With 78 rooms and suites, The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay combines the ultimate in modern luxury with some of Cape Town’s most spectacular, historically preserved architecture.
The Rotunda is a dome-shaped structure built in 1904 that adjoins The Bay Hotel. It managed to survive because of its beauty and popularity as a gathering place for business and social events, which turned it into a destination.
Photo by Dana Sanchez
The hotel has four pools with decks overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Lion’s Head, a spa, an in-house florist whose breathtaking work enhances the entire hotel, and if you decide to get married here, banquet facilities for 350 people in the Rotunda.
My room was upgraded to an oceanfront room, and everything about it spelled comfort, from the muted color tones in the paint to the robes and slippers, the complimentary bar items, the generous tea and coffee in-room service, and the balcony overlooking the beach. My bar included decanters of Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky and Allesverloren port.
There was a pillow menu, luxurious sheets and breakfast was included at the hotel’s Tides Restaurant.
I encourage guests or wannabe guests to take a tour of the hotel and check out the art, superb sea glass lighting sculptures and floral work that help make this a five-star hotel. Don’t forget to check out the Rotunda. Denise, the in-house hotel florist, makes artistic arrangements with proteas that enhance the common areas and she puts flowers in the rooms for special occasions. It’s as if the hotel management made it a point to ensure the inner space competes favorably with the outer views.
A lot of the artwork in the hotel’s common areas is done by local artists including the amazing sea glass sculptures. There was a surfer theme with a Harley Davidson motorcycle outside the hotel’s Sandy Beach Bar. Upstairs, the Traders Cigar Bar and Lounge offered a different vibe.
The hotel gym has a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. The hotel’s Mint Wellness Spa has a hair salon, and steam and sauna rooms free for guests to use.
The Bay Hotel is on the beachfront across the street from one of the most popular beaches in Cape Town. The day I checked in, the wind was blowing hard, sand was flying sideways and there was just a handful of people on the beach. But when the weather is good, it’s so crowded you can’t see the beach sand according to Tariro, who took me on a tour.
Photo by Dana Sanchez
Beach walks and sunsets help make this the perfect spot for a romantic getaway. The hotel offers a Love Actually package with a couples massage, milk bath, and rose petals. If you have kids, the hotel only allows children who are less than 1 year old and older than 8.
The challenge here will be to try do everything — walks along the Promenade, a champagne cruise, Clifton and Glen and Sandy Bay beaches, and the Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay. There’ll be a lot vying for your time.
