 At the foot of the beautiful Company Gardens, next to Parliament and in the heart of the city, the Taj hotel is exactly between Table Mountain and the ever popular V&A Waterfront; both are a 10 minute drive away.
Occupying two historic buildings, it retains the architecture and many meticulously restored interior features of the original South African Reserve Bank and the old BOE building - formerly the Temple Chambers, built in 1890. Seventeen new storeys house suites, guestrooms and residences with magnificent views of the Mother City and the iconic Table Mountain.
The restored ground floor of the Reserve Bank is now the hotel lobby, with the original marble columns, skylight and anatomically correct lion medallions pressed into the ceilings, remains a triumph to the fastidiousness of James Morris, who designed the building in 1929. There is a bar in the lobby area as well as a cigar lounge.
This luxury 5-star hotel offers guests a combination of refined Indian hospitality and an authentic Cape Town experience. It has the Jiva Spa offering a range of signature treatments, yoga and meditation and there is a fitness centre comprising of a fully equipped Technogym, heated indoor pool, two saunas and male and female changing areas. A magnificent hotel in the heart of South Africa's mother city.
The rooms combine old-world quality and modern amenities. As well as the gamut of facilities that guests would expect in a five-star hotel room such as a mini-bar, safe, voicemail and international plug sockets, standard features include high-speed wireless internet, an iPod docking station and charger, an internet-enabled television and a work station with a multi-media hub so laptops can be interfaced with the television.
The hotel has two restaurants and a seafood and champagne bar. Mint, a grille restaurant is built on three levels. It is bounded by an open-plan show kitchen, a floor-to-ceiling wine wall and full-length glass sliding doors giving uninhibited views of St George's Mall, a pedestrianised artery running from the historic City centre to the Foreshore. It is an all-day informal restaurant. Patrons can opt for the intimacy of the wine-tasting nook, the relaxed atmosphere of the contemporary interior or enjoy the sights and sounds of Cape Town at open-air tables under the trees in the Mall. The mezzanine level can be used for private dining. On the ground floor, the hallowed halls of the Reserve Bank have been restored to house the Bombay Brasserie, an Indian fine-dining restaurant. The elegant decor and authentic Indian cuisine offer a more formal and exotic culinary experience.
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(5 stars)