By late spring, Cape Town has properly settled into its best form: long light, warm days without summer's crowds, and a city that feels entirely at ease with itself. There's no better vantage point for watching that ease play out than a private stretch of the V&A Waterfront.
On its own stretch of shoreline, One&Only Cape Town has spent close to two decades working out exactly how to hold that balance: a resort quiet enough to feel like a retreat, yet close enough to the city that guests never really leave it behind.
As the seasons change, a few things at One&Only Cape Town come into their own. Here's what's worth knowing, and worth recommending.
Southern Africa's largest hotel infinity pool sits at the centre of the resort, heated whatever the month and watching over Table Mountain. It's from the balconies above, though, that the real seasonal theatre plays out: Cape Town's famous 'Tablecloth' cloud rolling over the mountain in slow motion, best watched with nowhere else to be. For something quieter still, the Spa occupies its own island within the resort, a genuinely calm corner as the rest of the city begins to wake up after winter.
Resort sommelier Luvo Ntezo has forgotten more about the Cape's vineyards than most visitors will ever learn, and his private wine tour, Be Guided, is built entirely around passing that knowledge on. Guests who'd rather move than sit still have their own version of the same idea: Sky Salutations, a sunrise yoga session with Table Mountain as a backdrop, and The Summit, a guided hike to the top of it. Either way, it's a chance to be inside the landscape rather than simply admiring it from a balcony.
ROOI is where the season shows up most clearly on the plate. Its menu is built entirely around South African produce, served in a room intimate enough that dinner tends to run long, in the best way. Add the country's wines, and the meal becomes less about the food itself and more about understanding exactly where you are.
“At this time of year, ROOI comes into its own as the seasons begin to change, with the menu celebrating the incredible produce and flavours of South Africa. ”
Chloe Beeldman - Director of Sales, One&Only Cape Town
Every member of staff, when asked what to build the day around, gives the same answer: sunset. Some guests take it from a private chartered catamaran whilst others simply find a spot on the Vista Deck and watch the sun disappear behind Table Mountain. It's almost always the part guests talk about longest afterwards.
This stretch of the calendar plays particularly well for couples, families and multi-generational groups after a slower kind of Cape Town, one that mixes time outdoors, culture in the city, and long stretches of doing very little back at the resort. It's also a good moment for returning guests, who get to watch a version of Cape Town they may not have seen before, coming back to life after winter.
“Spring is a wonderful time to reconnect with the natural beauty of the Cape. As the landscape awakens, wildflowers begin to sprout, creating a wonderful sense of renewal. ”
Chloe Beeldman - Director of Sales, One&Only Cape Town
Few properties manage to feel this private while sitting this centrally, and that combination is really what One&Only Cape Town is selling. Add to it Cape Town's largest rooms and suites and the only Nobu in Southern Africa, and it's easy to see why guests rarely feel the need to choose between the city and the resort. As spring opens the Cape up, they simply move between the two: the energy of the Waterfront, the wild beauty beyond it, and the stillness waiting back at the hotel, with Table Mountain present throughout.
Get in touch with the Lusso team to find out how a stay at One&Only Cape Town could suit your clients this season.
