Gorgeous George Hotel

"A design destination in downtown Cape Town. From local designer Tristan du Plessis comes Gorgeous George, a superbly chic inner-city hotel filled with pieces by some of the country’s best designers, including a swing chair by Porky Hefer and steel tables by Gregor Jenkin. Set between two restored buildings (one Edwardian, one art deco) near St. Georges Mall, where a weekly market springs to life, the hotel has an inviting, contemporary feel, with oak floors, leather quilted sofas, and plant-filled corners in the public spaces. The 32 guest rooms have exposed cement ceilings and murals painted by Cape Town artist David Brits. At Gigi, the indoor-outdoor rooftop restaurant with a light-filled conservatory, guests can take a dip in the tiny pool or snack on plates of burrata and fish tartare." - Mary Holland

"What's the backstory here?It's an independent hotel, and took several years to come to life because it's the merging of two distinctive adjacent buildings—an Art Deco building and an Edwardian building— that took a long time to restore. I've had my eye on it since before I moved back to the States in 2016 from South Africa, and after many hiccups and delays, I'm excited it's finally here. And I lament the fact that it didn't exist when I lived here, because it's just the kind of original, design-focused, intimate hotel a design-obsessed city like Cape Town needs and deserves, and is the only property taking advantage of the striking architecture and setting of the city's Central Business District (CBD) in a creative, luxurious, chic way. Why did this hotel catch your attention? What's the vibe?First, some context: I lived in the CBD, a block away from the hotel (I can see my old apartment building from my room's window), and I know the area well and love it. That being said, it can feel dicey after dark, which would not be a problem if you could get dropped off directly at the front door, as you can at the nearby Taj Hotel. But since St. George's Mall, where Gorgeous George is located, is a pedestrian street, the nearest drop-off point by car is half a block away—which, though it's just a matter of a few feet, did not feel optimal when I arrived from the airport at 11 p.m.. Knowing the area, I was prepared for this and called ahead to make sure someone would be able to come meet me at my Uber (they have doormen standing out front who keep an eye out for hotel visitors), but for a guest who might be unfamiliar with the area and arriving at night with lots of luggage (and not thinking they might need to call ahead), it can feel intimidating and is not the best first impression. I'm told they do have plans to have a more visible presence at the nearest curbside though, and they are aware of the concerns. The hotel entrance itself is discreet and easy to miss. Once inside, though, there's a small reception area, with the standout being a beautiful map of the Cape Town city center done entirely in distinctive blue-and-white ceramic tiles by local artist Lucie de Moyencourt. The staff is friendly and warm. The elevator and floors are dimly lit and cozy, with bold floral carpeting from Moooi Carpets. Tell us all about the accommodations.There are 32 rooms spread out over four floors, and I'm in 208, a Studio room. It is spacious while still feeling cozy—super-high ceilings with industrial exposed pipes contrasted with warm colors and accents, like a plush burgundy couch, a round blue-and-white rug from Moooi Carpets reminiscent of Delft tiles, sumptuous bedding, and a rich leather headboard. Lucie de Moyencourt's tiles make another appearance in the rooms as the backsplash for the bar, where local wines and Amarula are stocked. There's an array of different light fixtures, all industrial inspired, including a cool pendant lamp suspended from the high ceiling to just above the nightstand. Despite being on the second floor in the center of town, I didn't really feel like noise was an issue, but earplugs are helpfully provided just in case. My view was directly into an office building and a KFC below, but if I looked to the left I could see the action at Greenmarket Square (and if I looked to the right, Adderley Street and my old highrise). The phone was a cute rotary situation and there's a retro-style Marshall radio, and the TV has Netflix included, which was nice. That said, the bathroom was not optimally designed. It looks great, all gleaming white subway tiles, a fabulous rain shower, and marble topped vanity by famous local designer Gregor Jenkins (he also did the long, narrow desks in the bedrooms). But storage is limited, with not much room on the vanity and no drawers or shelves either by the sink or in the shower to put much of anything. The bath products, made for the hotel by the Scentuary, are lovely, with bright, herbaceous tones. Is there a charge for Wi-Fi?Good Wi-Fi is often an issue in South Africa, but at Gorgeous George it's strong and ubiquitous. Drinking and dining—what are we looking at?There's one restaurant at Gorgeous George: Gigi, the indoor/outdoor rooftop space. Breakfast here is included, and ranges from avocado toasts and omelettes stuffed with pancetta, chili, and feta to decadent pancakes with berries and cream. The space is beautifully done: there's a lounge area with cozy mismatched furniture, lots of old volumes and new design books on the bookshelves, and knickknacks ranging from porcelain parrot-shaped candleholders to a giant buffalo skull. The indoor dining area, next to the wood-paneled bar, has blue-and-white-tiled tabletops that, upon closer inspection, are a whimsical sendup of the traditional Delft tiles found across the city. (Keep an eye out for modern-day vignettes on the tiles, like yoga poses and selfie-taking friends.) The crown jewel is the outdoor area, with a beautiful, if tiny pool, with one half in a covered area painted by artist David Britz, a lit-up sign that says "Hello Gorgeous," colorful green/black/yellow stools, and pots and pots of plants in every corner, giving a nice lush environment while you're surrounded by the city skyline. It's promising to become quite the hangout for Capetonians and visitors alike, especially come summer. If this had been around when I lived next door, I would have been on the rooftop every single day. And the service?People here are warm and helpful. I especially loved the staff at the restaurant, they're fun and friendly, and everyone I encountered at the front desk had a big smile and was lovely to interact with. What type of travelers will you find here?My first impression when I first saw the rooftop was that this is Cape Town's Soho House set—a hip, creative crowd that makes the glamorous setting look even more glamorous. It's also a bit more diverse than most places in Cape Town—though definitely not diverse enough, as the numbers while I was there still skewed 90 percent white. The actual hotel guests have to be a bit more savvy than the average tourist to have chosen to stay at a place like this, since most visitors tend to stay at the standard resorts and cookie cutter options at the touristy V&A Waterfront—if you've chosen to stay at a new, small boutique hotel in the heart of the CBD, you have to be cut from a different cloth than most visitors. What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene?As I've mentioned, I love the CBD, and often lamented that there weren't many great options for travelers to stay here—there's the Taj around the corner, which is nice but more of a business/luxury hotel model, and there are scores of backpackers and more basic options. But true luxury and high-design rooms taking advantage of the striking architecture that prevails in the CBD—it's about time! You're steps from everything here: touristy finds at Greenmarket Square, the rapidly evolving Buitenkant and Harrington streets just a few blocks east, the divey bars of Long Street, the chic boutiques and restaurants of Bree and Loop Streets. And now the rooftop of Gorgeous George itself is becoming a destination for locals popping by for lunch or late night drinks (or the soon-to-start Sunday brunch/DJ vibe), so staying here is a great way to mingle with the who's who of Cape Town. Is there anything you'd change?As I mentioned, the entrance situation feels iffy, especially if you're unaware of Cape Town and arriving late at night. It sounds like the hotel is very aware of this and has plans to make the arrival more clear-cut and secure, but guests should still be advised when they make a booking that they should call the hotel when they're on the way so the front desk can keep an eye out. Any other hotel features worth noting?There's no gym, but guests get a pass to go to the Ignite Fitness gym next door, which is huge and fully equipped and great. The rooftop pool is tiny but beautiful—more an Instagram-only kind of spot as opposed to anywhere you'd want to swim laps, but it's really distinctive. Bottom line: Worth it? Why?Yes, yes, yes. Finally there's a place to stay in the city's coolest neighborhood that does its architecture and design sensibility justice. No one should stay at the Waterfront again!" - Sarah Khan

