WHETHER you’re in Cape Town for business or pleasure, a streamlined and modern hotel on the doorstep of V&A Waterfront – which has the added bonus of being super-affordable – is just what you want.
Signature Lux is part of the ONOMO Hotels group which is expanding with the strategy of becoming the leading pan African mid-market hospitality professional platform. To add to recent openings in Kigali and Durban, the group is planning openings in Casablanca, Maputo, Douala, Kampala, Tangier and Dar es Salaam. I’ve collected two so far – Waterfront and Sandton – on my way to having the whole set.
The hotel has 89 rooms decorated in a contemporary minimalist style. No fuss, no frills, but not missing anything important either. It’s perfect for the traveller who is not going to spend the entire time in the room, although if you did, you’d have a good reading lamp (critical and so often overlooked), a smart TV that can connect to your smart phone so you can watch your favourite streaming platforms on a proper screen, and a small desk area for you to put your laptop (or, in my case, make-up bag and wine).
The bathroom area of our room was to the left and right as we entered, leading to the bed part. Small, yes, but perfectly functional. The view was more or less to the west, so we got a bit of Table Mountain, a downtown cityscape, and a pretty sunset. The location puts the hotel close to a major busy intersection but there was no traffic noise. I’m assuming double glazing for the win.
Something I found fascinating was the contrast between the room and the lavish Vivaldi restaurant and lounge area on the ground floor. While the former is smooth and clean, the latter is over-the-top opulent gold and brocade. Down here, you can see the impressive beams of the original warehouse, built in 1901 for German importer Wilhelm Spilhaus. “Some of the rooms have these beautiful beams running through them and we also have an incredible collection of antique furniture thanks to the developer’s vision for the hotel,” says general manager Walda Meyer.
What I learned from my previous stay in Sandton is that these hotels place a strong focus on servicing the tech-lovers and offers self-service kiosks that allow guests to check in and out. If you don’t qualify as a tech lover, there is a human too. You can download the hotel’s app, which incorporates check-in and check-out facilities, mobile key function, easy reservation, laundry, room service, instant messaging with the front desk, and wi fi dialling services. It’s all very, well, smart. Oh, and you don’t get tea- and coffee-making vibes in your room; these are available at stations on each floor. Quality is not sacrificed – the coffee is proper, made from freshly ground beans. The only thing that can go wrong is the milk overflowing…in which case, run back to your room and hide.
THE LOWDOWN
Where: 24 Alfred Street, Waterfront, Cape Town
Telephone: 021 811 4970
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.onomohotel.com
Connect on Facebook, Twitter @ONOMOHotels and Instagram @ONOMOHotel
