The Bay Hotel

The palm-fringed beach of Camps Bay is ten minutes by car from Cape Town city centre. Here, facing the beach, is The Bay Hotel, a stylish, dazzling white, five-star, luxury hotel which reflects the glamour of Cape Town’s mini-Riviera. This is a truly lovely place to relax in the sun and get stuck into a good book, or stroll along the promenade, taking in the fresh sea air.

Facilities

A highlight of the hotel is the magnificent wooden deck area and main pool, with panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.

The hotel is very well-endowed with public areas: light, roomy lounges and entrance areas; a café serving healthy snacks and a deli; an attractive sports bar with terrace and a cigar bar for those who still partake of this pleasure. There’s a walk-in cellar where you can choose a bottle from the excellent collection to enjoy with dinner at the atmospheric and renowned Tides Restaurant.

The hotel has its own wellness salon specialising in skin and body care treatments.

You have complimentary access to a gym, and to tennis and squash courts, just a short walk away. Altogether, there are four swimming pools, or you can walk across the road for a bracing dip in the ocean.

Bedrooms

Most of the 72 bedrooms are of a similar spacious size. The difference is in the view: rooms face onto the sea, the pool or the mountains, and some have balconies. They are priced accordingly. There are also six splendid suites, each with a generous lounge and a host of extras.

Bedrooms are beautifully fitted out in taupe and white, with all the usual conveniences: bathrobes and slippers, mini-bar, air-conditioning, etc., with some more modern touches, like plasma screen satellite televisions, enhanced by lots of thoughtful extras - a pillows menu, for example.

Mountain-facing rooms are at the back and look straight out onto Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles range. Most have a private balcony. They also overlook the service road, which can be noisy in the mornings. Classic rooms are on the ground floor by one of the pools, and have private patios but no sea-view. Club classic rooms are a good choice, because these north-facing rooms offer views of Lion’s Head as well as partial sea-views. They do not have balconies. Premier rooms are mostly west-facing with sea-views; eight are north-facing and look out over the pool and Lion’s Head; three have mountain rather than sea views, but are double-sized. All have balconies. The Bay Hotel has two dedicated rooms for guests with disabilities.

Children

This is one for the over 12’s, but the lovely deck and pool, sports facilities and the nearby beach and promenade make it a good choice for teenagers