Located in the heart of Green Point, Cape Town’s buzzy, trendy Atlantic Seaboard suburb only a few minutes’ drive from the city center, the Cape Royale is an elegant neo-classical style hotel of top-hatted doormen, a red carpet entrance and a palatial lobby where your arrival is announced with a gong.

If you’re looking for a self-catering apartment in Cape Town with the services of a hotel (such as room service, baby sitting, a spa and gym), the Cape Royale is the perfect option. The hotel has 42 suites, all of which have open-plan fully equipped kitchens (complete with washing machines for doing your own laundry), dining and lounge areas. In addition to one-bedroom suites sleeping two people, there are two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites – perfect for travel with a family or group of friends. Two-bedroom villas come with their own private pools and lawns, chefs and butlers.

While the suites are modern and comfortable (spacious bathrooms are a definite bonus), they are somewhat bland in terms of décor (minimalist furniture and bare walls), especially in comparison to the grand hotel lobby. In standard rooms, the lounge and dining area is light, with floor-to-ceiling doors, but the bedroom, which faces onto the hotel corridor, feels dark and somewhat cramped. Ask for a room on the side of the building if you prefer quiet, or if views are your thing, request a front-facing room which overlooks Cape Town Stadium and the sea beyond (as well as a busy road).

When it comes to dining and drinking, you’re spoiled for choice in this part of town. In the hotel itself there’s Bistro 1800, where the steaks cooked on an American-imported grill are really the only thing to have. On the astroturf-covered rooftop, which has fabulous views of Signal Hill to one side and the ocean to the other, there’s a small pool, loungers and day beds as well as Sky Bar, which serves sushi and burgers. Breakfast isn’t necessarily included with the room and it’s not particularly exciting, so rather make your own in your kitchen or head out into the neighborhood instead.

There are loads of restaurants, coffee shops and cafes within walking distance from the Cape Royale, including the perennially popular El Burro for Mexican dishes and Cape Town’s best margaritas, Hudsons for craft beer and burgers, Mano’s for Mediterranean food, Beluga for sushi, seafood and dim sum and Beefcakes, where you’re treated to a drag show while you eat your burger.

You can ask hotel staff to stock your fridge, or walk a short distance to shop at Giovanni’s, a locals’ favorite Italian deli with great coffee and produce from imported cheese and cured meat to freshly baked bread and salads. The Spar in Cape Quarter shopping center is also a short distance away, and offers a great selection of food (including artisanal products) and wine.