The two-bedroom apartments work well for business colleagues travelling together or for families and, from a pricing perspective, costs far less than two hotel rooms.
Although no longer a new property, I like the contemporary look and feel of the design and décor. We had a corner unit with views from three opening sliding door over Lion's Head and Signal Hill and into the city. The balcony off the lounge was large enough to sit at but other opening doors were just protected by a grille which may cause anxiety for parents with young children.
If you are driving yourself, make a point of getting very clear directions how to find the hotel's parking. As a tower block it is easy to spot but in the precinct with the Holiday Inn, Cullinan and other office buildings and unhelpful one-way roads, it takes some planning to find the parking first time. While the access may be confusing, the egress instantly puts you in line for both highways and the V&A Waterfront.
They were busy revamping the gym when we visited. The previous spot, situated in the basement parking, was pokey and claustrophobic.
The restaurant and bar extend beyond the entrance hall and while you can eat at the excellent Col'Cacchio pizzeria nearby and charge it to your hotel bill, you should eat breakfast, at least once, in the hotel. It was so busy when we arrived for breakfast that we had to wait a short while for a table but it was well worth it.
The buffet was being replenished continuously and I found the staff warmly welcoming and regularly coming by to offer more coffee. The croissants and pastries were among the best that I've had in Cape Town and the hot items, well made and well flavoured. I even had a delicious portion of steak and kidney pie which, while I concede is not breakfast fare, did fortify us for the rest of the day.
In summary, choose Protea Hotel North Wharf if travelling on business with a colleague or as a family and make use of the fully-fitted kitchen and laundry during longer stays. Drawbacks are that it isn't well positioned for exploring the city on foot at night and that the small gym and unheated roof-top pool are not attractions.
For more information go to http://www.proteahotels.com or you'll find it at 1 Lower Bree Street, Cape Town or on +27 (0) 21 443 4600 or email az.oc.frahwhtronhp@snoitavreser.
