Sea Five Boutique Hotel
"So, what sets this hotel apart from the rest? Give us all the details.Unlike the Pod Hotel, which is one road back from the beach, Sea Five has an elevated position on the mountainside in Camps Bay, so the views of the ocean and surrounding mountains, including the Twelve Apostles and Lion’s Head, are spectacular. It's an easy 300-meter walk down to the beachfront, and a fairly steep climb on the way back (on a hot summer’s day, a taxi or Uber is recommended). From the outside, it looks like any of the other luxury beach houses in the neighborhood: Unmarked, incognito, high security. The advantage of being on the mountain slope is that you have choice views but no noise from the beachfront restaurants and bars. The upper floors of the building have wide verandas, the lower level leads out onto a fragrant herb garden, rim-flow pool, and terrace for sunbathing and al fresco dining. Airy and light, the mainly white interiors channel the French Riviera or Newport beach. That sounds chic. Who else is staying here?Honeymooners, couples, solo travelers. Now, onto the good stuff: Tell us about your room.My room was one of the rooms on the side of the building, upstairs, with a direct view onto Lion’s Head and the top cable way station on Table Mountain. Facing the mountain, rather than the ocean or road, is quieter, and a balcony runs the full length of the room. You can sleep in summer with the doors wide open, and hear the crash of waves on the beach in the distance. There are seven en-suite rooms in total, with either full-frontal ocean views or mountain and partial sea views. Channeling the French Riviera, they remain firmly grounded in South Africa with whitewashed wooden floors, textured, natural fiber bedding and towels in Provençal ticking stripes by Mungo Design, and generous bathrooms with good lighting and underfloor heating. Anything else that really caught your eye, or earned your appreciation?Aside from the beautiful Mungo Design bed linen and towels (woven in South Africa from natural fibers), the Nespresso coffee machines, TV, AC, underfloor heating in the bathrooms, and generous complimentary mini bar were notable. How about room service, or the dining options, more generally?Breakfast is the only meal served, and it’s a comprehensive spread—a cold buffet of fresh fruits, fruit salad, yogurts, cereals, granola, and freshly baked pastries and breads, and an à la carte menu of cooked breakfast favorites. Throughout the day, light meals are served around the pool, but most guests are out and about on day trips, or will sample one of the restaurants down on the Camps Bay strip or further afield in the city center, Sea Point, or the Waterfront. Noted! Any other services or features you'd like to shout out, or things you think we should know beforehand?Parking is beneath the hotel in an underground parking garage with remote automatic access. The pool is big enough to swim in, rather than just take a dip." - Jane Broughton
