Cape Grace
Cape Grace occupies a genuinely unusual position within the V&A Waterfront. A private quay holds the property, surrounded on three sides by water. The working harbour sits on one flank, with an international yacht marina on the other. It’s a smaller hotel than several of its Waterfront neighbours, with 112 rooms and suites. As a result, this is a boutique property rather than a large resort. It sits, however, in the same district as some considerably bigger hotels.
Every room has a water view of some kind, whether over the harbour or the marina. Table Mountain forms the backdrop behind either outlook. That consistency matters more than it might sound. At hotels with mixed inventory, a poor room category can mean a wall view or a car park. Here, by contrast, the quay’s narrow footprint means the water is essentially unavoidable. This keeps the standard high across the board, rather than concentrated in a handful of premium categories.
The hotel’s position on its own quay gives it a slightly removed feel from the busier parts of the Waterfront. It still sits a short walk from the area’s restaurants, the craft market and the aquarium. It’s the kind of location that suits travellers who want Waterfront convenience, without the busiest foot traffic right outside. Guests can walk to dinner easily, yet still come home to something quieter.
Cape Grace’s reputation among repeat Cape Town visitors tends to centre on its level of detail and personal service, rather than any single headline feature. It doesn’t have the scale of One&Only’s island wing or the historical weight of Mount Nelson. Instead, it offers a tightly run, well-styled hotel. The small things — the quality of the welcome, the attentiveness of the concierge, the consistency of the rooms — are where the value sits. For travellers who’ve stayed at the bigger Waterfront properties before, Cape Grace is a natural next step toward something quieter and more personal.
Access is straightforward. The hotel sits roughly 35 minutes from Cape Town International Airport. Its Waterfront position, in addition, puts the city centre and the cable car up Table Mountain within a short drive or walk. A wide spread of restaurants and shopping sits nearby too. For a first stay in Cape Town, the location does most of the practical work. What the hotel itself adds, however, is the sense of a smaller, more considered stay within that convenient setting.
Why Stay Here
- A private quay setting with water on three sides and a Table Mountain backdrop from every room
- Genuine boutique scale — 112 rooms — within easy walking distance of the V&A Waterfront’s restaurants and attractions
- Consistently high room standards, since the quay’s layout means every category has a real water view
- A quieter, more personal alternative to the larger resort-style hotels elsewhere on the Waterfront
Accommodation
112 rooms and suites line the private quay, each with a view over either the working harbour or the yacht marina. Table Mountain stands visible behind both outlooks. The hotel’s relatively compact footprint, as a result, keeps the standard consistent across categories. The best views aren’t concentrated only in the highest-priced rooms.
Dining
Heirloom is the hotel’s main restaurant, built around seasonally inspired Cape cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. The setting leans on the warmth of South African hospitality rather than formality for its own sake. Bascule Bar sits on the edge of the marina and has built a genuine reputation independent of the hotel. Its whisky collection runs to several hundred bottles, among the largest in the country. Tutored tastings, a serious cocktail list and a wine cellar drawn from across the Cape’s winemaking regions sit alongside it. The Library Lounge, meanwhile, serves specialty coffee, pastries and afternoon tea in a quieter setting. A Pool Bar serves the hotel’s outdoor deck overlooking the yacht marina, with Table Mountain behind it.
Experiences
Bascule Bar runs daily tutored whisky tastings for guests wanting to explore its collection in more depth. A fitness studio on the top floor, in addition, looks out over the working harbour. On foot, the hotel’s Waterfront position gives direct access to the area’s restaurants. The Two Oceans Aquarium, the craft market and harbour walks all sit close by too. By car, meanwhile, the city centre, Table Mountain’s cable car and the Cape Peninsula sit within easy reach.
Best For
Travellers wanting a quieter, more personal alternative to the Waterfront’s larger resort hotels. Repeat visitors to Cape Town will also find a boutique-scale stay in a convenient location here.