Luxury by the sea

During my time at The Cole, every detail, from the spacious rooms to the ocean breeze, made my Cape Town stay feel unforgettable

- Kibo Ngowi

Scene-setter: The hotel's main restaurant, Figo, became a central part of the luxurious experience.

(Photos: The Cole)

Cape Town is one of those cities where your experience depends on where you stay. Get the location right and the city opens easily. Get it wrong and you spend most of your time sitting in traffic.

That's one of the reasons why The Cole, part of the Kove Collection, makes a strong first impression. The hotel sits in Sea Point, right along the Atlantic coastline and within easy walking distance of the Sea Point Promenade. For anyone who enjoys being close to the water, it's immediately appealing.

I arrived about 30 minutes before the check-in time, which meant my room wasn't ready. That resulted in a short wait upstairs in the hotel's restaurant while the staff prepared the room. It was mildly inconvenient but the staff handled it politely. They offered me a drink and helped with my luggage, which made the wait easier to tolerate.

The entrance is stylish and minimal without trying too hard. To the right of reception there's a clothing boutique and to the left a lobby bar called Script. The overall feeling is boutique rather than corporate.

My room was on the fifth floor and faced the sea, which quickly became the highlight of the stay. The balcony wasn't just a narrow strip of outdoor space but something closer to a small lounge area. It had comfortable seating arranged like a miniature living room and enough space that you could easily host a few friends for drinks or even a casual board game session.

I ended up spending time there every morning and evening. In the mornings the air was cool and fresh and in the evenings the ocean view at sundown made it an easy place to unwind after a long day. The ocean breeze and distant sound of waves drifting up from the shore added to the atmosphere in a way that's difficult to replicate anywhere else.