At home at the Capital Mirage

31 May 2018

For years the Capital Group has been setting the standard in the luxury extended stay market. Meant to feel like home, this is indeed what you get from check-in to check-out at the Capital Mirage in Cape Town - they are allowed to be boastful of their service levels. All the ladies at reception recognised me the moment I turned the corner. "You made it!" Yes, I made it! And I can tell that this is going to be a good stay.

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Although generally catering to those in the city for a lengthier than normal stay, the Capital Mirage is equally geared towards hosting guests for a relaxing weekend away – whether you’re a single on the go or a couple on a romantic getaway. My husband and I were greeted with rose petals and robes laid out and ready to snuggle in on the bed, a bottle of champagne, a bottle of Glenelly’s Glass Collection Merlot and some to-die-for chocolates to go with it.

A warm welcome #CapitalMirage style with great reception, roses & wine - this is what they are known for and they didn't disappoint! pic.twitter.com/Sut3yWeo4O
— Cari Coetzee (@elcathvw) May 12, 2018

The room was comfy, to say the least. The small kitchen was connected to the bedroom via a short hallway. The hallway gave out into a large bedroom, living room and personal office space with the en-suite walk-in closet and bathroom tucked away around the corner. You’re surrounded with nothing but soft lighting and soothing neutral tones sans the occasional splash of colour to lift the décor to superbly stylish. The décor is functional, but beautiful enough to remind you that you’re at a four-star hotel.

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If I wanted to, I could just make dinner myself – I just needed to pop to the store at the Lifestyle Quarter a short walk away – or put on the kettle for a cup of coffee, set the washing to go and slouch on the couch in front of the TV while I waited. But I was there to relax, so I skipped all that and instead plunked down on the couch with a glass of wine while the hubby – true millennial that he is – scrambled to connect to the free and uncapped Wi-Fi (just like he would at home.)

While the hotel offers access to both the Cattle Baron Grill House and Active Sushi on the premises, we decided to ‘travel like locals’ and searched for a local restaurant in the area. Another benefit of the Capital Mirage is its location in trendy De Waterkant. It allows for easy access to the CBD, Waterfront (with complimentary shuttles to and fro) and the Atlantic Seaboard with Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay gems a stone’s throw away. Although there are too many options to actually choose from, we settled for sushi and seafood at the popular Beluga.

Drinks and dreamy views

After dinner we headed to a Capital Mirage highlight – pun intended – for some sundowners. The Vue - aptly named for boasting, comparably, some of the best and most unique views of the city, Signal Hill, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront - was already abuzz when we stepped off the elevator. The all white, all glass look leaves the views as the only real décor and the constant din – a mix of conversation and light background music – the perfect soundtrack to go with it. Between the tapas, the drinks and the dreamy views you can happily wait for the perfect sunset of which the Mother City has many.

Before turning in, I had to find the snooker room. It took a bit of looking around but we found it and spent our last energy on a game that took a bit longer than it should have on account of me not being so good at it. Or shall I blame it on the beautiful floor to ceiling artwork and artsy lighting distracting me?

After watching a movie and finishing that bottle of Merlot, it was time for bed and the Capital Mirage does offer a bed that will just suck you into dreamland. Unfortunately, we could hear the rowdy and loud customers spilling out the restaurants close by and the zoom of traffic as it slowly died down through the night. But with black-out curtains drawn, it was still easy to slip away into sleepy darkness.

That is until my husband decided to get up early and pay the hotel gym a visit.

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This left me drowsily getting packed and ready for breakfast – and when I say breakfast, I mean Buffet with a capital B at The Vue. If you want to be healthy, you have a dozen options with fresh fruits, muesli, seeds, yoghurts and more. If you want the traditional bacon and eggs, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be well fed here – why don’t you just add a few sausages, some toast, mushrooms, and tomato. Just have all it because it’s all too good to pass up! Because we couldn’t resist we had a second cup of coffee and croissants to boot.