Brian Berkman discovers deluxe accommodation at bargain-basement rates at Home Suites The Quarter in Cape Town’s trendy De Waterkant.
Home Suites The Quarter may have shortened their name from Home Suite Home and removed the asterisk from their logo but they still provide what many travellers want right now: A fabulous room, great shower, quality design and an affordable price point.
While their Rosebank, Johannesburg property, The Bristol, fits more neatly into the mould of a classic hotel with a pool, meeting rooms and a food and beverage offering, Home Suite The Quarter doesn’t need any of this given the De Waterkant and Green Point environment in which it is found.
Less than 10-minutes walk away from the V&A Waterfront, and located in what was once known as the gay village but is now simply trendy, with interior design stores, fashion and of course, fabulous places to eat and hang out.
De Waterkant, as an area is a little like London’s Notting Hill, in that it was originally an area that attracted artists and bohemians but since gentrified to the point of being highly sought-after Cape Town real estate. A sensitive renovation of old liquor warehouses into The Cape Quarter commercial development set the tone for the broader area.
De Waterkant is one of the most historic areas in the Cape and there are candy-coloured houses and narrow stone-cobbled streets here that are hundreds of years old.
Home Suites The Quarter is in a new build and occupies a single floor in a residential development that has an office block that houses an advertising agency and the outsourced visa services for the UK, Spain and many other countries besides, as a direct neighbour.
Interiors are by Tonic, a top interior design outfit, and furniture is purpose-designed. There are either views of Table Mountain or of the Atlantic and the Cape Town Stadium depending on which side you find yourself. There is free, access-controlled off-road parking and a ground floor concierge 24/7.
Rooms are equipped with a Nespresso machine (and a starter supply of three pods), kettle, toaster and a small fridge, sink and a few eating implements but rooms are not intended for food preparation. There is a trendy gym nearby and daily access vouchers are available to purchase. But, with Giovanni’s Deli, arguably the best in the city (with a wide range of prepared foods that are as delicious as they are affordable) a two-kilometre walk away along the paved and landscaped fan walk that was created when South Africa hosted the Football World Cup, and many bars and eateries and a SPAR supermarket in the Cape Quarter development, you will not want for anything.
And, a rarity in a newly built apartment building, pets are welcome and Home Suites even provides treats, a pet bed and other items if you advise them in advance.
There are Superior suites (between 32 – 53m2 in size with the choice of a King or Twin-sized bed. You also get an en suite bathroom with a shower and lounge area with smart TV with Netflix.
One-bedroom Deluxe suites are larger ranging from 48m2 to 56m2. Some rooms have a private balcony too.
Rooms offer free Wifi, daily cleaning, a desk to work at and plenty of plugs to charge the myriad of devices we travel with nowadays. Bathrooms are equipped with an amenities range from Charlotte Rhys, a local luxury line that is available to purchase (or billed to your credit card if you decide to take the products home with you.)
A sister property has just opened in Sea Point, an adjacent seaside suburb.
Tell me more about Home Suites The Quarter in Cape Town
Home Suites The Quarter, 2 De Smit Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town South Africa.
T: +27 (10) 500 1557 E: Thequarterbookings@Homesuitehotels.com
Rooms are sold at the best available rate but when we stayed, albeit in the Cape’s winter low season, rates were R1000 for the room or about £50 a night for two.
