Of the wave of new hotels that has swept into Cape Town in readiness for the World Cup, Sea Five easily wins best position situated, as it is, in the heart of Camps Bay. This affluent suburb, with its palm-fringed beach, mountain backdrop and bars filled with the beautiful crowd, is easily the city's most obvious holiday draw but, despite a smattering of hotels and guesthouses, it has long been crying out for a really top end boutique hotel. Until now.
Sea Five — set a little back from the hubbub of the beach but raised high enough for spectacular sea views — is the kind of chic beach house I wish I could call my own. This was my first return trip to Cape Town since living there two years ago, and, although ecstatic to be there, I didn't entirely relish my new-found 'tourist' status. So a sense of staying in someone's home — rather than a large, flash hotel — was all important. Thankfully, with only eight rooms and a warm welcome from the hotel's Italian director, Nicolò Pudel, Sea Five gives the impression of just that.
Opened in December 2009, it oozes an easy glamour. Expect a cool, pared-back yet luxurious look, with muted tones and an abundance of wood, stepped up a gear with touches like the ultra-modern lighting above the bar and striking works of art, including local sculpture and photographs. And, while it's true that peoples' clothes have got a little more designer and their lips a little plumper since I was last in the area, the hotel itself still feels decidedly laid back. Barefoot guests eat breakfast together at a long table overlooking the pool deck, and the sofas in the living room are so squashy, they invite you to curl up for a snooze.
All the bedrooms are light and airy, and, despite being called a 'mountain suite' (often hotel-speak for a room backing directly onto a steep cliff face) mine had views across the bay — and from the penthouse you can expect the full 360. But best of all were the insanely comfortable beds — not even one of Cape Town's notorious gales could interrupt my slumber the night I stayed. The next morning the air was totally still, as if denying all knowledge of its tantrum the night before. It was to be another scorching day. Being a 'tourist' isn't so bad after all.
Sea Five, 5 Central Drive, Camps Bay 8005, Cape Town, South Africa (+27 (21) 4380743; seafive.co.za).
