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.

Goble Palms, Morningside, Durban

Edwardian Haven

The description of “a beautiful Edwardian Lodge, set high up on the ridge, overlooking the sea, in Morningside” was more than enough for me and I made my cheerful way to Goble Palms during mid-winter in ever mild and sunny Durban.

A Regency girl at heart, I was not disappointed by the grand scale of the rooms, high windows and double doors. True to their slogan “Contemporary Colonial Comfort”, the decor at Goble palms is opulent, rich and embracing. Oversized furniture matches the spaciousness of the rooms, while pale taupe brushed linen curtains and blinds provide a calming effect. Soft white cottons are offset against dark wooden furniture. Gilded lamp stands and carved golden mirrors punctuate the look with glamour.

What I love about Goble Palms:

• Interconnected Edwardian buildings with a clever use of space and rooms facing different directions
• Conveniently situated in a quiet, green suburb and high on a hill, but with easy access to Durban central or Durban North
• A multitude of verandahs and patios make the most of every aspect of the Durban sunshine and sea breezes
• High windows and double doors allow the rooms to feel light and airy despite their size
• Ball and claw baths face onto green palms outside
• Thick carpets, comfy couches, tiled bathrooms and cool white cotton bed-linen
• Friendly and professional staff
• Complementary sherry and Amarula liquor

Accommodation Experience:

I have heard it said that an extrovert draws energy from being with people, whereas an introvert draws energy from time alone. Goble Palms certainly caters for both – for the extroverts it is well placed near the trendy restaurants and clubs of Florida Road, while the manor house itself has plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas, creating small and larger sociable spaces in which to gather and process the day’s adventures in the company of others. However, I fall into the latter category, and after a week of intensive training, I am seeking solitude and stillness to recharge my social batteries. 

I am delighted to find my room both private and open to the lovely rustling palms. I partake in a strange, furtive dance, sneaking between my room and the communal lounge to swap mammoth, delectable decor books, one after another. I spend a happy, calm evening enjoying the books, my favourite pieces of music and the cool Durban breeze from my open double doors and bay windows. As dark falls, the glow of my bedside lamps create a halo effect of my four-poster mosquito net, contributing to the tranquil haven. As my stress levels decrease, I can indeed feel my creative and outgoing energy rising and soon I will be ready to go out into the world again with enthusiasm and zest – but perhaps not quite yet ...

Royston Hall, Umtentweni, Port Shepstone

The N2 South of Durban must be one of the prettiest highways in the country. The landscape opens out to soft grasslands and sugarcane fields, passing indigenous forests and breath-taking sea views. The road follows the coastline and every so often one crosses a dramatic wide river or gorge. Situated right on the curve of such a gorge and overlooking the impressive Umzimkulu River, is Royston Hall. A turn of the century manor house, Royston Hall has been beautifully restored to display its glossy wooden floors, grand staircase, carved fireplaces and wood-panelled dining room. 

Interior decorator Ria Hackland has lavished the home with sumptuous detail. Each room is individually decorated with bold use of colour, crisp cotton white linen and original wall art. The romantic Honeymoon Suite has a fireplace directly opposite the antique wrought-iron white bed. It, and the neighbouring Queen Room, has its own private outside access, where crowned hornbills gather for their morning brunch. For guests, indulgent breakfasts are served on the verandah with views of the river and forest beyond.

The house is set in a nature reserve, with thick indigenous forest and rich bird life. There are walking trails down to the river and to the neighbouring Country Club golf course. A boat may be taken on a scenic trip up the river or down to the nearby beach.

What I love about Royston Hall:

• The spectacular setting in a forest nature reserve on the Umzimkulu River
• Ancient trees dripping with Bromeliads, hornbills and other indigenous fauna and flora
• The Hall is conveniently situated half way between Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape
• It is nearby the beach and many attractions of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, while being cooled and quietened by the forest and river-side setting
• The safety of the home, as it is in a private nature reserve
• The original sprawling mansion with its high ceilings, spacious rooms and carved wooden fittings
• Deep verandah, patios and swimming pool
• Fireplaces, curved windows and arches, and original artworks
• Wrought iron and antique wooden beds, layered in white linen and lace effects
• Big towels, colour-coordinated to each room
• Two gentle speckled Great Danes and a Siamese cat who likes to be a part of every conversation

Accommodation Experience:

I love tours of gracious old homesteads, where one is shown every room. Ria is passionate about Royston Hall and makes the house come alive with detail and interesting stories about the history and inhabitants of the manor house. A born hostess, Ria “lives to feed people” and includes one openly into her home.  Whether a business stay, travel stop-over or longer respite, with the generous hosting, peaceful dogs and friendly cat, it seems one could be in danger of moving in and becoming so part of the family that one never quite finds the will to leave. 

