WandertheWorld

Well we have an update…they moved us from Room 8 to Room 1. Now, supposedly both are considered Deluxe House rooms. But Room 1 has the stunning view we thought all did in that category. Placing both rooms at the same price point is unfair to the traveller as there simply is no comparison. My comment stands on the room looking a bit tired for such an outlay but the service, grounds (and now) room view makes up for a lot. The on duty house manager was very nice about hte whole thing but insisted that all rooms at the Ellerman are different so they are hard to compare. I get that but a partial ocean view and a modestly sized deck is NOT the same thing as a corner room with twice the sized verandah and a full on view.. And, the price differential should reflect that. I feel badly for the person(s) that were forced to accept room 8 at the same price point we are paying. Clearly an example of the squeaky wheel getting all the attention. But I would say to anyone staying here be forewarned that you must be careful about not only what category of room to book but the specific room as well. I can attest that room 1 is terrific. Apparently the Classic category of room here is not so hotsy totsy as when we initially complained he mentioned that he was also trying to move a couple booked into a Classic to a higher category because those rooms are truly disappointing. I am aware that older properties can sometimes have widely varying room quality even in the same category but I typically avoid these unless I know from experience which rooms to book.

WandertheWorld

This is not Cape Town specific but more regional:

Delaire Graff Lodge in Stellenbosch: An amazing place and for us the true high light of the trip. All suites verging on villas with superb service. Views of the looming hills and rolling vineyards coupled with manicured lush grounds and unique and dramatic art and sculpture make it one of kind. The staff were great. Some reviews complain of “nose in the air” crowd but we found all the aforementioned features make up for this and really it is t some of the other guests who are quintessentially DYKWIA—-and that is easy to ignore except perhaps at breakfast.

Thatch House in Hermanus: Also highly recommended. It is situated 10 minutes by car from the town, bounded by a pretty lagoon on one side and looming hills on the other. Very small, <10 rooms. We had the beautiful and enormous Lagoon Suite located on the second floor. Great breakfast and a nice heated pool.

Akademie Street Boutique Hotel: in Franschhoek Very well located and very atmospheric designed and furnished in the local Cape Dutch style. We had the largest room, mini villa really with its own private pool. As we were here in fall, the pool was not really useable as it was unheated. Wonderful staff. Breakfasts, while offering a diverse a la carte selection, were fine but not as good as other properties (to wit we had the French toast here, at Delaire and the Ellerman….at Akadmie it was merely okay while at the other hotels the presentations were picture worthy). To be fair Akademie is not really in the same league of luxury as the other two but value overall is better as it is a very fine property at less than half the price.

Bushman’s Kloof Lodge and Reserve; We are here now . The lodge is located 3 hour north of Cape Town in the Cederberg Mountains on its own private reserve. We are not going a on safari on this trip so this is as close as we can get to that experience within a reasonable drive of Cape Town. We are in the riverside suite and it does not disappoint. It is standalone with loads of privacy and its own heated infinity pool (or so we are told, the weather unfortunately is nasty with wind and rain). The reserve is starkly beautiful in a vein not to dissimilar to parts of Arizona near Sedona. Some wild life put not the big five—-baboons galore and antelope roam the property. It is all inclusive and the food, while not .gourmet is of high quality and abundant. There are guided bush walks (no luck for us yet due to weather) and multiple dining venues (again due to inclement conditions most not available to us). Again, recommended but just don’t expect the overall experience to equal that offered by the high end tented camps located elsewhere on the continent.

SanDiego1K

Great information, WandertheWorld I've just printed it out and added it to my South Africa file. Much appreciated.

Smiley90

I didn't stay there but visited Delaire Graff - Truly an excellent estate, FANTASTIC views and equally fantastic wines. And if you want to try more wines, there's Tokara across the street (though we liked Delaire Graff more. Their single terrace Chardonnay was... heavenly.) Excellent staff to customer ratio.