Table Bay Hotel is set on the historic waterfront breakwater wall. It is a contemporary architectural treasure, its design and execution the result of transcontinental co-operations. The 329 rooms either overlook the bay to Robben Island, prison home of South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela, or across the harbour and the city to Table Mountain. The Hotel was opened in May 1997 by President Mandela. A long driveway sweeps from the main gates to the hotel entrance. At the towering Porte cochere, cars are valet parked and guests make their way into the lobby by way of a glass walkway which pierces the stone breakwater wall inaugurated by Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred in 1869 an now incorporated in the architectural features of the hotel. Through the octagonal marble-floored "gazebo", guests enter the lobby with its handmade wooden woodblock floor, open reception area, concierge and guest relations area.
Cape Town, the oldest city in South Africa was established in 1652 as a refreshment station near the southernmost tip of Africa for the passing ships of the Dutch East India Company. In a position of extraordinary beauty, the city is today one of the world's premier tourist destinations.
One of the biggest of Cape Town's tourist attractions is the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, restored and maintained as a working harbour. Its backdrop is the iconic Table Mountain. Before it sweeps Table Bay whose high waves in fierce north winds earned for the Peninsula the chilling title Cape of Storms (Cabo tormentosa) a name that contrasts sharply with Frances Drake's high praise of this promontory: "the fairest cape in all the circumference of the earth." A Cape of contrasts, in fact.
And on the historic waterfront, a hotel has been created that is not only a tribute to its setting, but which also sets its own standards of international service, cuisine and luxury. The Table Bay Hotel is magnificent, straddling the antique breakwater with a style that is both innovative, evocative and entirely in keeping with its surroundings. It is a contemporary architectural treasure, its design and execution the result of transcontinental co-operation.
The rooms face either over the bay to Robben Island, prison home of South Africa's President Nelson Mandela for the greatest part of his 27 years of political incarceration, or across the harbour and the city, to Table Mountain.
The hotel was opened to much fanfare in May 1997 by President Mandela and then followed a magnificent party to which invited guests flocked to view the city's new asset.
ACCESSIBILITY The Table Bay Hotel is only 20 minutes by road from Cape Town International Airport and five minutes from the centre of the city. But right on the doorstep are the city's prime retail outlets in the "V&A", stocking a huge variety of goods and offering many leisure opportunities. A mark of the popularity of the waterfront is the 2.4 million visitors to the centre every year.
CLIMATE The Cape has a Mediterranean climate with cool winters and sunny, dry summers. December to March, the weather is hot, becoming warm to cooler from April to June. The winter, between July and September is cool with rain and the beautiful Cape spring with sunshine and wild flowers is between October and November.
TAX Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied at 14% and may be recovered on retail items by foreign visitors.
ELECTRICITY 220V. Bedrooms have built-in adaptor sockets that match Italian, British, Spanish, Euro-American, Australian and South American plugs.
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION A chauffeur service available to and from the hotel and airport on request.
DRESS CODE Day: Casual Evening: Smart/elegant
MANAGEMENT The Table Bay Hotel is under the direct management of General Manager Luis Pinheiro.
ARCHITECTS Conceptual: Landmark Group, California USA Architectural design: Louis Karol Architects Cape Town Interior design: Trisha Wilson and Associates, Dallas Texas USA
ENTRANCE A long driveway sweeps from the main gates to the hotel entrance. At the towering porte cochere, guests' cars are valet parked and they make their way into the lobby by way of a glass walkway which pierces the stone breakwater wall inaugurated by Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred in 1869 and now incorporated in the architectural features of the hotel.
Through the octagonal marble-floored "gazebo", guests enter the lobby with its handmade wooden block floor, open reception area, porter's desk and guest relations area.
DINING
ATLANTIC RESTAURANT This is the hotel's main restaurant and covers 400 square metres, seating 150 guests indoors and 80 on the terrace. Decorated in a Cape Wineland theme with large murals and custom-designed carpeting with a fruit motif, it overlooks Table Mountain and the inner harbour. The Atlantic Grill serves breakfasts, dinners and group lunches. It also has a 6 000-bottle open-face wine cellar stocked with only the best of South African wines and Champagne.
THE LOUNGE This lofty, open-truss ceilinged room looks across the harbour, the city and Table Mountain through its high arched main window, which also creates a frame for Oscar, the bronze Cape fur seal sculpture by famed wildlife artists Danie de Jager. A few steps down from the foyer, the lounge has a maritime theme, the artworks depicting sailing ships under full sail in heavy seas.
Up to 60 guests may be seated in deeply comfortable sofas and chairs magnificently covered in luxurious muted fabrics. It is here that the Table Bay's famous High Tea is served in courses in the later afternoon, or where guests can enjoy after-dinner drinks, and coffee or morning tea. In winter, the two giant fireplaces cast a warm glow over the comfortable room decorated with magnificent flower arrangements which are a mark of the whole hotel. Chamber music is played from the minstrel gallery high above the room on harp or violin during the official tea time.
THE UNION BAR AND CONSERVATORY The bar is a gathering place for businesspeople in the day and evening and for casual social meeting any time. The adjoining Conservatory, with which the bar makes a total area of 356 square metres, is a restaurant serving a la carte meals. It is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
BANQUETING/MEETING FACILITIES:
THE BALLROOM This spectacularly beautiful room may be divided into two each about 150 square metre. Undivided the ballroom will seat 200 for dinner.
