One&Only Cape Town
SOL Kerzner, who arguably has done more for the South African hospitality industry than any other, has marked his return with One&Only Cape Town after an absence of more than a decade, while he built hotels abroad – most notably at Atlantis in the Bahamas. Even in his Sun City days, Kerzner was the one who brought in the stars.
He did it here at the launch of One&Only Cape Town listing Nelson Mandela, Clint Eastwood, Matt Damon, Mariah Carey, Sharon Stone, Morgan Freeman along with internationally famed restaurateurs Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsuhisa as opening guests.
Cape Town-based architects Dennis Fabian & Berman and Ruben Reddy ensured the seven-storey Marina Rise integrates well with the Waterfront.
Most spectacular is the three-storey window as a glass gateway to Table Mountain which gives the hotel its sense of place. There is a unique One&Only sandalwood scent and New York-based interior designer Adam D. Tihany’s use of oversized items in the public space anchors the hotel’s interior in a series of intimate spaces within one massive public area. The forty Island suites bracketed by the V&A Marina are a surprise and a delight.
The resort’s rooms and suites, claimed to be the largest in Cape Town with a minimum size of 63 square metres, all have a private terrace or balcony. The rooms at the 91-key Marina Rise have panoramic views of Table Mountain.
Two suites offer their own en suite spa treatment rooms to afford guests maximum privacy and relaxation. The resort’s main pool area, located on one of two private islands linked by bridges, features a 350-square metre freeform, infinity-edge oxygen-rich swimming pool, a private sitting area with double chaise lounges for sunbathing and shaded trellis pavilions for those seeking respite from the sun.
If you’d like to enjoy the pool, my recommendation is to stay on the Island. Traipsing through the hotel bar and lobby in swimming trunks will only be appealing to the most out-going of guests. I think it inexcusable that there aren’t changing facilities at the pool.
It won’t be long before other deluxe properties also charge upwards of R22 for coffee. The One&Only is also setting a new standard in rack-rates, some 10% higher than The Cape Grace, rooms amongst the most costly in the city.
Dining at Nobu Cape Town is as exquisite as doing so at Nobu in New York without the one-month queue. The sushi bar is a no-reservations space and it is possible to find fine sushi on a whim. I look forward to dining at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze on my next visit.
I was very impressed with the KidsOnly Club for younger guests of 11 and under, which offers daily complimentary supervised activities including full and half-day programmes. Today’s captains of industry elect to travel with their families and this hotel not only understands that but welcomes it. I haven’t seen another local hotel with such an impressive facility.
One&Only Cape Town is a remarkable hotel that will raise the bar for every other property, especially those in the Cape Town/Waterfront area. Contact the resort directly at +27 21 431 5800 or email reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com
[18-May-09]
Brian Berkman
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