Reimagined Cape Grace offers an elegant city escape

Is there a finer location in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront than the West Quay? With a marina full of million-dollar yachts to one side, and sea views off to the other, you’d certainly be hard-pressed to find one. What’s perhaps more remarkable is that this prime slice of seafront real estate is home to only one address: the Cape Grace Hotel.

First opened in 1996, the Cape Grace has long been something of an icon in the Mother City’s hotel landscape; a bastion of fine living that set a high bar for luxury lodgings since the earliest days of the Waterfront. As the precinct grew and other luxury brands moved in, that lustre faded a little, and the hotel was closed entirely during the pandemic. For the past few years, it has remained closed while new owners took over and the builders moved in.

The doors were thrown open wide this year as a refreshed, revitalised and rebranded Cape Grace welcomed guests again. Operating under the Fairmont marque, the reimagined Cape Grace retains all the timeless elegance it has long been famous for, but with a fresh dose of contemporary creativity.

That’s evident the moment you step into the lobby — the front doors always held open by smiling doormen — into a space filled with art and design. African creativity has become a central feature of the “new” Cape Grace, with walls adorned with layers of textured artworks throughout the public and private spaces.

In the lobby, the highlight is the two striking works by Galia Gluckman — Sunrise and Sunset — that face each other across the lobby. Commissioned specially for the Cape Grace, the abstract Celtic knots of pigment ink and paper collage are a striking counterpoint to the reception area. Here also look for the creative pottery by Louise Gelderblom, while in side rooms and lobbies works by Imiso, Mqeku and Chuma Maweni add further points of interest.

This bold new look is thanks to the Dubai studio of acclaimed London interior design house 1508, which has brought a lighter and brighter aesthetic to the hotel.

Look at the new Library Lounge space. Once rather dark and gloomy, today it is washed in crystalline natural light and harbour views, with a welcoming lounge and bar area where the menu extends from all-day dining with a Mediterranean bent through to pre-dinner cocktails.

Ah, dinner. The Cape Grace’s Signal restaurant was once one of the city’s most lauded, so rebooting the property’s culinary credentials was obviously top of mind. Solid move then signing on Gregory Czarnecki, the French-born chef who set the Cape culinary landscape on fire in his decade leading The Restaurant at Waterkloof in Somerset West.

At Heirloom restaurant, he brings that same technical skill and creative flair to a menu that is something of a deft balancing act. On the one hand, he needs to cater for in-house guests looking for a light à la carte dinner after a busy day of sightseeing, while also re-establishing Heirloom on the city’s fine-dining radar. For the latter, look forward to an array of tasting menus that stretch to seven courses and tap into an array of local influences. It’s early days yet, and a few service niggles need to be ironed out, but Czarnecki’s pedigree speaks for itself.

Equally exciting is the June 2024 reopening of the Bascule Bar, once one of the city’s most elegant watering holes, famous for its encyclopaedic whisky collection and sought-after whisky lockers. The new Bascule will combine those same impressive spirits offering, with a new menu of globally inspired small plates by Czarnecki alongside memorable mixology and impressive marina views.

Also opening in June is a new Fairmont Spa, which will boast three treatment rooms, including a dedicated Salt Room.

All of which combine to create a boutique waterfront destination that begs for more than a fleeting visit.

The 1508 redesign extends to the hotel’s 112 rooms and suites, spread across 12 categories to offer a space for every type of traveller. Multi-bedroom suites are ideal for families and multigenerational travellers, while the delightful rooftop rooms offer glorious views across the Waterfront and city to Table Mountain.

The star of the show is the new Cape Grace Suite, a spectacular two-bedroom top floor abode with superb city views. Complete with an elegant private lounge and dining area, with a dedicated bar and butler’s pantry, it is the sort of urban bolthole sure to attract savvy travellers looking for a little discreet exclusivity.  

After a long while in the doldrums, it’s great news for the Mother City that one of its most famous hotels is back in the spotlight. As the Waterfront expands, and Cape Town attracts more international and local luxury visitors, expect the refreshed Cape Grace to again claim its mantle as one of the Cape’s must-visit hotels.