Historic aha Simon's Town Quayside Hotel reopens with a modern aesthetic

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A modern touch

The project involved a complete overhaul of all 26 bedrooms, bathrooms and public facilities with three new bedrooms added, bringing the total number of rooms to 29. The revamp saw the rooms brightened with furniture and accessories in cheerful, comforting tones and fitted with trendy, luxurious fittings – adding a modern touch to the historic property.

State-of-the-art showers replaced bathtubs in all rooms, in line with environmental trends - particularly important in the drought-stricken Western Cape - and aha’s water conservation and sustainability strategy across all its properties.

“The entire aesthetic and feel of the property have completely changed while retaining subtle nautical nuances that reflect Simon’s Town’s rich maritime history,” says aha Hotels & Lodges CEO, Neil Bald. “Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel is a special property in the Aha portfolio and we’re pleased to be able to make the experience of staying there even more luxurious and comfortable.”

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Saveur restaurant

Breakfast – included for hotel guests - is served daily at Saveur restaurant, adjacent to the hotel and other meals there and at several other nearby restaurants can be billed back to guest accounts.

Choices at Saveur include a French toast stack with grilled bacon for breakfast, bacon and avocado beef burger for lunch or slow-cooked pork belly with wilted spinach, chorizo crushed potatoes, homemade apple purée, red wine jus and crackling for dinner.

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Lots to do

Nearby attractions include the beauty of Cape Point Nature Reserve, a boat trip to Seal Island or Cape Point or a visit to Boulders Beach to view the African penguin colony - also ideal swimming spot for kids and a great spot to set up camp for the day and enjoy a beach picnic. The more adventurous can try shark cage diving with Great White sharks, or for a more sedate experience, visit Cape Point Vineyards for a languid afternoon of wine tasting.

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The historic aha Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel property is owned by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) - the largest asset manager on the African continent and largest single institutional investor on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange - as part of their near-R2bn portfolio. “The PIC has stood by us throughout the refurbishment process and I must thank them for the opportunity to help revitalise this landmark property. Without their involvement and engagement, this extensive revitalisation of a genuine gem on the Cape coast would never have been realised,” said Bald.

The teams involved in the extensive refurbishment of aha Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel are: PLB Construction: Paul Symington and Peter Leppan; Hospitality Procurement: Peter and Nic Staub; M&M Interiors: Marc Piotrowski and Marlize Watson; BSM Architects: Francois Engelbrecht and ILP INT-PM: Gavin Watson.