Derwent House
Style Bed, breakfast and bonhomie
Setting Happening city-side suburb
When Jo and Carol first began planning Derwent House, they did so with the express intention of creating a boutique hotel they’d want to stay in, somewhere with a warm welcome, impeccable service and a sense of contemporary style that never slid into pretentiousness. Not only have they succeeded but, in a matter of months, they’ve also made the fabulously located Derwent House one of the most desirable destinations in Cape Town.
Need to know
- Rooms 10, including one self-catering suite.
- Rates Double rooms from $198.03 (ZAR1,535), excluding tax at 14 per cent.
- More details Rates include breakfast, tea, coffee and cake throughout the day. There's a surcharge of R100 a night between 20 December and 15 January.
- Facilities Library, DVD selection, free WiFi throughout, wireless sound system. In rooms: plasma TV, DVD/CD player, natural Ecoco toiletries.
- Poolside The outdoor lap pool is one of Derwent House’s big assets. It’s much larger than you’d expect from a hotel this size and the sun-bleached raised verandah alongside is a fab spot to snooze on one of the crisp wooden loungers.
- Check-out 11am, but later check-out is possible, subject to availability.
- Children Although kids are welcome, this is more of an adults’ getaway. More...
- Eco-friendly The hotel solar heats all its water and uses low-energy light fittings wherever it can. All chemicals used tick eco-boxes, too.
- Also Smoking is allowed on the decks and terraces. The hotel can get you temporary free passes to the local Virgin Active gym, and beauty treatments or massages at nearby spas.
Food and drink at Derwent House
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Hotel restaurant
Although Derwent House doesn’t serve dinner, it pools all of its culinary energies into a mouthwatering breakfast, ranging from a cold Continental selection of meats, cheeses and fruits to full English fry-ups and smoked fish. -
Dress code
Swimwear for staying in, eveningwear for going out. -
Top table
The verandah’s a charming spot to enjoy a poolside alfresco breakfast. -
Room service
The hotel is staffed 24 hours a day, but you can help yourself to drinks and snacks whenever you want. -
Hotel bar
A well-stocked fridge in the lounge area makes up the honesty bar, so you can settle down with a nightcap (or a pick-me-up) whenever and wherever you like.
Derwent House 14 Derwent Road, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, 8001
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Smith extra at Derwent House
Tickets to Cape Town's celebrated On Broadway cabaret club
In the know
Our favourite rooms
It’s hard to beat Room 3’s mountain views from the bath, but we were won over by serene Room 2, with its Victorian claw-footed bath tub and the secluded private deck area. Room 10 is the most isolated; under the shade of an old oak, it boasts its own hot tub on the deck. Derwent House classifies its rooms as either ‘Beautiful’ or ‘Fabulous’ depending on the size and quality of the view but, to be honest, we’d gladly bed down in either category.
Packing tips
As long as you have clothes to wear and a swimsuit to splash around in, Derwent House can take care of everything else – it can even loan you a laptop.
Also
If you’re staying a while or bringing a youngster, you should nab Room 9, the self-catering suite. The extra sofa bed and the small kitchen make it the most flexible option.
From the Guestbook…
As the weather was a little dismal on the Saturday we were intending to go to Camps Bay it was recommended to us to instead take a trip to The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. It's o...
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