Cape Heritage Hotel, Cape Town

Celebration of local, traditional and modern

This is one of the best city hotels I have ever stayed at. With a penchant for character, I have always been drawn to historic hotels. This is not without its risks – think musty curtains, dodgy plumbing, creaking stairs and dark, pokey rooms. Not this one. I don’t quite know how they have done it, but the Cape Heritage Hotel in Cape Town is the perfect blend of old and new.

One of the oldest buildings in Cape Town, the hotel has been perfectly preserved. The walls are at least half a meter thick, with deep-set sash windows. The original wooden stairs are solid (and cleverly carpeted in the middle). There are fresh, modern fabrics throughout and the décor is both tasteful and creative. Local vibrant South African art celebrates the context and brings colour and texture to every room. Beautiful modern-but-traditional wall-mounted lights fittings and chandelier add elegance and grandeur. The hotel prides itself on its glamorous and spacious bathrooms, which are a delight to experience.

A sumptuous breakfast is served in the sunny courtyard next to the oldest living grape vine in the city.

Accommodation Experience:

Unusually, I choose one of the standard rooms at the Cape Heritage Hotel, because I have fallen in love with the elegant bath placed in the bedroom up against a high window. The bed is equally pretty and superbly comfortable. I wake early and roll over to find a perfectly positioned light fitting within easy reach. I look around and realise that every single luxury feature in the room is well chosen, and perhaps more importantly, functions effectively. There are thoughtful extra touches – a well placed extending mirror in the bathroom, a glass jar with cotton wool, a heated towel rail. I have a moment, like at the end of a great stage performance, where I want to first sit silently nodding in appreciation, then break out in quiet, slow, lengthy applause.

Brenaissance Wine Estate, Stellenbosch

Moment of Gratitude

Here’s a happy find – beautifully decorated and luxurious rooms on a wine estate near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. Primarily a wedding venue, Brenaissance Wine State offers sophisticated accommodation in rooms overlooking a pretty chapel, vineyards and mountains beyond.

French country-themed rooms with stylish black and white décor are cool and inviting. The large, white porcelain tiles, silver-framed mirrors, sparkling chandelier and clean white linen have a calming, and at the same time pampering effect. A felt throw, provincial style cushions and thick-pile grey carpets lend warmth and texture to the scene.

Accommodation Experience:

For once I am not travelling alone for work. I celebrate this pleasing situation by booking us into the “Bridal Suite” at Brenaissance, a romantic luxurious room decorated in cool white, silver and grey. 

The walls are painted in quirky, wide silver and white stripes and the white-painted exposed roof trusses add instant character. The bathroom has a gorgeous slipper bath, double vanity, double shower and chandelier. The room is well situated at the far end of the row of rooms, with a private patio complete with loveseat.

We sit outside appreciating the view and the marvelous rich, oak-matured red wine produced on the estate. As our cheeks turn rose-coloured, so do the mountains, lit by the gradually setting sun.

The Jewish concept of Dayenu comes to mind – “it would have been sufficient”. Dayenu is said or sung in gratitude for leading us this far in life - if we had only received this freedom, that would have been enough. And of course the song implies that we have received so many more gifts than that. We cannot know what the future brings, but for that which we already have received we are grateful – for bringing us safely to this moment in time, for our freedom, for our relationships and for our life and energy.

La Residence Villas, Franschhoek

Rhythms of Grace

I recommend a week’s personal retreat at La Residence Villas in Franschhoek (see www.laresidence.co.za). A row of stylish garden suites, the magical healing formula of these villas is a holistic combination of dramatic views, glamorous décor, clever design and impeccable service. Create your own unique package, choosing from a lengthy menu of treatments, including idle flotation in blue-grey swimming pools, massages and various spa options, fabulous food and wine to lift any spirits, and a kind ear of hospitable staff.

Of course my treatment of choice is simply to gaze upon the rich and creative décor of each suite at La Residence. Sumptuous and daring combinations of purple, cerise and gold hues do their work on my psyche. I marvel at the artistic combinations of colours created by our very own South African version of Trisha Guild, Liz Biden. Marbled floors, gilded mirrors, floating chandelier, and upholstered headboards come together in a fusion of antique meets modern.

Renowned for over-the-top luxurious bathrooms, each bathroom at La Residence is a veritable suite unto itself. Here many restorative hydrotherapy hours may be spent, accompanied by sensual Charlotte Rhys products and mountain or botanical views.

Each of the five villas has a different compilation of rooms but looks outwards onto the Franschhoek mountains and La Residence vineyards and plum orchards. Designed with families in mind, the spacious villas of La Residence are a place of freedom to relax and be oneself.

