Subdued elegance comes to Orange Street

The Capital 15 on Orange in Cape Town is a stylish presence in a well-preserved quarter that dates back more than 350 years. And the dramatic mountain views only add to its allure, says Brian Berkman.

- Brian Berkman

Central Cape Town is home to some of South Africa's oldest and most intriguing buildings and precincts, including Government Avenue and the Company's Garden. The 'company', of course, was the Dutch East India Company, which established the garden to grow fresh produce for the crews of ships passing on the trade route between Europe and the Far East. This was, in effect, the birth of formal agriculture, and especially fruit farming, in South Africa.

Located on the site of the former Dutch Reformed Church synod building, diagonally opposite the Long Street Baths and adjacent to the South African Museum, is The Capital 15 on Orange, a luxurious 129-room hotel. Farmer's Weekly recently had the pleasure of staying here.

The Capital 15 on Orange is not simply sumptuous; it provides a masterclass in marketing and flexibility in the way it adapted to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.