AC Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront, owned and developed by the Amdec Group and is located just a 25-minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport. The hotel opened in December 2018, marking the debut of the brand in the Middle East and Africa.
The AC Hotel chain has properties in Austria, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and North America.
The brand offers spacious accommodation, dining, corporate programs, conference rooms for meetings and makes provision for weddings. Antonio Catalán is the CEO of AC Hotel. As of December 31, 2018, it has 145 hotels with 20,777 rooms.
“We are delighted to open our very first AC Hotel by Marriott in Middle East and Africa in Cape Town, further strengthening our long-standing partnership with the Amdec Group” said Alex Kyriakidis President and Managing Director Middle East and Africa Marriott International.
“The opening of this hotel reinforces our commitment to driving growth for our lifestyle brands in South Africa in response to a continued demand from discerning travelers seeking hotels with style and functional design, while also providing unique and authentic experiences.”
Commenting on the announcement, James Wilson, Amdec Group CEO says: “We are proud to pave the way for Marriott International’s growth plans in South Africa and help to open up new markets for the world’s leading hotel company and its many loyal guests from around the globe.
"The Yacht Club mixed use development, where the AC Hotels by Marriott is situated, is the second property in our portfolio of iconic precincts to welcome Marriott, with Melrose Arch in Johannesburg being the first, and Harbour Arch in Cape Town, to follow.
"We are thrilled with the opening of AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront and believe it will provide another great place for international tourists to stay when visiting the city. It is exciting to be part of creating new dimensions for hospitality and tourism in the country and, by doing so, provide more opportunities for visitors and locals alike.”
My partner and I recently had the opportunity to dine at their restaurant.
If you love hotels with style, add this one to your list to appreciate the timeless European design the hotel has to offer.
We received a warm welcome from Landry Lukombo. He started our evening off with the pairing of floral and citrus gin and tonic, from one of the local gin-maker, Jean Babtiste, which can be found on the restaurants trolley.
I loved the citrus as it had a lemon and orange notes mostly because citrus gin is more popular. On the other hand, floral flavours not so much as the rosemary taste put me off.
With our tummies growling we jumped on to our starters that were:
Starters
Hummus with flatbread - It was well-presented, the hummus was so creamy and the almonds nuts and cocktail tomatoes gave a wonderful twist.
Hummus with flatbread. Picture: Supplied
Corn Ribs - The corn ribs were delicious and it was very clever to cut a single corn lengthwise and then deep fry it.
Corn Ribs. Picture: Supplied
Cured Salmon - The cured salmon looked almost too good to eat. The salmon was tender and the flavours worked well-together.
Cured Salmon. Picture: Supplied
Mains
For mains we had Vegan Tacos, Chicken Wings and Baby Pork Ribs with Red Cabbage Salad on the side.
I have never been a fan of vegan food, but when I tasted the tacos my tune had definitely changed.
Vegan Tacos. Picture: Supplied
The taco was the perfect size and could fit into one hand. The deck was made out of spinach and then oven baked. It had a bit of a bite and filled with chickpeas beans and beetroot.
This dish was sure healthy and fresh.
The Chicken Wings had a bit of stickiness to them that was enjoyable as it was topped with sesame seeds with a secret sauce that complimented them.
Chicken Wings. Picture: Supplied
I've tried my luck to get the recipe for the secret sauce, but all my efforts were in vain. This is a meal I would eat midweek or over the weekend as it's not too heavy.
The Pork Ribs were finger-licking-good.
Pork Ribs. Picture: Supplied
I would give this dish a thumbs up as it was well-basted (not overwhelming), topped with pepper and coarse salt. In the meantime Landry made sure our glasses stayed full with either hot or cold beverages.
Now over to my favourite, desserts.
Desserts
Pumpkin Churros - The churros was crunchy on the outside, while soft and airy texture in the middle. This dish was combined with chai ice cream that melts in your mouth topped with.
Apple Tarte Tatin - This is a dish I fell in love with because it seemed like this could be something that my grandma used to make.
The apples were caramelised until golden and topped off with deep fried sugar as a sauce. I loved the light flaky crust with the pumpkin seeds on top and the ice cream in the middle.
Apple Tarte Tatin and Pumpkin Churros. Picture: Supplied
On my way home I was privileged to meet the Junior Sous Chef Dominique Swart and team "behind the curtain". Everything was beautiful. Compliments to the chef. I can't wait for my next visit.