Hotels near Observatory, Cape Town

Disappointing — Not the Taj Experience I Expected I stayed one night at Taj Cape Town and, having stayed, worked, and studied at other Taj properties worldwide, I left feeling that this hotel does not deliver the signature “Taj” experience. Location: Excellent — centrally located and convenient for business and sightseeing. Rooms: Very good. The guest room was well-appointed, comfortable, and met the standard I expect from a five-star property. No complaints on accommodations. Food & Beverage: Below expectations for a Taj. The breakfast buffet was serviceable but average — acceptable for a quick meal, but nothing memorable in terms of variety, presentation, or quality. The on-site Asian restaurant is extremely small (about five tables) and suffers from poor ventilation: the exhaust does not appear to function adequately, so the space quickly fills with an oily cooking smell that lingers and detracts from the dining experience. The food itself was below the quality I would expect from a Taj-branded restaurant. Service & Brand Feel: This is where the hotel most noticeably misses the mark. While staff were professional, the overall atmosphere lacked the warm, polished service and attention to detail that distinguishes other Taj properties I have experienced. It felt more like a standard city hotel operating under the Taj name rather than a hotel delivering the full Taj brand promise. Value: Concerning. The hotel charges approximately INR 2,000 per day for parking — a steep add-on that should be clearly communicated up front and factored into the overall value proposition. Summary: The location and rooms are strong points, but the average breakfast, a small and poorly ventilated Asian restaurant, and an overall absence of the characteristic Taj hospitality leave this property short of expectations. If you are seeking the classic Taj experience, this particular hotel may not meet that standard.

The Westin, Cape Town, is an old hotel, but it continues to maintain its presence, quality, and some high standard in Cape Town. We stayed here for 8 days, during a friend's 60th birthday celebration event in Cape Town. We occupied an executive room and were also given access to the executive club on the 19th floor. The room was very nice, with good linen, bed of high standard. That said, we had to lodge a complaint on the hurried nature of how our room was cleaned on our second day of stay. The bed was not made properly, the carpet floor wasn't clean, and the bathroom was half cleaned. It's not good for a 5-star hotel. After complaining, the housekeeper made amends, and the cleaning standard was raised to the highest standard for the duration of our stay. We also ordered food from room service and half of what we ordered were not brought - they gave us something else, but after waiting for 45 mins for the original order to be brought to us we reluctabtly accepted the wrong order, ate the food and then lodged our complaints later. The breakfast buffet was alright, but there weren't great selections of cold meats in the cold meat section. They really need to improve on this. Lastly, the overall service delivery by some of the staff really need serious improvement. Some of the staff in the restaurant are way too loud when talking to each other, and some of them even give out bad unwelcoming and nonchalant attitude/vibe to their customers. It is like they feel that they're doing us, their clients, a favour by serving us. Not good enough for a hotel of this standard, abd some of those staff need to be retrained. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at The Westin and we will definitely come back there when next we visit Cape Town.

Brilliant free city shuttle and little “extras” like a private cinemas and unrivalled views make Pepper Club the place to stay in Cape Town.

An excellent hotel! The rooms are a bit dated but quite spacious, and the price is very comfortable for what you get. The breakfast is definitely the highlight – a great variety of options, and the restaurant manager and staff were all wonderful. The hotel's location is also superb, with attractions all around. I'd happily choose to stay here again.

I stayed here for one night as I was transiting Cape Town with a flight the following morning. The check-in experience was pretty quick and seamless, as my booking was pre-paid. I stayed here being fully aware of the carbon-neutral moto. The hotel appeared clean and tidy. The free shuttle from the airport was trouble-free. The directions to the pick-up was simple to follow. The pick-up was on time, and it was a very short ride to the hotel - literally a matter of minutes. The room I was allocated - 233 - was spacious and clean. However, I was surprised by the bizarre layout, especially with the way the shower and bedroom is almost open plan - only a screen separate the two areas. The toilet is separated by a door, though. Other than that, I had no major issues with the room. The bed was large and comfortable, my sleep was not disturbed and it was generally a positive short stay. The shower worked fine, it took a little getting use to the water-saving feature in the sink tap. The toilet flush may have a malfunction, because it would stay stuck when pressed, and required tapping for the button to return from a pressed state. I felt safe during my stay, and was reassured by the security procedures in place when booking an Uber - drivers are asked to scan their driving licence at the gate when entering the grounds. The drive to the V&A Waterfront was about 25-30 minutes. I had a late lunch at the hotel restaurant - Nuovo. The menu was okay, but not spectacular. I visited the restaurant when it was relatively quiet with diners. However, I found staff were not particularly attentive. It took a while before someone approached me and provided a menu. The vegan burger I order was nice, even if it looked a bit dry. It was the only chargeable thing I incurred, which I put on the room (250 ZAR to pay on check-out). The breakfast is a decent buffet of hot and cold food, plus live omelette bar. There’s also pancake making facilities, automatic coffee machines and more. On check-out, to my surprise, I was informed of bills totally 600 ZAR. I explained that I only had one meal at 250 ZAR, which the reception staff accepted. However, a few days later, I received emails claiming that I had an unpaid bill for 350 ZAR, which I had to explain again in my response (I did not receive further contact after that). I think this was a case of staff incorrectly reading a room number when processing, or a guest deliberately giving the wrong room number. I caught the shuttle back to the airport after checking out, again trouble-free. All-in-all, a very good airport hotel, and one I could easily recommend to others.