Osborne House, Pretoria

Happy find

Finding a tranquil and stylish little haven in a convenient location within a big city is an exciting discovery. And I have to contain myself not to use too many indulgent adjectives, as this one is close to my heart. Situated in the leafy suburb of Brooklyn, right on the edges of busy Pretoria, Osborne House is everything a city character stay should be.

A historical building with rooms cleverly placed in different corners of the property, either facing the lush gardens or spacious pool. Each room is individually decorated with minimalist warmth, with trendy calm colours, the silkiest of linen, clean-lined antique furniture, and objects of interest. The host’s keen interest in decor is evident in every corner, with restrained use of beautiful upholstery, cushions and pictures. The resulting look is very South African, balancing the historical and modern with an easy style.

What I love about Osborne House:

• Pretty period building in a leafy suburb close to restaurants, embassies, government offices and businesses of Pretoria
• Owner-managed, with genuine hospitality and warmth
• Spacious rooms with every traveller convenience
• Classical wooden furniture, beautiful linen upholstery and elegant decor touches in every room

Accommodation experience

In my family we were always cautioned against too much enthusiasm about anything, with the well-intentioned concept that intense happiness often ends in disappointment and tears. So it was with secretive delight that I found myself hopping around my beautifully appointed pool-side suite. The understated, yet bold expression of the quintessentially South African look resonated with a happy hum. It is a clever creative space which can release such pleasure in the midst of a city work trip and Osborne House is recommended for even the most jaded traveller, with unbridled joy.

Abalone Place, Durban

My funny Valentine

I was looking for The One. If truth be told, I was always on the lookout. I had been searching for many years for the quintessential Durban character stay. And Abalone Place, in the trendy area of Glenwood, is just such a place. A classical 1927 Art Deco residence, with shiny stairways and floors, deep semi-enclosed balcony with full harbour views, and white painted double doors and windows towards every angle, Abalone House ticks all the boxes. Rich, yet restrained fabrics of South African birds and flowers have been used to create stylish seating areas in every possible corner.

 What I love about Abalone Place:

• Expansive Durban harbour and city views
• Beautifully restored, typical Durban 1920’s residence
• Original Art Deco fittings and traditional wooden furniture
• Deep private balconies with comfortable seating areas
• Lush, layered, modern South African fabrics which update the look while enhancing its integrity and quintessential Durban character
• Durban tropical and soothing colours – palm greens, soft blues and creams

Accommodation experience

There’s a reason why they call it falling in love, as opposed to stepping neatly into love. I was swept off my feet, flat on my face bowled over by Abalone Place. More of a Regency girl myself, I had always had a secret distaste of Art Deco style. As my trendy Cape Town friends waxed on about their favourite design, all I could muster was a lyrical “MmmMMmmMmm”. And here I was, no longer faking it, but head over heels with the naive simplicity of it all. True love happens upon us quite unexpectedly, disarmingly, and often not in response to anticipated beauty.

Being newly in love, sleep loses its desperate urgency, and I have woken earlier than needed, eager to enjoy my last few hours of this place. It is 4.30am, and Durban sleeps, though the views from the harbour to the South, and 2010 World Cup Soccer Stadium to the North are very alive with twinkling lights. I have opened the high bedroom windows to be closer to the view and to let in the sounds of the waking city. I spend time making the perfect cup of coffee and I take it out to the balcony where I sit, nestled amongst the cushions, journal on my lap.

I imagine how, living here in this vibrant city, one would gradually lose appreciation of these sounds and sights.  It is strange, how, with such a limited amount of time on earth, we so quickly allow life to become mundane and routine. We lose touch with the everyday, ordinary miracles of the views, the noises of country or city life, the taste of good coffee. We fall out of love with life. A stay in a new and exciting place offers the opportunity to re-awaken our senses, and an appreciation of not only the new and exciting, but the ordinary, everyday loveliness of our lives. Lasting love is perhaps not only the exciting new romance, but a reminder and a deepening appreciation of the fullness of what we already have.