Cape Town - The Three Cities Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel & Spa, directly across the road from St George’s Cathedral, is in the heart of Cape Town’s cultural quarter.
It consists of four historic buildings, which have been restored and integrated around a modern tower block, and the hotel echoes aspects of Nelson Mandela’s life. His image and life is celebrated in numerous statues, paintings and texts.
Accommodation and other rooms ring the vast central space (too big to be called an atrium), which are linked by walkways. It is a very impressive architectural design, with the lobby below, glass and sky high above, and the glass-sided gym seemingly suspended.
Decor is minimalist chic lifted with bright splashes of colour in a Europe-meets-Africa feel.
Our open-plan two-bedroom suite was also impressive. On a cold winter’s night we appreciated the underfloor heating. Both bedrooms were en-suite and the kitchen very well-equipped.
In fact, my chef friend Bruce commented on the quality of the cookware. There was also a concealed washing machine and tumble dryer, dining table and comfy lounge.
We didn’t quite have a mountain view, but an interesting perspective of some of Cape Town’s beautiful older buildings. It was worth getting up early to watch the city come alive.
The next morning, after a delightful breakfast in Doppio Zero restaurant, we headed to the large swimming pool on the seventh floor. Not that we swam, but the huge open rooftop space offered wonderful views and it was pleasant to occupy a lounger for a while before heading out.
Three Cities Mandela Rhodes Place is in the heart of the City Bowl area and it is only a short walk to Greenmarket Square, Company Gardens, Slave Lodge Museum, the National Art Gallery and so much more.
There are some intriguing antique and vintage shops right next door while hip and happening Long Street is a great place to people-watch over a drink or a meal, or for a bit of a jol. A great way to check it all out is to hire one of the bicycles from the lobby area.
It is only a short drive to the Table Mountain cable car, District Six Museum, Castle of Good Hope, and Victoria & Albert Waterfront. There we enjoyed a welcome lunch at Gibson’s Gourmet Burger & Ribs.
Rib starters were followed by huge burgers with great fries – a mix of potato and sweet potato. We especially enjoyed the Gibson’s Vintage Red wine, the friendly and efficient service, and the desserts. Bruce had a decadent cheesecake with a wafer basket of ice cream and I plumped for the Oreo and Bar One sundae.
During our stroll around the V&A Waterfront I unfortunately left my camera somewhere and it grew legs. Once back at the hotel I asked the front desk staff for directions to the nearest police station but they weren’t having any of it and I had the surprising pleasure of making a statement to the police in the comfort of the lobby couches.
Downstairs the hotel bustled as it is a popular conference venue. Motherland Coffee Company, which serves my new favourite, Fairtrade coffee, is a buzzy cafe convenient for informal meetings, whilst Doppio Zero – chic and cosmopolitan – is for serious dining.
As the name suggests,they serve fresh and authentic Italian fare, including delectable gelato, but also offers an extensive and flexible Mediterranean menu.
On the subject of food, it is worth noting the weekly Earth Fair Market, with its diverse array of fresh and locally produced foods, trades every Thursday in the adjacent upper St George’s Mall – unless it rains, in which case the market moves indoors to the hotel’s atrium.
Above the ground floor it was quiet and private. We tried out the well-equipped gym and checked out the calming Camelot Spa, with a flotation pool, treatment rooms for couples and relaxation area.
A return visit to the V&A found us at Baia Seafood Restaurant, which has wraparound views of the bay. The restaurant is, like the hotel, chic and contemporary – its sweeping terraces perfect for al fresco dining and its stunning centrepiece bar the perfect setting for a pre-dinner drink.
Bruce wolfed down plump and juicy oven-baked snails for his starter while I devoured a warm goat’s cheese salad, which included artichokes, grapefruit wedges, walnuts, cherry tomatoes and generous lime and honey dressing.
Next up was a fabulous seafood platter for Bruce while I savoured melt-in-the-mouth grilled kingklip with crayfish thermidor on a bed of sautéed spinach with a creamy garlic sauce, button mushrooms and asparagus.
Bruce’s semifreddo was silky smooth death-by-chocolate. My baked Lindt chocolate pudding was almost as decadent.
We waddled like penguins back to our zippy First Car rental, a Nissan Juke – and headed back to the hotel’s undercover parking, then straight to the lounge chairs on the pool deck.
Content indeed.
l Three Cities Mandela Rhodes Place and Spa: 021 481 4000, [email protected] or visit www.mandelarhodesplace.co.za. - Sunday Tribune