Cape Town - When staying in a hotel you should always open all the drawers and cupboards. That way you will never miss a thing. Like the fabulous silver-grey velvety robe you get in the luxury suites at Premier Hotels Cape Manor.
It was very difficult to unwrap myself from it and leave it behind, but since I’ve grown up a bit the only thing I steal from hotel rooms these days is the pen. You can never have enough pens. Too many maybe, but that’s not the same.
Last weekend I spent a night in a suite at this lovely place, which is almost on the Sea Point beachfront.
From the eighth floor corner position it may just as well be because the view is unhindered. The sea-facing bedroom and separate lounge both have big sliding doors which I immediately opened to let in the breeze, which teased romantically at the curtains. And the sound of the waves. Maybe it’s something clever to do with height and acoustics but the ocean was loud enough to drown out the traffic.
There could be truth in the theory that white noise helps you sleep better, because I did exactly that.
If the outside coming inside is all too much for you, when the doors are closed it’s miraculously silent in the suite. You could turn on the air-conditioning but for me nothing beats going au naturel.
So determined was I, that I put an extra blanket on the bed rather than the heating.
The hotel’s website has a simple description which doesn’t do it justice. The aforementioned air-con, along with en suite bathroom, hairdryer, safe, DStv, tea and coffee making facilities, and telephone all sound so basic. I’ve stayed in backpacker hostels that have had most of those things.
The suite is large and very comfortable with a big plump couch and leather ottomans in the lounge, which has a marble-topped dining table and open-plan kitchen with a microwave.
The windows are floor to ceiling, to make the most of the view.
To welcome me, there were Lindt chocolates, a bottle of bubbly on ice, and a fruit platter.
Decorated in soft hues of creams, beiges, and browns, the mini apartment is warm and inviting.
Opening more doors I discovered it can interlead with a second suite.
The bathroom scored points for having soaps at all the critical points; there’s nothing worse than having to hop and skip from shower to bath to basin, rotating one miniature cake.
The hotel’s restaurant serves breakfast (with morning papers like Weekend Argus, full marks for that), lunch and dinner. There is 24-hour room service, a pool deck, and some of the friendliest staff I’ve encountered. On one lift trip even the maintenance guys asked me how I was enjoying my stay.
The location is such that you can walk on the promenade (see story below), or pop up to busy Sea Point Main Road to look at the shops, eat at any of the dozens of restaurants, go to a bar or nightclub.
l Premier Hotels Cape Manor is at 1 Marais Road, Sea Point. Call 021 430 3400 or see www.premierhotels.co.za
Weekend Argus