Living in Cape Town means you seldom get to have a hotel experience in the Mother City. When I moved to Johannesburg 5 years ago it meant I got to experience Cape Town from a whole new perspective. Seeing it with fresh eyes every time I came to visit family or on a quick work trip, trying new places to stay and making an effort to visit all the latest eateries. Being a tourist in the city I grew up in has made me fall in love with it all over again.

On my last trip I got to stay at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town CBD. While I have eaten at their in-house restaurant 126 Cape Kitchen & Café many times this is the first time I have actually stayed at the hotel. It gives me the opportunity to write you a proper travel review of this property.

As part of the Hyatt group of Hotels, the Hyatt Regency in Cape Town is graded a 5 star hotel. My experience from welcome to check in was swift, friendly and helpful. Our bags were taken up to our room while we finalized the check in so we could take our time and leisurely make our way up. The foyer is elegant and modern but still has a cosy feel about it. I think it’s because the hotel is not huge and sprawling so it feels luxuriously intimate.

Heading upstairs we saw that one corner of each floor of the hotel was transformed into a lounge area. This was to take advantage of the amazing view of Table Mountain from that corner of the building. One could just sit there and take in that view, the late afternoon sun casting beautiful “chiaroscuro” shadows over the majestic rock.

As we were 2 adults and a child, we had booked a family suite. This comprised a main bedroom with a lounge and kitchenette area where an extra bed had been installed for our son. They had thoughtfully left us a tray of fruit, nuts and macarons as a welcome and Taufeeq, with a sweet tooth of note headed straight for the sugary decadence.

The bedroom was spacious with a king sized bed, armchair and side table, large flatscreen TV and a walk in closet leading to the bathroom. Even the bathroom was spacious with a separate bath and shower as well as all amenities including vanity kit. The toilet had a special hose for istinja (ablution) so you don’t have to worry about carrying that extra bottle. There was a Quran in the cupboard and a Qibla marker on the ceiling making it extremely Muslim friendly.

The lounge also had its own flat screen TV, large sofa and a convenient desk and chair that would make a perfect office area. The kitchenette had a dining table with four chairs, Smeg kettle with tasteful @home brand teacups, a Nespresso capsule coffee maker and a range of teas, coffees and pods for your convenience. The setup would have been ideal for a self-catering apartment but as ours was a hotel stay, the self-catering amenities ie. plates and cookware were not available.

Can I take a moment to mention that the finishes were what really impressed me. From the choice of the furniture, none of which looked generic, to the choice of the fabrics on the sofa cushions to the art on the walls… Everything had been chosen with a keen eye and looked fresh and modern. I particularly loved the coffee table books of modern art for guests to peruse.

The framed artworks while not masterpieces had been curated to echo the Bokaap where the hotel was located in an abstract and subtle manner. It brought the feeling of the outside to the inside without beating you over the head with clichéd photos of cobbled streets and Table Mountain.

We stepped out during the afternoon and on our return that evening were surprised with a turn-down service and a chocolate on our pillows. A mark of true hospitality.

Muslims who travel alot especially for work can tell you how disappointing a hotel breakfast can be when it does not cater for halaal. At the Hyatt Regency, 126 Cape Kitchen & Café restaurant (one of 3 restaurants at the hotel) is halaal certified and breakfast here would not disappoint. I find that their dinner buffets are smaller and very curated so I was not expecting the generous breakfast spread.

Starting with an array of yoghurt and toppings, and a variety of breads and pastries in one section. Another counter had a cheeseboard, preserves including a nostalgic watermelon konfyt (preserve), mezze and variety of cold meats. The hot foods included sausages, creamed spinach, channa, fried macon, hash browns and more. At the egg station you could request your eggs done to your liking, including omelettes and eggs benedict. And then you could finish off with a waffle or pancake topped with chocolate, syrup or cream. Breakfast was a real spoil so go hungry. But the machine coffee threw me off. I see many hotels, even 5 star ones nowadays offer self serve coffee from a machine. This was just not gonna work for me. Luckily the host was doing her rounds and came to check on our table and when I mentioned this she was happy to have a proper flat white made for me which I did see at some other tables as well. All was good with the world again.

I loved that shelves in the dining area were filled with books including cook books. It made it feel very welcoming and homely. There was also quirky art canvasses depicting scenes from the Bokaap some of which were on sale.

The hotel has a pool deck with gorgeous views of the city and signal hill. If it wasn’t June I would have loved to be able to use the pool. The gym and sauna are also located on this level as well as the more casual Signal restaurant which offers shisha and does serve alcohol. Urchin Restaurant is another restaurant located at this hotel. It is a fine dining restaurant that also serves alcohol. The gym and pool are not segregated and the area is not huge so it does not offer much privacy for women who would prefer that. I found even the sauna in the gym was unisex and would be almost impossible to use privately.

They have a variety of conference and meeting rooms that would be ideal for small events or seminars. They are also able to combine the smaller rooms to make larger banqueting venues ideal for bigger functions or weddings. The onsite halaal catering makes it an ideal hassle-free walk-in walk-out option.

The only thing missing from our stay was being able to book a spa treatment. It’s the one thing I like to spoil myself with on holiday. I was happy to learn that while they don’t have a spa on site, they do offer the service in your room.

The location is ideal if you’re planning to mainly explore central Cape Town. Much of the CBD even up to the V&A Waterfront can be explored on foot. Heading out from the city by Uber or private car is a breeze. And Table Mountain is literally 5 minutes away.

The historic Awwal Mosque is close by as are a few others in the city and places of Islamic interest such as the Kramat of Tuan Guru is nearby on Signal Hill. Cape Town is also home to the circle of Kramats of Muslim saints which is said to protect the area from earthquakes and natural disasters. There are more than 20 recognized kramats in the Peninsula area, with at least another three in the outlying districts of Faure, Caledon, Rawsonville and Bains Kloof. 

We loved our short stay at the Hyatt Regency Cape Town. In fact, Taufeeq was the saddest for us to leave. The service, food, finishes and amenities lived up to their 5 stars and I would happily stay here again.

For more information or to book, visit the Hyatt Regency Cape Town website.

*This stay was Sponsored | The review is an accurate reflection of our stay and all opinions are my own and honest.