Cape Grace, A Fairmont Managed Hotel

Cape Grace stands on its own quay at the V&A Waterfront, between the working harbour and the yacht marina, with Table Mountain rising behind. The interiors take their cue from a well-kept sailing ship: leather, polished parquet, dark wood and maritime pieces, with marble bathrooms in the rooms. There are 113 rooms and suites, and they look over the harbour, the marina or the mountain; the higher-floor suites have furnished terraces. Heirloom is the main restaurant, cooking South African food with wine pairings, while the library works as an all-day café and bar and the Bascule Bar is known for its whisky collection. The spa has a Himalayan salt room, a sauna and a steam room, and the heated outdoor pool faces the marina. Families are looked after too: a Safari Room for children has loft beds and its own décor. The hotel now runs under Fairmont, and it sits within easy reach of the city centre, the Atlantic seaboard and the winelands, which makes it a calm first or last stop on a southern African journey.