Cape Grace

Character and identity

Cape Grace occupies a private quay on the V&A Waterfront, with Table Mountain rising behind a working harbour of bobbing yachts. After an eight-month closure, the 112-room property has reopened under Fairmont management with interiors rooted in contemporary South African art and design: dark wood floors, marble-topped tables, plush patterned rugs, and locally curated libraries and minibars in place of the previous colonial-leaning chintz. Heirloom, helmed by Gregory Czarnecki, anchors the dining with tasting menus built around dishes like lobster Dugléré; the Library returns refreshed, and Bascule's 420-plus whisky collection reopens alongside a new first-floor spa. Service remains the signature, much of the long-tenured staff stayed through the refit.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining shift here is the renovation: a storied address with its original service culture intact, now wrapped in a genuinely contemporary South African design language. Book it if you're new to Cape Town and want central, well-staffed convenience over neighbourhood character. Splurge on the two-bedroom Cape Grace suite for the panoramic mountain-and-harbour view, and time arrivals from June onwards when the spa and Bascule are fully operational.