The classiest five-star in the Waterfront is back on form. Built on its own quay – views of Table Mountain and the marina to one side; shipyard repairs to the other – the hotel has always enjoyed an enviable position, providing easy access to the pedestrian pleasures of the Waterfront yet showcasing that this is still a working harbour. In 2024, new owner AccorHotels closed the hotel for 10 months and asked 15o8 London to refashion what had morphed into a rather fuddy-duddy interior, completely overhauling the public spaces to improve flow and facilities, and better frame the views. It’s a great success, and features inviting new spaces like the Library Lounge where mid-century and Art Deco touches complement a mix of original hotel features and contemporary art. Bedrooms, always spacious, are now cool and uncluttered, plush in finish, restrained in style. With virtually the same front office team, the hotel’s reputation for personal professional service is undiminished. And the reimagined Bascule, Cape Town’s cosiest bar with the largest selection of whisky by the glass, is a drawcard in its own right.