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Waterfront
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is a stunning modern
development of shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and a marina. The Table Bay and
the Cape Grace are 5-Star luxury hotels within the complex, modern and very comfortable.
The V&A also offers a Holiday Inn, a Marriott, a Radisson and some very attractive
self-catering apartments.
GEM
The Mount Nelson Hotel
The famous Mount Nelson dates back to colonial
times. This superb Orient-Express hotel is set in beautiful grounds near the foot
of Table Mountain. The grounds are extensive and there are two swimming pools,
one busy and the other set aside for guests who would rather enjoy peace and quiet.
The rooms and suites are to a very high standard. The Green Park Wing is new and
very comfortable, while the Garden Suites offer an exclusive, peaceful situation.
Service and cuisine are to top international standards. Afternoon Tea at The Mount
Nelson is a Cape Town institution - a delicious buffet is served on the verandah.
Visitors are welcome as well as hotel guests (85 Rand per person - about £6).
The Mount Nelson offers full communications facilities, including fax and e-mail. Smaller
but also recommended is the Villa Belmonte, near the Mount Nelson. The Vineyard
Hotel has an excellent reputation and is situated in the suburb of Newlands, near
the rugby and cricket grounds. Like the Mount Nelson, The Vineyard offers a free
shuttle bus to and from The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
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The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
The Mount Nelson Hotel |
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GEM
The Bay Hotel
Delightful and luxurious modern hotel on the beachfront
at Camps Bay, only a few minutes drive from Cape Town. Beautifully furnished public
rooms with views of the sea. It's a top place to stay, but dinner was disappointing
on the night we visited the restaurant. There are plenty of alternatives within
easy walking distance including the excellent "Blues" - which is part
of the same hotel group!
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RASPBERRY
Whale Cottage (Camps Bay)
Pleasantly furnished and comfortable, but
certainly not "secluded and peaceful", being situated on a steep hill
with heavy traffic. Also at the time of visiting there were Grade 3 building works
which were not advised in advance, as would have been legally required had we
booked through a UK Tour Operator or Travel Agent instead of direct on the Internet.
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GEM
Blue Gum (Nr Hermanus)
Excellent! A newly-converted farm made into
luxurious guest accommodation with no expense spared. In the countryside, about
30 minutes from Hermanus to the West and the same to De Kelders and Gans Bay to
the East. There are lots of activities including 4-WD trek, hill walking, river
cruising, and whales and Great White sharks in season. Hermanus and in particular
De Kelders offer close-up views of Southern Right Whales. |
Blue Gum |
| The rooms
at Blue Gum are spacious, spotlessly clean and well furnished. There is a comfortable
Lounge and Bar in the country manor style, and a shady verandah. The food is first
class. The owner/manager Zane Gibson is an excellent host. He has a hands-on approach
and makes sure everything is just right. They are just finishing a new "Manor
House" wing, which will be very luxurious.
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GEM
River Manor Country House and Spa (Stellenbosch)
Stellenbosch can rightly claim to being amongst the most beautiful towns in the
Cape. River Manor is in a leafy avenue near Church Street. The hotel consists
of two superb 18th Century manor houses, both elegantly furnished and very comfortable.There
are two swimming pools.
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Above: Beautiful pools and gardens at River Manor
Below Left : Spacious Superior Rooms |
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A third building in the grounds offers beauty treatments - massage, facials, etc.
The superior rooms are spacious and air-conditioned. Leigh and Johan Swanepoel
and their team make guests most welcome. Thoroughly recommended! There are a number
of excellent restaurants nearby, including the excellent Wijnhuis, which offers
top cuisine and wines at reasonable prices. |
GEM
Roggeland (Nr Paarl)
Roggeland is an excellent small hotel, on the
outskirts of Paarl, with stunning views over the mountains. The farm-house and
outbuildings have been converted into comfortable accommodation. There is a swimming
pool and extensive lawns shaded by oak trees. Most guests stay on a half-board
basis, dinner at Roggeland being the stuff of legends! The cuisine is internationally
recognised as is the imaginative wine selection. | | 
Roggeland Country House |
| GEM
Grand Roche (Paarl)
The crown jewel of
the winelands, the Grand Roche is a manor house and farm, dating from 1707, transformed
into a top luxury hotel. A member of Relais et Chateaux. We had lunch on the terrace
overlooking the beautiful gardens with the mountains in the distance. The cost
came to £12.50 per person, including wine!
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The Grand Roche |
RASPBERRY
Rijks Country House Hotel (Tulbagh)
Featured in a number of
brochures and giving itself glowing descriptions on the Internet. HOWEVER when
we arrived there were ants all over the room. The bed cover was stained and holed.
Cobwebs festooned from beams. Insects 1cm long in the bed. Also the towels had
holes. Swimming pool not clean - dead insects etc . The wine from Rijk's Estate
is supposed to be terrific but we didn't stay long enough to find out. |
| If
you would like to contribute to Great Destinations or would like to nominate any
place you have stayed for as gem or a raspberry please contact Mike Webber at
Hendersons Travel in Hawick - Tel 01450 374471 or e-mail
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