One&Only Cape Town: Luxurious waterfront resort in City Bowl

I love Cape Town as much as the next wine-mad, coffee-drinking, selfie-taking visitor, but a visit to the Mother City needs to be practical and planned.

Every time I get to trade the City of Gold for a view of Table Mountain, I need to fit so much into my itinerary that the idea of luxury accommodation doesn’t even make a beep on my radar. Until I discovered the joys of a hotel stay at One&Only Cape Town.

It’s synonymous with luxury. The only cars that enter these gates are not driven by the owners themselves – so on the surface it’s not a place for someone who still shops for clothes on credit.

Marine Table Mountain room. Picture: One&Only

The One&Only Cape Town is a six-star oasis where everything slows down so that for brief moments the beauty of the mountain and the nearby waterfront are forgotten.

It’s not exactly the biggest hotel in the world, with just over 100 rooms, but it’s weird to want to spend so much time inside when beautiful Cape Town is calling – but that’s the magic of this playground.

With two restaurants, a luxury spa and a heated infinity pool, leaving the luxury of the resort is hard. But when you do, the best of Cape Town is just around the corner. The V&A Waterfront and Sea Point promenade are just a few steps from the hotel.

The hotel has maps available to provide details about the promenade, from running distances to points of interest along the way.

Pool area. Picture: One&Only

Green Point and Sea Point are, after all, a not-to-be-missed part of staying in the city bowl – so it’s great that it ties into the One&Only Cape Town experience.

Forget the oiled abs and purebred pooches leading beautifully made-up faces and bodies in athleisure wear down the Sea Point promenade. The Waterfront Marina has become Cape Town’s golden mile. Luxury car dealerships, yachts and some of SA’s priciest hotels line this spot next to the tourist clap-trap of the V&A Waterfront.

But it’s a room at the One&Only that really hooks you. Every room offers some panoramic spectacle, thanks to its perfect location. While the hotel (a place where the likes of Mariah Carey stay) doesn’t exactly offer budget-friendly dining you have to splurge at either Reuben’s or Nobu.

If you’re in the mood for something out of the ordinary, you can cross the lobby to Nobu. The restaurant is chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa’s first signature restaurant in Africa. The menu is a 360° introduction to Japanese fare and won’t disappoint.

‘The One Above’ penthouse. Picture: One&Only

But the latest touch of luxury just opened – One&Only Cape Town’s penthouse with unobstructed views of Table Mountain, Robben Island, Devils Peak, Lions Head, the Cape Town Harbour and the V&A Waterfront.

The exquisite, two-storey interior has four en suite bedrooms, three lounges, a library, reading corner and study with fireplace, gym and sauna, kitchen and scullery, a formal dining area, breakfast and coffee nook, an informal dining area and TV lounge, and two outdoor entertainment spaces – both with a pool, views and braai facilities.

If you’re in town, pop over to the bar for a good time.

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