In a city never short on fine places to stay, the arrival in Cape Town of the Radisson Collection Hotel Waterfront has raised the bar for seafront hotels in the Mother City.
What was once the Radisson Blu Waterfront – perched on the breakwater between the Oranjezicht City Farm Market and the start of the extended Sea Point promenade – has been revamped, reimagined and rebranded as the Radisson Collection Hotel, Waterfront Cape Town.
Don't be surprised if you haven't heard of the brand before: this new opening is the first Collection-branded Radisson in all of sub-Saharan Africa, a coup for the city's luxury hotel landscape. Out of the 39 Radisson Collection hotels worldwide, there is only one other in Africa, in the Malian capital of Bamako.
Radisson's 'Collection' hotels represent the top-tier brand within this global hotel group, featuring five-star properties that combine contemporary luxury with elements of local heritage and character. In step with the growing demand for luxury travel, the brand is also expanding rapidly, with new properties set to open in Lyon and Budapest soon.
So what's changed in Cape Town? While the structure of the hotel remains much the same, the difference is keenly felt in the look and feel. Ride the glass lifts up from the basement, and the lobby is transformed by accents of gold and marble. There's texture and color missing that was absent before, with luxury touches that begin with a glass of complimentary Cap Classique as you check in. The new Waveside Café is a welcome new addition; a space for impromptu meetings or an hour with a flat-white and a good book.
The same aesthetic continues upstairs, where the hotel's 175 rooms and suites have been comprehensively reinvented, bringing a locally-inspired look and feel to the spaces, in everything from decor and detailing to artworks. Plush headboards and modern charging points complete a contemporary look, and while the bathrooms are fresh and modern, better bath amenities – perhaps a local brand like Africology? – would be preferable to the corporate-branded bottles.
It's a small quibble when you have views like this on offer though. A highlight of any stay at the Radisson Collection Waterfront is what awaits beyond the sliding doors of the sea view rooms and suites: panoramic views out across Table Bay and private balconies (in some rooms) for lazy afternoons watching the boats go by. For that reason alone, it's worth splashing out on a sea-view room.
If your pockets aren't that deep, you can enjoy the views from the public areas on the ground floor. Tobago's (set for an upgrade this winter) is a charming bistro-style restaurant steps from the water, but it's the pool terrace (exclusively for guests) where you'll want to settle in. here loungers are laid out just meters from the waves, and the rim-flow pool appears to flow into the Atlantic.
With a laid-back resort feel and a location just a short walk from the buzz of the V&A Waterfront (or the Sea Point prom), this luxury new option is set to be one of the hottest new hotels in Cape Town.
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