Fodor's Expert Review The Bay Hotel

The only large hotel in Camps Bay, this luxurious yet relaxed property sits across the street from a white-sand beach and is backed by the towering cliffs of the Twelve Apostles. The hotel's raised pool deck looks out over sea, sand, and Camps Bay's "see and be seen" main drag (and the car park, less attractively). Service is excellent, and there's a host of restaurants and bars to pose around in while soaking up the views, as well as other amenities like a spa.

room

The decor is contemporary, clean, and bright, and the rooms incorporate a sophisticated range of neutral shades. There's a pleasant seaside vibe, and views to the sea or the mountains are both wonderful. Many in the higher classes have their own balconies.

The cute cabana rooms on the ground floor, with an extra bed for families (and cots available) also have direct acccess to two little pools, with their own patches of grass and patios looking out to sea, so they are pet friendly, too.

bathroom

Bathrooms are reasonably sized and fairly plain, with baths and showers.

lobby

The hotel's large lobby has a pleasant rustic vibe, with old cameras and motorbikes dotted around among washed pine furniture and cactuses and other plants.

YOU SHOULD KNOW There was a slight smell of petrol on our visit - perhaps we sat too close to the motorbikes?

pool

The hotel's pool and decked surroundings are good for basking in the sunshine, although you can hear (and occasionally see) cars coming in and out of the carpark just below.

spa

The Mint Wellness spa is comprehensive, with everything from a couple's massage room to facials on offer. Its steam room, sauna, and spa bath are currently out of action as a result of Cape Town's ongoing water crisis (as of 2018).

gym

The hotel also has a gym, part of its spa facilities.

dining

The lovely conservatory of Tides Restaurant, where breakfast is served, is also an option for dinner or a glass of chilled white. Bistro @ The Bay is more of an all-day dining place, with sandwiches, sushi and pasta next to the hotel pool deck.

drinking

Sandy B's Private Beach Club, complete with pool, is for over-18s only and does a good job of giving off that sense of exclusivity that a proper beach club delivers. Caamil's bar--named after its stellar barman--is a cute nautical-feeling bar, with a fireplace in winter.