civicmon

Good call. Appreciate the insight and Sea Point does make sense! Thanks for the response!

DavidDTW

Can someone provide a comparsion between Protea North Wharf and Waterfront Breakwater? Looking for into on the property and location. Those are the two choices I have at this time, so please no need to comment on the other Marriott branded hotels in Cape Town.

Thank you so much for any help!

allbrosca

No direct experience or not much detail. When I was there a few weeks ago one of my colleagues stayed at the Breakwater and had an enjoyable stay with no complaints. A few years ago I went to a reception at the North Wharf and the little I saw of the hotel gave me no cause for complaint. As for location, the Breakwater is steps from the V&A Waterfront which I generally feel safer around than where the North Wharf is. Of course the North Wharf is in the business district and steps from the Convention Centre, but I prefer the waterfront with the mall, shops, restaurants, etc (and security). I hope that helps a bit.

yscleo

We stayed at the Protea Waterfront Breakwater in Jan. The room was ok. We had a kettle, so was able to boil water, which we felt was important because you cannot drink water from the tab.

As a Plat, we got free breakfast. It was very good buffet breakfast. It was on a hill, and only a few minutes walk down, to where the HOHO buses started. It's by the V&A Waterfront, so quite convenient.

roastpuff

Stayed at the AC Cape Town twice on my past trip, and it was an excellent stay. Location is not the greatest in terms of walkable access to the V&A waterfront, but complimentary shuttle bus or cheap Uber fixes that. Breakfast was quite good, excellent spread. Room was comfortable, I didn't get an upgrade but oh well. Not the best views for "waterfront".

Staff was excellent, very prompt and warm service. Would stay there again if I returned as it was good value.

Radiation Station

It’s about a 10-15 min easy walk to the V&A waterfront!

LAX_Esq

Hi, I've read this and 2 other lengthy threads on South Africa hotels. We'll be in CPT for 2 nights for vacation, and mainly want somewhere very safe where we can avoid getting mugged. It seems that we should be near the V&A waterfront. We're trying to keep it in the low $100's/night, and the Radisson Blu is a little pricey.

FTers say that the Protea Waterfront Breakwater isn't ideal safety-wise because it's not exactly on the waterfront. From Google Street View, the walk from the Protea Waterfront Breakwater to Dock Rd looks a little sketchy, so I see what folks are saying.

Is this also the case with the Commodore and the Portswood? I'm looking at Google maps and the Portswood seems to be inside a complex off of Portswood. Do you still need to walk up to Dock Rd and around to get to the waterfront?

We're also looking at the Radisson Red, but some people say it's like an overpriced hostel and isn't exactly near the waterfront either.

Thanks very much for the advice.

[EDIT: someone here says about Protea and Commodore in an old 2010 post: "Both hotels are a few minutes walk from the V&A, no problem at all (the parking garage - same for both of them - has an entrance into the V&A, actually)." https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13788428-post9.html . Curious if that's accurate.]

allbrosca

I have stayed at all 3 (Portswood, Commodore and Radisson Red). All 3 seemed safe to me. From the Portswood you can take an elevator down to the ground floor, exit the busy parking lot and cross the street and you are in the V&A waterfront. Commodore is also close by. There is an external elevator that does the same. Not sure if there is an elevator that does this in the hotel. I stay at these two hotels because I feel safe being in the V&A Waterfront. Radisson Red is right in the V&A Waterfront Silo area right beside the very exclusive (and expensive) Silo hotel. I enjoyed my stay there but the clientele is generally quite young and the rooftop bar has a bit of a scene. But it is very nice. Last time I stayed in Cape Town (7 nights in February) all 3 of these hotels were around the same price and I picked the Portswood. A lot of cruise passengers were staying there. I hope that's useful. Also, none of these are Marriott hotels. I have been able to find the V&A Hotel and Table Bay Hotel for similar rates at different times and if they were competitive, I would pick them. Table Bay Hotel first. It's connected to the V&A mall.

itsme

I think there are 5 Marriott properties in Cape Town, SA, including a Westin. Any thoughts about these hotels, including the AC Waterfront? Locations from standpoint of convenience, neighborhoods, and safety? I have confidence in the Marriott brand, but a bit hesitant in view of remarkably cheap rates and advice of some people from there.

Also, is Uber from airport into town and then around town? Does one have to go Black to be safe and comfortable?

Can one find abalone, which is heavily poached, in seafood or Chinese restaurants?

maisondubonheur

My preferred one is the Protea Sea Point. Very nice restaurant options around. Easy to get an Uber too. It's a pretty cheap option, but a solid decent 3 stars hotel. Westin is sadly way overrated these days. It used to have one of the best breakfast lounge in the world....but that's 15 years ago!

itsme

Abalone, is it available in other than seafood and/or Chinese restaurants?

Is Uber a convenient and safe way to get around, including between downtown and airport? Should one opt for Black service? I have Uber app on my phone here, will I have to load it one my phone there?

escapefromphl

Only farmed Abalone is available, your best option is to order direct from one of the farming operations. There may be some specialty fish markets selling it as well.

Uber is going to be as safe as most locations, the driver history and ratings are your best indication.

catocony

1) The AC is a complete disaster. It's across a fence from an operational dock, so if you like the sound of cranes offloading container ships all night long, go for it. Also, it's pretty isolated. The walkway from it to the V&A area is closed, so you have to Uber around everywhere.

2) You'll need to use Uber since there are no taxis. No need for Uber Black from a safety perspective. I had no issue with regular Ubers, just keep in mind that the cars are generally small and beat up. No safety issues but more of a comfort issue. That said, hardly any cost more than a couple of $US dollars to get around in.

yscleo

We stayed at Protea Waterfront Breakwater earlier this year. It's safe and convenient. From the breakfast area, if sitting outside, you can see the main station for Hop on Hop off.

This hotel is on a hill. Easy to take stairs down, and you're walking in V&A Waterfront.

It's safe. Easy to get uber. Very good breakfast (free for Plats and up). We ordered dinner one night. Good and inexpensive.

wkc

Do the hotels in Cape Town manage room occupancy in a manner similar to Japan?

I am seeing a slight price difference between 1 guest and 2 guests in my Marriott searches.