1. Location and atmosphere
Let’s start with the most obvious and strikingly stunning reason to love the Twelve Apostles Hotel: The location and its spectacular view. I’ve always been somewhat torn when choosing a favourite between the ocean and the mountain, but this venue offers the best of both worlds. Offering breath-taking views of the sea from many different points in the hotel, as well as mountain-facing room options, the location is very obviously one of the best things about the venue.
The service we experienced from the moment we entered the premises is definitely top-notch. From the valet parking and warm and welcoming check-in procedure to being greeted in the passages, attentive service during dining, and a friendly ‘come again’ attitudes during check out, the hotel culture is evenly carried out and thoroughly genuine all round.
Services offered by the hotel include concierge services (transfers, sightseeing and restaurant bookings), packed picnic baskets to take along on mountain walks and walking trails on request, in-house doctor on 24-hour call, Sports Buddy programme (staff on hand to accompany guests for cycling, golf, tennis or yoga), and shoeshine, laundry and valet services.
We were pleasantly surprised when checking in and being informed that we had been upgraded from a Milkwood room (Average size: 33 sq metres/355 sq foot) to a luxury room (Average size: 40 sq metres/430 sq foot). Boasting scenery of the Table Mountain National Park and the Atlantic Ocean, our room offered a serene escape from the bustle of the city. With an extra-length cloud-like bed, coffee machine and subtle nautical hints, a luxury room is all you need to be completely enveloped in the lap of luxurious tranquillity.
The Leopard Bar is known for its balcony and its sought-after trendy sun-downer (or really any timer) view – It just feels like the panoramic sea view is never-ending and is completely mesmerising.
The Leopard Bar also hosts various workshops and events throughout the year, often inspiring trends rather than merely following them. View the calendar here.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel has its very own 16-seater cinema, showing an extensive choice of classic and contemporary films with complimentary treats such as popcorn, milkshakes and hot chocolate. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I haven’t found very many hotels that offer this in-house, have you? (Comment below if you have!)
Visiting the spa is like a stepping into a dream world. It’s unlike any spa I’ve been too in Cape Town and it really gives you that ‘been to the spa’ feeling. The white crystal grotto interior creates a cave-like interior. A few minutes in the floatation pool will leave you feeling so relaxed and you’ll leave feeling lighter and de-stressed.
Featuring indoor treatment rooms and two spa mountain gazebos, I opted for an outdoor full-body Swedish massage. It was heaven – I’ve only ever fallen asleep during a massage once before, and this time it was surrounded by nature, overlooking the ocean! I literally felt all the stress melt away within one hour.
Breakfast is typically served at the Azure, so we decided to have dinner at the Café Grill, and we were so glad we did! We started the meal with a prawn cocktail and McCarthy salad, and some lip-smacking virgin mojitos – these were not your typical starter portions and could have easily served as our main meals. The flavours were incredible, with the prawn cocktail containing a very generous amount of prawns and delicious avo along with a complementary Marie Rose dressing finishing the dish off with a perfect balance. The McCarthy salad was huge, containing chicken breast, tomatoes, avocado, beetroot, cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon – a healthy and superbly seasoned and tasty dish, definitely more than just a salad.
On to the main meal, we had the renowned tiger prawns and the Chalmar sirloin steak. The prawns are an absolute must! You’ll get six tender prawns simmered in beer, served with a white wine garlic and mild green chilli sauce with a touch of cream, and basmati rice and fresh vegetables. Again, the portion is very generous, and the sauce is probably the best tasting and unexpectedly addictive seafood sauce (well actually it would be great with everything, they should really just bottle and sell it) that you’ll ever have – you really haven’t tasted prawns unless you’ve had them at the Café Grill. The steak was great too, tender and charred just the right amount, but the prawns were the clear winner in this round.
We were sufficiently stuffed after the mains, which we could just about finish, so we decided to put dessert on hold and see if we had room a bit later (because who says no to baked cheesecake?). Later came and room service offered the perfect solution to our dessert calling. We ordered a slice of Bea’s cheesecake via room service, aptly accompanied by cappuccinos. It was the perfect way to end an all-around delectable meal.
The interior décor made me think of being on a ship. The nautical themes are complemented by the use of colourful carpets and wallpaper, and there is a distinctly local flavour portrayed in the artwork displayed throughout the hotel. The overall feeling is a luxurious and comfy one.
View, view, view! The Azure restaurant terrace, with its namesake blue terrace and nautical white furniture, is the most opulent breakfast venue with the most breath-taking panoramic ocean view. The service was impeccable and the omelettes we enjoyed along with cappuccinos were equally as delicious as the varied assortment offered in the buffet spread.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel has several event/meeting venues on the premises, comprising the Atlantic Marquee (famous wedding venue thanks to the view), Lions Head room (perfect for an elegant event or business meeting), Llandudno room (board room) and Milkwood room (great for business groups), equipping the hotel to cater to anywhere from eight to 90 guests.
The hotel concierge is available to arrange a huge variety of activities ranging from those to be enjoyed by the whole family (swimming and mountain walks/picnics), the iconic Cape Town Big 7, hidden gems (including secluded beaches, vineyards and markets), complimentary sports activities (biking, hiking, jogging and yoga) and chargeable activities (squash and golf), helicopter trips, and some incredible outdoor activities (e.g. kayaking, stand up paddling and ziplining) for the adrenalin junkies.
The Red Carnation Hotel Collection has supported the Amy Biehl Foundation, a non-profit organisation in Cape Town, with the aim to prevent youth violence through meaningful development programmes in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town, since it was founded in 1997.
The hotel also strives to manage and measure its energy needs through new technology and provides conservation efforts towards the Table Mountain National Park, a World Heritage Site, which borders the hotel. They use products sourced from responsible suppliers and manage their waste streams while maximising recycling. One of the ways we could see their efforts to conserve was through the use of non-potable water in their swimming and spa pools.
Website: www.12apostleshotel.com
Telephone: +27 21 4379000
Email: az.oc.seltsopa21@1snoitavreser
Address: Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
