Cape Town Hotel Tips by Radiomom

Having spent 12 hours in tourist class on BA with a team of Rugby players (the Pirates, from England) on their way to a charity tournament we were exhausted. Our host arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport, and we checked in about 10AM. The room, is huge, the bedding luxurious, the bathroom, with a separate shower big enough for two and a cast iron tub as well. Oh, yeah, there's a fireplace in the room, too, and a big floor fan. Located on a quiet little street, but only a few blocks from good restaurants. We fell into bed and slept solidly for two hours.

Unique Qualities: Located in an adjoining 1900s house to the owners' there is a lovely parlor for reading and chatting, as well as a guest kitchen. Complimentary soft drinks, beer and wine. The hosts and staff are terrific, and fun to talk with and learn about life in this lovely city. Wonderful breakfasts in the morning.

That's a per-person cost, and we were there in "off-season."

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Theme: Bed and Breakfast
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 27 21 4345371
Address: Listed in the "Portfolio Collection"
Directions: In Greenpoint -- walking distance to Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (in the daytime, take a cheap taxi home at night). This place is easy for cabs to find.
Website: www.davids.co.za

We hadn't known until that day that we were planning to stay in Hermanus, but as we pulled into town we knew it was going to be a good stop. We went to the Tourist Info office and found this place -- they called and we were set! We wanted somewhere we could walk to town for dinner from, and this fit the bill. It turned out to be quite lovely -- the owner, Sue, is a little bit of a thing with a big smile and she just welcomes you in like an old friend. Off season, our room was R500 for the night.

Unique Qualities: We had a lovely second floor corner room with wonderful views of the beach and ocean. Wow, would it be a fantastic spot to stay during whale watching season. We had a lovely balcony with chairs and a table out front maximizing the view. Breakfast was wonderful. While the bathroom was a bit small, it was clean and just fine for an overnight stay. Wonderful 4-poster bed.

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Theme: Bed and Breakfast
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 27 (0) 28-313 0959
Address: 1 Marine Drive, Hermanus
Directions: Right across the street from the park and the sea.
Website: www.avalononsea.co.za

Since it was too foggy to head around Cape Point, we thought we'd spend our last night closer to Cape Town, and thought from the guidebooks that Constantia would be another place we might taste wine and see some wine country. It is much more developed and I would describe it as an upscale suburban neighborhood -- very secure, and hard to get around without a local! We phoned from a shopping mall as we were hopelessly lost, and yes, they could give us a room for the night! (It was listed in the Portfolio collection.) The proprietress' husband came to the mall and we followed him to their lovely home/B&B. The room was a knockout, and the public rooms exquisite. (And all for an off-season R500 for the night).

Unique Qualities: Rene Pollock and her husband are terrific hosts. There's a glorious back yard with a pool. Huge sitting room with a wet bar and complimentary drinks before dinner. Wonderful breakfast. This would be a great place to stay for the World Cup in 2010! It's probably a bit too far for us right side of the street drivers (and even with a detailed map, hard to get around) to base for a Cape Town visit, but it would probably be wonderful for your second or third trip.

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Theme: Bed and Breakfast
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$20-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 021 794 6061
Address: 18 The Valley Walk, Constantia
Directions: Phone and get directions. You'll never find it even with a map!
Other Contact: email renepollock@mweb.co.za