Fodor's Expert Review Victoria & Alfred Hotel

This upscale hotel in a converted warehouse is smack in the middle of the Waterfront and surrounded by shops, bars, and restaurants, so it's a good choice for those who want to be in the thick of the (admittedly touristy) action. There's an industrial/nautical theme that abounds throughout the lobby and bar, which opens out onto a long terrace for waterside views, meals and drinks. Rooms are huge and luxurious.

room

Crisp linens, red velvet chairs and the original-style warehouse windows and whitewashed brick walls give the rooms a sense of personality and comfort.

Views from the costlier mountain-facing rooms are spectacular, encompassing not only Table Mountain but the city and docks as well. These rooms can also be a bit quieter than those which overlook the piazza's street performers.

bathroom

Bathrooms are large and airy too, with baths and showers.

lobby

The nautical chic lobby is staffed by extremely friendly personnel and has some refreshing elements, like citrus water, available for arriving guests (who also get a free welcome drink). It's accessed through the mall, which makes the entrance a bit confusing, but once you're in there are glimpses available of the docks through the bar and a general feeling of efficiency and style.

pool

Guests can use the pool at the nearby Dock House Hotel, in a palm-tree fringed courtyard with views of the mountains beyond.

spa

Similarly, the Sanctuary spa is off-site--but not far. It's run by the same company as the hotel.

dining

Ginja is the hotel's restaurant, with the aforementioned lovely terrace and a wide range of meals. The hotel's luxurious breakfast--oysters and champagne, anyone?--is served here, or at Dash in the Queen Victoria Hotel.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The regular outsourcing of the hotel's facilities to other nearby properties in the group - the pool, the spa, even the breakfast - can be a little bewildering.

drinking

Hotel guests and members of the public can also drink by the water at Ginja, or in the daytime there's Native Espresso Bar for a coffee fix.