here, as the hotel is set in a listed monument where the Slavery Abolition Act was read out in 1834. On the edge of Greenmarket Square – a hotspot for African crafts and art – Inn on the Square still retains some of that 19th-century energy, with soaring ceilings and a generous wine list. But the modern comforts are ticked off, too, with fluffy duvets, business centres, fitness halls and restaurants.

Built in the 1780s, the shell of the Cape Heritage is properly old school – it’s even fringed by a historic grapevine that’s been soaking up the rays for 240 years. Step inside to echoes of the past via centuries-old floors and beams, in addition to a whole lot of modern-day funk, with quirky contemporary artworks, statement chandeliers and pops of colour. Seeking faithful old-world vibes? Stick to the suites, which have a more traditional feel.