"No matter what design wizardry unfolds inside Cape Town hotels, the superlative views of Table Mountain always end up stealing the show. But this quirky stay in the heart of the still-rough-around-the-edges Central Business District, gives visitors a fresh perspective. Thanks to its vantage point above the richly textured architecture of the city bowl, the windows look out over neoclassical landmarks, observing gabled Cape Dutch rooftops in conversation with Art Deco towers. It took six years for the owners to seamlessly renovate an Art Deco structure and its Edwardian neighbor, and given this mishmash of influences, the result is a hotel that could exist nowhere in the world but in the heart of the Mother City. Designer Tristan du Plessis imbued the interiors with a strong “local is lekker” sensibility, to borrow a popular South African catchphrase, which prizes things made close to home. In the lobby this means blue-and-white Delft tiles by Capetonian ceramist Lucie de Moyencourt that map out the neighborhood and South African brands like the plush leather sofas from Artifact (cushiness quotient: high). Gorgeous George lives up to its name— it’s just the kind of clever, design-centric hideaway that the area sorely lacked. —Sarah Khan Insider Tip: Ace mixologist Leighton Rathbone carries the local vibes through to the cocktail menu, with drinks using South African brands such as 4th Rabbit agave and fynbos-infused Inverroche gin. Doubles from $150" - Jane Broughton