Accommodation experience:

I have come back to Franschhoek for the many inspiring activities in the area – touring wine farms, eating at some of the world’s best restaurants, shopping, walking and cycling. Yet in this sumptuous haven of La Residence, I find myself unwilling to leave the beauty of my suite. I struggle with this urge to sink mindfully into the simple experience of staying in, with a sense of guilt at letting go of my inconsequential plans. But sometimes the mind and body simply know what they want, and it is necessary to forgo one’s enthusiastic predetermined ideas to follow the deeper rhythms of grace. I gratefully succumb to this invitation to do exactly as I please, to restore my energy and sense of balance.

Quarters Hotel on Florida, Morningside, Durban

Professional with Soul

 

It was always going to be a success – taking a vintage building, in a convenient part of fabulous Durban, restoring it expertly and decorating it with understated elegance. Quarters Hotel on Florida is located in the restaurant-rich area of Morningside, with easy access to Berea, the city centre or Durban North. 

Catering for business clients and holiday makers, the hotel has all the modern conveniences, such as 24 hour reception service, good security, wifi, a desk in each room as well as a large, flat-screen television. Attentive and well trained staff are efficient and helpful. A conservatory-style popular local restaurant serves delicious meals, while a garden bar lends a holiday feel and is a cool place in which to enjoy an icy drink.

But what draws me to the hotel is the pretty Victorian buildings, with covered verandahs, high sash windows, spacious air-conditioned rooms, and modern yet traditional décor. My suite has a sleigh bed with restrained, finessed fittings and up-to-date fabrics. There is a marble-tiled bathroom with a large clear-glass shower and bath. 

Accommodation experience:

If this hotel was a person I would describe it as a successful professional with soul. I notice that there are many fellow business travelers staying at the hotel, many of whom are also female. The hotel subtly caters for a wide range of executive needs, and the restaurant offers a diverse menu, from the rich and fanciful to the homely and healthy. 

Travelling alone on business can be a lonely experience, and I am grateful to be in this space which seems to understand my needs and offers a gentle comradery in a pretty and inspiring setting.

5th Seasons Guesthouse, Nelspruit

Lowveld Classic

Gorgeous little cottages set up against a high koppie (stone hillside), made of classical tin walls and wooden decks which are so quintessential to this Lowveld region, I am well pleased to have discovered 5^th Seasons Guesthouse in Nelspruit (Mbombela). 

The beautiful décor manages to be both stylish and minimalist, always a happy combination in my world. Naturally themed, choose between the Bird Room, the Tree Room and the Botanical Room, all identical in layout. With a slipper bath, King sized bed, a couch, kitchenette, double cottage-pane doors and a deck opening out onto a spacious view, the huts are well designed and thoughtfully finished.

Each cottage has an individual parking bay, with private access through a raised wooden walkway. The hillside is covered in big rocks and large-rooted trees and is home to many indigenous bird species. The cottages are situated 5km outside of Nelspruit (Mbombela) on the R40 towards Barberton in Mpumalanga.

Accommodation Experience:

Called “Kruger Park nerds” by our family and friends, we were planning to head out at dawn’s first light from 5^th Seasons Guesthouse in Nelspruit, where we had stopped over on our way to our beloved Park. But somehow the gentle slowing of the Lowveld has infiltrated this place. We find ourselves in no hurry at all to leave the guesthouse, first lying under soft covers as long as we like, then sitting outside on the high deck, drinking coffee while enjoying the sounds of the many birds of this area. So lovely is this place that I even find myself wishing for another night here, as a transitional space between the hectic Real World and the otherworldly space of the Park.

St James on Venice, Morningside, Durban

Elegant Number

This is an elegant number – as classy as its name - the St James on Venice.  The guesthouse is a grand double storey building with curved balconies all around, glossy wooden floors and attractive finishings. It is well situated in breezy Morningside, Durban.

My room is decorated in soft grey, from the silvery headboard, to the damask-style wallpaper, cushions, blinds and grey suede couch. There are matching brushed silver wall lights. In one corner stands a handsome shaker-style wardrobe, while on the other end of the suite is a desk by the lovely bay window. Around the corner there is a modern, clear glass, spacious shower in an open-plan bathroom, with a separate, enclosed toilet.

Air-conditioning, large flat-screen televisions, a restaurant and active reception make this a convenient business stay. The guesthouse is set amongst established trees, with plenty of secure parking space and 24-hour security.

Accommodation Experience:

For a couch so stylish, it is surprisingly comfortable. I sink gratefully into it and I find I am perfectly placed within a private nook in the bay windows on both sides of this corner of my room, where I wile away the evening. There are happy sounds of staff from the kitchen and reception area, dogs barking across the road, and I enjoy the feeling of being part of it all and yet resting hidden in peace. The restrained but fashionable décor adds to the feeling of calm luxury. After a tiring day of work at the end of a busy year, I find this space restorative and inspiring. For a place so elegant, I have an inelegant fleeting image of myself holding onto this couch in the morning, being forcibly removed while begging to be allowed to stay and not have to go back to work.