High/Low: Cape Town
While the safari experience is what most travellers focus on, Africa has its share of great cities too. Cape Town is where our Africa planners threaten to move permanently every January. Here we break down two of our favourite places to stay on both ends of the spectrum.
High: Ellerman House
1,180 USD and up
Imagine everyone cleared out of Cape Town. Every single tourist and resident, just for a few days, and then it was just you and the ocean, alone at last. This is what staying at Ellerman House feels like. Perched on a cliff top in Bantry Bay with the very best ocean views of all, it’s the kind of place where you’ll find it difficult to see the city itself, since you won’t want to leave the property. Staying here is a splurge indeed, so you’ll want to make sure you have the time to spend enjoying the hotel itself—if you’re the type who’s always out and about it may not be for you. But if you’re a “hotel collector” (you know who you are), this will be the crown jewel of all your worldly stays. Included chauffeur service, breakfast, drinks, minibar, laundry and a private access art gallery all contribute to a top notch experience. Not to mention that the views from your balcony are worth the price of admission alone.
Low: InAweStays Garden Cottage
130 USD and up
There’s something to be said for an accommodation that feels more like a house than a hotel. The two-bedroom Garden Cottage on the InAweStays property is a perfect Cape Town home away from home for a couple or family. You’ll have your own private entrance off the main lodge with access to the pool, and views of the magnificent Table Mountain pretty much everywhere you look. Renovated by a creative designer in the magazine industry, it’s easy to see the care and thought put into the Garden Cottage. This is the way to live like a Capetonian, in a neighbourhood set apart from the overly-touristed waterfront and surrounded by the best local shops, bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Plus, with a shared pool and BBQ space you’re likely to meet some brand new friends to share your brand new home.
Amy Smithers squints at the hotel balconies across the street as hard as she can, but try as she might they never seem to compare with the ones at Ellerman House.