PRE-FUNCTION AREA The ballroom is flanked by a large pre-function area which takes 250 for drinks and when the doors are open to the terrace on fine days, up to 500 people can be accommodated.
BOARDROOM Adjacent to the ballroom is a boardroom seating 24 and equipped with a big-screen television and VCR. Impeccable service complements this professionally appointed boardroom.
THE PAVILION Built a year after the completion of the main hotel, the Pavilion was based on an existing basic infrastructure in the area outside the Ballroom anteroom. A superstructure was added with decorative steel components, glass and a Victorian profile roof. The venue accommodates up to 120 people for a cocktail function and 72 for a banquet. It has a private bar, and service area. Food is served from the hotel's kitchen.
GUEST ROOMS AND SUITES The Table Bay Hotel has a total of 329 fully air-conditioned rooms which include standard twin rooms, standard king rooms, family rooms, rooms specially equipped to assist paraplegic guests, and luxury rooms. There are 18 luxury suites, two executive suites, one superior suite and two presidential suites.
The designer-decorated rooms have luxurious walk-in cupboards and marble finishes, armoires and writing desks and each is equipped with a mini-bar and in-room dining is offered 24 hours. Rooms are turned down at night and serviced twice daily. TV is served by satellite channels.
Bathrooms have separate showers with thermostat control and baths with separate hand-shower facilities.
Marble vanities include a personal hidden hairdryer and a full range of internationally acclaimed cosmetics and toiletries are provided. There are makeup mirrors and Mediterranean style bathrobes and slippers.
Telephones are provided in bathrooms, at bedsides and on each writing desk. Each has a voice mail facility and a call-waiting facility.
THE SUITES The Table Mountain Suite on the 8th floor of the Table Bay Hotel is a small palace in which no apparent detail has been overlooked, from its carved open-truss pitched ceiling to the custom-made carpeting, marble and wooden floors.
Every piece of glass is crystal and everything silver is solid. The suite overlooks the V&A harbour, the City and Table Mountain beyond.
Apart from the tasteful furnishings, woodwork and covers, the Table Mountain Suite has magnificent features. The bedroom, with its luxurious four-poster is served by a series of rooms housing a dressing area, a spa-bath, twin vanities with marble tops and luxury plumbing - and a large walk-in shower room with two individually controlled showers. All the finishes are marble, and the vanity surface sports a television. The bath overlooks the harbour and city and Table Mountain.
A full dinner party of eight can be seated at the large dining table, and the fully-equipped kitchen could be used to prepare a banquet, and during the meal a musician could entertain the guests at the suite's own Steinway baby grand piano.
The bar automatically senses the price of any beverage chosen and automatically bills the guest - and all the drinks are served in heavy lead-cut crystal. Sitting room chairs and sofas are deep and comfortable, covered in the finest of furnishing fabrics.
The Table Mountain Suite is the largest of three super-luxury suites in the hotel. The other two are the Signal Hill and Lion's Head both individually decorated, with their own special features, such as a Victorian bath on legs and a balcony with a more than 180-degree view.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE This 125 square metre centre is located adjacent to the V&A Waterfront at first floor level with access by escalator from the ground floor. It has one boardroom seating ten people extensive professional facilities, full secretarial service a travel agency and car rental facility with bureau de change.
The boardroom overlooks the harbour and Table Mountain. It is equipped with TV VCR, telephone conferencing and mini-bar. Light catering is available.
Three private offices are fully equipped with all necessary modern features and businesspeople can work on their own or with assistance from the staff of the centre.
Secretarial service is also offered for word processing or copy typing, along with a full list of services to assist conferences, dispatch material, email and faxing.
A travel desk offers car hire as well as airline, travel and tour information and reservations.
RETAIL AREA Right outside the hotel's upper entrance with a direct link at the top of the escalators to the main foyer is the 40 000 square metre V&A shopping centre with over 240 stores open from 09h00 to 21h00 seven days a week.
THE TABLE BAY HOTEL SPA Floor to ceiling glass encloses this 300 square metre health club and spa with direct access to the pool area. Views are straight out to Robben Island. The Spa is equipped with steam rooms and other therapy rooms. Therapists offer a wide range of treatments including thalassotherapy, massage, shiatsu and aromatherapy. Qualified personal trainers can be made available.
POOL AREA This 500 square metre deck with its heated salt water pool, faces the sun all day. For the comfort of guests there are 50 sun loungers on the wooden deck surrounding the attractive pool. To one side is a bar serving drinks, snacks and health foods.
BREAKWATER WALL The historic breakwater was officially inaugurated by Prince Alfred in 1869. The wall now weaves through the walkways of the hotel.CityBowl*
Table Bay Hotel is set on the historic waterfront breakwater wall. It is a contemporary architectural treasure, its design and execution the result of transcontinental co-operations. The 329 rooms either overlook the bay to Robben Island, prison home of South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela, or across the harbour and the city to Table Mountain. The Hotel was opened in May 1997 by President Mandela. A long driveway sweeps from the main gates to the hotel entrance. At the towering Porte cochere, cars are valet parked and guests make their way into the lobby by way of a glass walkway which pierces the stone breakwater wall inaugurated by Queen Victoria's son Prince Alfred in 1869 an now incorporated in the architectural features of the hotel. Through the octagonal marble-floored "gazebo", guests enter the lobby with its handmade wooden woodblock floor, open reception area, concierge and guest relations area.