Rooms

Derwent House has 10 guest rooms, divided among the main house and the 2 garden annexes. There’s also a self-catering Apartment, which has a bit more space. We stayed in one of the first-floor Beautiful Rooms (4) in the main house, with great Table Mountain views from our bed and bathtub; other Beautiful Rooms have small balconies overlooking the pool. All rooms score top marks for comfort, and Fabulous Room 10 has a private deck.

The decorative style sticks to a muted mushroomy-grey colour scheme, pepped up by bright lamps, more of Mandela’s Robben Island prints, and jazzy voile floor-to-ceiling drapes. Beds are enormous with percale duvet covers and a triple bank of pillows and cushions. All rooms have large fitted wardrobes and a full quotient of modern conveniences.

The functional and uncluttered bathrooms vary quite a bit, though most have both a bathtub and a shower. All have bathrobes, hairdryers and goodies from the popular (and Cape Town original) Charlotte Rhys range.

Open-plan and spacious, the self-catering one-bedroom apartment is located in a small block next door to Derwent House. It has a fully-equipped kitchen and a comfy living room with a double sofabed, plus a dedicated parking bay and views of the Cape Town Skyline at night. Around the corner from Derwent house is the 100-year-old renovated Kelvin Cottage. It sleeps four in two double bedrooms, with a third study room which has a sofa bed. There's a full kitchen, killer views to Devil's Peak and a terrace complete with seating and a barbecue.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Your Cape Town day gets off to a flying start with a Derwent House breakfast. A big buffet is laid up to one side of the open-plan kitchen and you choose between a table in the dining room, out on the veranda or beneath the potted citrus trees by the pool. Amongst other good things on offer are homemade muesli and porridge with honey, a big fruit salad, dried fruit and yoghurts, a choice of 4 or 5 cheeses and, if you want, a cooked breakfast - we recommend the smoked haddock and scrambled eggs.

Please note that the rates for the self-catering apartment do not include breakfast, although this can be provided for an extra charge.

A small selection of red wines are racked up in the kitchen and an honesty bar is stocked with rosé and white wines, champagnes, beers and soft drinks. Tea and coffee, as well as delicious homemade cake, are available from lunchtime onwards.

There is no lunch or dinner menu, but the chances are that you’ll prefer to dine just around the corner on Kloof Street anyway. Check Derwent House’s comprehensive restaurant guide with its helpful price range indications.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Honesty bar
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, hike across the National Park (good birding) and descend via Skeleton Gorge to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
  
  
• Walk down Kloof Street, then take a cab to the Waterfront to eat and shop next to the sea
  
  
• Take a boat out to Robben Island and see where Mandela drew the sketches that decorate Derwent House
  
  
• Cruise the galleries in Church Street, home to some of Africa’s most innovative contemporary art
  
  
• Go fishing from the V&A Waterfront or charter a boat; serious sailors will prefer to sail from Simonstown (30 minutes away)
  
  
• Walk along Noordhoek beach, after a spectacular drive along Chapman's Peak
  
  
• In season whale-watching can be had all around the peninsula, or go 90 minutes to Hermanus which has the best access
  
  
• There are numerous golf courses around the city - the nearest one is 10 minutes’ drive. Or play tennis at the Gardens Tennis Club, 5 minutes away

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Surfing
• Tennis
• Traditional cultures
• Wine tasting

Kids

The hotel is only suitable for children aged 12+

Family friendly accommodation:

The separate self-catering one-bedroom apartment is a great option for parents with a teen on the sofa bed. Rates exclude breakfast but you can use the pool and honesty bar at the main hotel.

Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Derwent House is in the Tamboerskloof suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It is almost at the foot of Table Mountain and near Table Mountain National Park.

By Air
Fly into Cape Town International (20km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
The airport is approximately 20 minutes away by taxi, but allow plenty of time for traffic delays if you have a plane to catch. Most guests hire a car (see below).

By Car
Hiring a car is a popular choice and particularly useful if you want to explore the surrounding area - see our car rental recommendations. Derwent House has free off-street parking.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

More on getting to South Africa and getting around.