When my friend and I were researching where to stay in Cape Town we looked for somewhere relatively swanky (we thought we should treat ourselves) but we also wanted to stay somewhere with a warm and friendly atmosphere. ‘2Inn1 Kensington’ seemed like the perfect place and when we arrived we weren’t disappointed!
From the hotel manager to the cleaners, the staff were some of the friendliest people we had come across and from the moment we arrived we felt very well looked after. They were particularly helpful when booking excursions around Cape Town and had lots of ideas and recommendations about where to go. The rooms were large and comfortable, there was air con, TV, iPhone charger and speaker and even a local mobile phone that we could use free of charge to call taxis. It felt like they had thought of every way possible to make the hotel a home from home. The food was delicious and breakfast was included in the price! There was a varied choice of delicacies and they even made things to order, although as far as I could see there was nothing missing! This was definitely one of the nicest hotels I had ever stayed in, the only criticism being that it was slightly off the beaten track but this meant it was very peaceful and the taxis were pretty cheap anyway. By the end of the first week we really didn’t want to leave but decided that it was important to do some exploring so forced ourselves out of our haven in search of another idyllic place to stay.
Again we were not disappointed, finding a slightly cheaper place called ‘Blackheath Lodge’ that was situated right by the seaport. The guesthouse has retained some of its 1980s Victorian style but was also recently renovated to encompass a unique African charm. It is painted white and surrounded by palm trees and beautiful flowers. The veranda looks out to the swimming pool and is a lovely place to drink champagne and coffee. The rooms are spacious and have all been decorated in a very distinctive and personal way, my room had a chandelier and a mirror ball, which made me feel a little glam, a little 70s disco, which is no criticism! Even the shampoo and soap feels unique, made by a local shop, there was none of the horribly scented cheap stuff you get in most places! The rooms are also very clean with the sheets changed everyday. Similarly to 2Inn1 Kensington the breakfasts are to die for! For a start I’ve never been a coffee drinker but the fresh dark ground coffee smell caught me by surprise and by the end of the week I was an addict, luckily there is not coffee nice enough to seduce me in England! Most mornings we ended up having a double or even triple breakfast as we’d start healthy with granola and yogurt, then we were offered a cooked breakfast which looked so delicious it was hard to resist, then sometimes (only sometimes) we would finish with some watermelon. Absolutely scrumptious! And if we were lucky we were full until dinner so we spent less money than expected.
We had an amazing stay in Cape Town, everyone seemed to go out of there way to be helpful and make us feel completely at home, so much so that my own home just doesn’t feel the same anymore! Now that’s good hospitality! For more information visit Cape Town MyDestination.
By Jessica Carmody
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