Derwent House

A light, uplifting and fabulously friendly boutique hotel on a quiet backstreet in Tamboerskloof

Carol and Jo, on the run from grey English winters, were enraptured by the vibrant nature of Capetonians and their city. The tangible result of their African satori is Derwent House, a colourful, friendly and light-filled boutique hotel, which consciously embraces the spirit of the new South Africa.

The hotel’s muted pale-grey facade looks conventionally Cape-Victorian, but to the rear a spectacular double-heighted loggia, a wooden-decked pool and 2 garden wings of rooms bring Derwent House straight into modern mode. High, south-facing windows pour light into the open-plan lounge/diner, where angular leather sofas, kudu-covered chairs, huge Xhosa paintings and signed prints of Mandela’s Robben Island sketches, are juxtaposed with subdued white-and-grey walls and floors of buff sandstone. The brightness of the decoration is matched by Carol and Jo. Anyone who celebrates inclusivity rather than exclusivity will be warmly welcomed at their gay-friendly hotel. We applaud their ethical employment policy and unbridled enthusiasm for their adopted city.

Highs

• This is a great part of town: a stone’s throw from the bars and restaurants of Kloof Street
• Some rooms grab a view up to Table Mountain and its cable car
• The garden, with its shaded loggia and decked pool, is a great place to chill out, and the lounge/diner has an instant feel-good factor
• English touches like the honesty bar and complimentary sherry and cake at teatime

Lows

• You occasionally hear the comings and goings of other guests from the rooms in the main house
• Some of the rooms are a little on the small side
• The continual piped music in the dining area might not be to everyone’s taste