Sea Five

Rooms

Sea Five rooms are all big, bright and breezy with bleached hardwood floors, scrubbed wood furniture and long windows that open wide to the mountains or sea. We stayed in one of the 2 Ocean Junior Suites with glorious views to Camps Bay from the nautical loungers on our terrace. The 2 Mountain Junior Suites have only a side view to the sea but their terrace vistas above the rooftops to Lion's Peak are terrific. They’re larger rooms, too; one has a sofabed so it’s good for families. The only rooms without a view are the Garden Rooms, but they have a private herb garden full of lemon, lavender and rosemary which is lovely and fragrant.

The Penthouse has the real wow factor - it takes up the entire top floor of the hotel, with 4 terraces facing in each direction. Have morning coffee on a side terrace and sunbathe on the other side in the afternoon; have a peaceful read on the shady terrace facing the mountains, then watch the sun set on the terrace overlooking the sea. Bed down in Italian linen in either the four-poster king or the singles in the second bedroom (with a walk-in closet). There’s also a lounge, dining table and bar. Oh, and one of the 2 bathrooms has a spa bath.

In fact, all the bathrooms are pretty spiffy, with heated floors and walk-in rainforest showers. All rooms have WiFi and satellite TV, too. And - a real bonus - a minibar that is entirely complimentary (and restocked throughout your stay).

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Complimentary mini-bar
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Mornings are eased into at Sea Five, helped by the fresh coffee and selection of teas in your room. When you amble down to breakfast, you’ll find a delectable spread of fruit, cereals, yoghurt, cheese and croissants laid out on the bar. Choose a table in the lounge area or on the terrace by the pool, where a menu of accompanying hot dishes (omelettes, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon) sits by the fresh flowers.

You can ask for a light sandwich or salad throughout the day which can be served in the dining area or by the pool, although most guests wander down to Camps Bay and its strip of open-air restaurants facing the sea - we especially liked the spicy harissa prawn tails at Mantra Café. Make sure you attend evening cocktail hour when guests cluster around the bar and ooh and aah over the sunset.

Staff will offer restaurant recommendations for dinner - Bilboa is great for sophisticated dining with flavours of the Med, Col’Cacchio is considered the best Italian and the Codfather is famous for its fish. Round off your meal with a nightcap at fashionable Café Caprice. If you want to avoid the crowds of the main street, walk up to The Bungalow just past Glen Beach for a shore-side lunch or sundowners in a more exclusive setting.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Coffee maker
• Lunch by arrangement
• Organic produce
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Relax on your private terrace - whether you have an ocean, mountain or garden vista, there will be comfortable loungers to lie on
  
  
• Swim laps in the long pool - it’s slim and stylish with a view towards Lion's Peak
  
  
• Watch the sun set over the sea - Sea Five’s cocktails are fruity and the bar snacks are free at sundown
  
  
• Stroll along Camps Bay beach - it can be windy but a walk along its white sands is wonderful. Carry on a bit further and you'll reach Clifton’s 1st, 2nd or 3rd beach which tend to be less crowded
  
  
• Do lunch on the strip - there are loads of open-air bistros lining the main road in Camps Bay
  
  
• Take the 'Table Cable' - the views from the top of Table Mountain are unmissable and the cable car ride up and down quite thrilling
  
  
• Tour Cape Town - the city centre is only 20 minutes away and historical buildings like the Castle of Good Hope are worth seeing. Or shop! The V&A Waterfront by the harbour is an attractive complex of shops and galleries; it's also the embarkation point for Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned
  
  
• Bond with the Boulders Beach penguins; you can take the scenic train to Simon's Town, home to the large penguin colony
  
  
• There's fabulous whale watching at Hermanus, 2 hours' drive away (September-October is the best time)
  
  
• Wine and dine - whether you visit the Groot Constantia estate in Cape Town or take a day trip to Stellenbosch in the Winelands, South African wine must be savoured

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Wine tasting

Kids

This hotel is really geared towards adults, but Sea Five does accept well-behaved 8+ year olds. The Penthouse has a second bedroom with twin beds; one of the Mountain Junior Suites has a sofabed.

Family friendly accommodation:

Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Sea Five is on a residential street, a few streets up from the main road through Camps Bay. It's a 30-minute drive from Cape Town central, in South Africa.

By Air
There are regular flights into Cape Town International Airport (26km away) from European cities including London, Amsterdam, Paris and Munich. From the US, many flights route through Johannesburg, or you can fly via Europe. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
It takes about half an hour to reach Camps Bay from the airport - if you don't want to hire a car, Sea Five can arrange a chauffeured transfer (enquire when booking) or you can negotiate a set rate from one of the official cab booths at the airport.

By Car
You don't necessarily need a car here as the hotel is walking distance from the beach, shops and restaurants. But you'll probably want one for exploring the wider area. See our car rental recommendations and the hotel has a private garage for parking.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to South Africa and getting around