Cape Town recommendations
 

Family of 4 (2 boys, 8 and 9) planning to go to Cape Town next Christmas/NY.

Just booked outbound flights on Avios then tried to book O&O but had been booked out since Oct apparently. Any other recommendations?

Tried to search the forum but couldn't find a Cape Town specific thread. Apols if there is one.

Thepuma - There are a few threads about Cape Town and South Africa in general. The consensus is that the Cape Grace is the best hotel, the Mount Nelson the most characterful and traditional. The Taj and O&O follow up behind. The Queen Victoria and the associated Dock House also have their adherents. I was in Cape Town two weeks ago and stayed at none of these. We stayed at the Table Bay and are glad we did. It's perhaps a bit big and packagey but our room was perfect and we also liked the outdoorsy-resort-like ambience of the hotel. Best of all, though, were the views which are probably unrivalled. Here's a photo taken from our 7th floor room -

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1569/...b4ae9fd8_z.jpgCape Town, South Africa by UltraPanavision, on Flickr

Many thanks Pausanias.

I had looked at Table Bay but was put off by the Tripadvisor reviews which seemed to suggest it was a bit tired.

I've provisionally booked the Cape Grace.

Here are threads for some additional reading:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...tern-cape.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...staurants.html

I'm a Mount Nelson fan, myself.

I didn't think the Table Bay was tired, though I was tired . . . tired of all the squalor we saw in Togo Benin and Angola. But nothing prepared us for the appalling poverty and squalor only a mile or two from these smart Cape Town hotels. Rainbow nation? I think not. I did think the Cape Grace looked a bit dark and stuffy for our taste and we decided against dining there. We wandered into the Mount Nelson and that looked gorgeous. With young kids . . . . mmm, not so sure about either, though the Mount Nelson does have extensive grounds and a big pool.

I love the Nelly. My impression is that multi generational families return Christmas after Christmas.

The Taj doesn't have an outside pool. Mount Nelson has an adults only pool as well. Breakfast needs improvement.

I'd never want to return to the O&O again. Tacky hotel.

Another rave for the Nellie, I would imagine that the grounds would be gorgeous for Christmas!!

Ellerman House is pretty amazing too. I second Cape Grace. Ellerman House does have a new house being built starting last week, but I don't know when it will be done.

I don't get why the One&Only is so popular...

Another Mount Nelson fan here - I'm sure they do Christmas very well there which will be important for the kids.

Pod in camps bay was fab!

We stayed at Cape Grace over this past New Years and overall was pleased. I'll post a more complete review in due course, but in the interim...

1) F&B is quite good.
2) The hotel has a traditional feel inside but is pretty well kept.
3) The pool is unique in its layout but was a fun layout in a small size.
4) We had two connecting rooms and the connection setup was ideal as there is a corridor between the bedroom and bath area that also serves as the connector (versus connecting right off the bedroom). Our kids are 12 and 9, and this was ideal. For younger kids, the connecting setup here may feel too far away.
5) Despite having rooms available on our day of check out, the hotel initially declined to accommodate any sort of late check out on a Virtuoso booking. A LOT of haranguing from me got a 3pm check out on one room. If returning and late check out may be important, I'd book via FHR to guarantee 4pm.
6) Location is in the middle of all the action on the V&A waterfront. (Think NY's South Street Seaport x 10.)

We have stayed at the Radisson Blu the past 3 years, most recently in Feburary, and the two previous years in November. If you get a business room, you will have fantastic views of table mountain/V&A waterfront, and breakfast will also be included, and is served outside overlooking the ocean. -I definitely recommend it.

I think Ellerman House is terrific! It is not far from the center although it is a taxi or car trip of 15 min. The rooms are great, service is great. We love it. However, they have informed us there will be major construction going on in front of the hotel which has already started and will go til about Sept 2017. We will be there in July but are there Sat night and Sunday night which will mean we avoid the noise from the construction. We are also staying in a room where the view is not really impacted. we will leave Monday morning early enough to not be impacted, but if staying on weekdays I would recommend contacting the hotel. We would not have planned to stay during the week as we don't know the noise the construction will create.