Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel: Luxurious Lodgings In The Heart Of Cape Town

Frank Mannion is cocooned on a trip to Cape Town at the Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel

“It was here at this Cape, over three centuries ago, that there began the fateful convergence of the peoples of Africa, Europe and Asia on these shores,” Nelson Mandela once said. Cape Town is still a cultural melting pot and the legacy of the colonising Dutch, in particular, is visible in the Afrikaans language and the distinct Cape-Dutch architecture seen throughout the city.

I arrive in Cape Town for an international film conference. The Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel is the natural place to stay, located in the Central Business District. As its name suggests, the district is the city’s central commercial hub and home to landmarks like the Houses of Parliament, the Slave Lodge and the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where my conference is taking place.

Situated in a charming 17th century building in one of the city’s oldest squares, the Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel was once the “Union Chapel”, a place of worship for the first Congregational Church in South Africa when the country was a Dutch colony. It has been transformed into seven magnificent suites and the original walls and floors have been lovingly restored, creating an exclusive urban lifestyle destination.

Despite the Labotessa Luxury Boutique Hotel being so central, guests are instantly transported by the gorgeous sensory experience of the unique experience of arriving at and entering a Diptyque boutique in lieu of a traditional hotel lobby. It is a lovely way to forget the outside world and focus on the luxury that the hotel offers.

The owner-hotelier Johan du Plessis is an urbane presence. He spent a decade in Europe honing his hotelier skills (including several years working in London) and he ensures that guests’ needs are catered to while carefully respecting privacy. Each high-ceilinged suite is accessed by a lift that opens directly into the suite itself. The elevator ensures guest privacy and is a touch that demonstrates du Plessis’ skills as a hotelier in recognising that his well-travelled guests value privacy and exclusivity.

The suites are incredibly spacious with stylish herringbone wooden floors. My Signature suite (65 sq m or 700 sq ft) is like a cocoon from the rigours of the outside world. My bedroom, with its calming midnight blue walls, overlooks the historic Church Square and has a comfortable lounge area and discreet stone garden. The luxurious bathroom is stocked with Diptyque products and has soothing Calacatta marble walls, blue metro bathroom tiles and sliding wooden doors.

The panelled walls of the suite, plush velvet armchair and the regal drapery, as well as a traditional Persian rug, add texture and elevate its sense of comfort and warmth. It also has a reassuring view of Lions Head when it is not enveloped by low cloud cover.

The all-day breakfast offers fluffy Eggs Benedict and a complimentary fruit platter, served in the lush potted-garden Labotessa café. Lunch is the classic South African dish Bo-Kaap Bobotie, a delicious combination of ground beef spiced with curry, cinnamon and bay leaves, baked under an egg crust, served with a banana salad and fragrant yellow rice chutney. The “lifestyle bar” in my suite is fully stocked with a Smeg kettle, Nespresso, and a microwave as well as a complimentary minibar and snacks including tasty homemade hummus.

These treats are a thoughtful way of ensuring travel-weary guests have a memorable stay. Labotessa is located around the corner from the Taj Cape Town Hotel. While there is no in-house spa, Labotessa guests have access to the Taj’s excellent spa facilities.

The friendly concierge tells me that the Dutch links to the city began in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company set up a refreshment station at Table Bay. The settlement, centred around The Castle of Good Hope and the Company’s Garden (which grew as a re-supply point for ships). The Labotessa provides the perfect springboard to explore the district.

I take a leisurely stroll through the nearby Company’s Garden. I enjoy its canopies of centuries old trees, fynbos and even spot a white squirrel. Close by is the Castle of Good Hope, the oldest surviving Dutch colonial building in South Africa. This historic fortress is now a fascinating museum, all within 15 minutes’ walk of the Labotessa.

The Labotessa, with its outstanding customer service, effortlessly blends its old-world elegance and heritage with a distinctive vision of timeless contemporary design. During daylight hours I feel safe and walking at night feels as secure as any European city. Charles Darwin called Cape Town “a great inn, on the great highway to the east.” The Labotessa is much more than a “great inn” – it is quite simply the best boutique hotel in Cape Town and in the hospitality industry where there is a Darwinian “survival of the fittest”, the Labotessa will survive and thrive for years to come.