This bed and breakfast is in the ideal location to visit Simon’s town and its coastline however the actual set up of the bed and breakfast is a huge let down. We arrived to find our room was not ready, once it was the place still looked unkempt, there was a bucket in the bath, the furniture had not been returned to its original locations well and the complimentary items seemed used. On our second night there was load shedding a common occurrence however there seemed to be no precautionary measures taken and we had to use our phone lights to climb the three flights of stairs to our room only to find the rechargeable light (obviously for such occasions) had no batteries and was therefore useless. As South African citizens we fully understand the uncertainty of power but for the cost and normal clientele of this accommodation we really expected there to be more in place. The meal times had been adjusted for the convenience of the staff who were on the premises compared to the welcome sheet details we received on arrival. The whole place seemed to be being run by support staff with no obvious manager on site for the three days we were there (we stayed over a weekend which I would assume to be a prime time) There is about 4 parking sports in front of the building but they were not being used to their full potential and often we had to park a little further away. Overall the location was the main positive. Considering the price we would have hoped to have better amenities and hope that the profile for this accommodation can be amended as there are no pools on the property unlike what the description had lead us to believe. Luckily the charm of Simon’s town and the beaches made up for the serious lack of attention to detail and luxury you would assume a place this price and in this location would have. 3/10 would probably not go there again.

Pros Great location - a short drive to the waterfront and close to Table Mountain, Lions Head and the Botanical Garden where Uber will get you there quickly and for a good price. Staff were very good Breakfast was cooked very well and with good quality ingredients and a varied selection. It would be better if they had soft bread rather than the heavier one provided (althouh this could be a more European variety i havent come across before). The room was homely, as is the whole building (a bit of a British Grade 2 listed building kind of feel). Nice views over capetown in some rooms and a mountain view from the back. Room has heating and air con for all seasons. Cons As mentioned in a previous review, the room is quite dusty so if you are messing around with plugs behind the bed or tv, it's a challenge not to breathe in the dust. I think this could be a SA thing rather than the hotel itself but they only provide 1.5l of water which for a week is not enough, even for a solo traveller. You have to pay for any more. I have never come across this in 25 years of travel across 35 countries but again, i know there is a water issue in SA sometimes and I believe the tap water is drinkable (although I wouldn't attempt this as a tourist). Bathroom towels not replaced - just left to dry which doesn't work particularly well in winter. The photo of the hotel being near blue water is a little deceptive - obviously it is not near a beach and they don't suggest so but the body of water across the road is a water storage facility (currently empty) so don't expect tropical views. Having said that, if you get a city view room, the sunrise is right in front of you and a perfect time lapse opportunity as the scenery changes dramatically during the sunrise. Stunning experience. Overall, I would stay again and recommend the hotel which is in a quiet location.

We booked the same room again on the 25th. Then we requested to check out at 1pm. We didn’t hear anything from no one. This morning at 10am there was knocking on our door. The lady said its time to check out. I said mo cause we requested to check out at 1pm. She went ahead and said there are extra fees and she will ask the front desk. 5min later knocked again on the door. Says no we cant stay and have to check out at 11am(note this was at 10:20am) when she told me, I went ahead and told her this is on them and we requested to leave later. She left, next minute, a man came back. All arrogant. Told me why didn’t I pack up my bags the previous night. Also said that if I dont leave cleaners will come. I said its okah they can come but I might still be busy packing up. He said if thats the case they can help me put my stuff outside. I told him I dont like the tone he is using and being aggressive. He said hr not aggressive but he definitely was and threatened me with security that will escort me out. He left and came back(note I was in my towel) he said he left me in my towel and I am still the same( note I took a shower, busy packing up stuff in the room as we came from abroad and had a lot of baggage) he said he is calling security. Then my husband came out of the room and told him why he using that tone with me and he been listening to him the whole time! This man immediately changed his whole tune when he saw my husband. So inappropriate! And disrespectful! Will definitely will not be staying here again.

The hostel itself is stylishly designed with modern amenities and cozy communal areas where I could relax and socialize with fellow travelers. The rooms were clean, spacious, and thoughtfully decorated, providing a peaceful retreat after a day of exploring the vibrant city.

Great place. Amazing amenities. Wonderful location right opposite Canal Walk. Could do with an AC. Should have a reception at 9 palms, not having to go to the Crystal Towers to collect keys. Wifi password should be given to guests at check in