Why The Table Bay Hotel is the most WONDERFUL address in Cape Town

Over Easter weekend, our little family stayed at the Table Bay Hotel. As I start this I don't even know how to give this magnificent residence the justice that it demands. What makes The Table Bay Hotel the best address in the Cape? Is it the building, the staff, rooms, the view? Is their credibility serviced by ridiculous amounts of famous people that have stayed there and regularly do? Is it the food, the high tea or the pool? When you go to a hotel - what makes you go back? Here's why:

1. They have the Oscar's Kids Club over Easter and Christmas holidays. If you have children and if you're coming to Cape Town in December, then look me in my hazel brown eyes and promise that you'll stay here. They had a daily program of activities, arts, crafts, games, songs, baking and cooking set for each day, 10:00 to 15:00. Noah didn't want to leave so we had to order his lunch to be delivered to the playroom. Awkward when you give the childminder that "I promise our kids actually love us and like being around us" look. Then you walk away. You w.a.l.k  a.w.a.y. Suddenly Grays and I had all this free time to walk around, have some tea with the harbour view and take photos until eventually we dragged Benjamin out of the play area for lunch because...

2. The Table Bay Hotel has an escalator that joins in to the V&A Waterfront. Convenient much? Sneaky shopping much? We took the escalator one floor up and suddenly we were amongst bustling holiday goers, shoppers, diners and other jolly Easter Weekend folk. We headed straight to our second favourite family restaurant: Ocean Basket. Our boys LOVE sushi and clean up dozens of plates in one sitting. We had such a nice lunch with little Benjamin. He loves one-on-one time with us! It was so special. It was a really happy day - one of those days that you look back on with such a big smile in your heart. It's is so convenient that the Waterfront is RIGHT there if you want to pop out for a movie, some shopping, digging at the Scratch Patch, the Aquarium, markets, restaurants, pubs, a boat ride, sneaking out to Zara with your husband's credit card.... What?

3. The pool is always the first place that I run to when we go away. In all swimming seriousness though, the Table Bay Hotel has the best pool facilities that we've come across to date. The thing that makes the Table Bay so marvelous is that they completely exceed every expectation that you didn't even have. As you walk on to the deck, there are big jugs of fresh water infused with ice and fresh fruit. Magazines. Novels. Books. Rolled up, fresh, powder-white crisp towels. The staff was incredibly attentive. We ordered beverages, cocktails and poured jugs of fresh, delicious water as our bodies absorbed the sun. And what happens when little kids swim and swim and swim nonstop for three hours? They get very hungry! No problem - just order from their menu to get delicious snacks and small meals at the poolside. How fantastic? They even have a bubbly warm jacuzzi, which occupied all three my boys for hours!

3. The rooms are beautiful. We were in the Executive Family Suite. This comprises of a large room with a king size bed, then a sleeper couch that folds to a bed for the children. Our boys are still small, so this was perfect for us. You have the option to get an inter-leading room, but we didn't think it was necessary. Either way, our boys will bring their little bunny bums to our bed at 3am. It was also really nice to share a room with them like this - lots of cuddling and chatting! You can view the Table Bay room and rates here.

The room has a bathroom with bath and shower, a mini bar, balcony with ocean view, couch, flat screen television with DSTV, desk and dressing table. You also have the option of in-room dining, and a turn-down service. Our turn-down was particularly nice! They made the boys' bed, scattered rose petals over the room, placed our robes out, hid creamy nougat on our pillows and even had the DSTV guide open for the correct calendar date on our bed. Really - every tiny little detail is taken care of. Things you wouldn't even have thought of! The kids got activity bags with sweets, treats and fruit juice inside. Perfect for keeping little busy boys entertained.

Thank you so much to the Concierge (Ryan van Zyl) that spoiled us with a beautiful bottle of wine, fruit, biltong, cashews, dried fruit and fudge in our room. Such a spoiled little rabbit family!

4. The Camelot Spa, Business Center and Gym are all situated upstairs, adjacent to the pool. While my boys were swimming and playing, I slipped to the Spa for a manicure and pedicure. This is a luxury that most moms don't have and honestly - it was the first mani and pedi that I've ever had! Parents are just so busy all the time, and moms never really take that time for themselves to just feel good about their busiest assets! Moms reading this right now, know that our hands and feet work the hardest so it was really special for me to have them taken care of - six years in to motherhood! I felt so pampered. The ladies at the spa are so friendly, chatty and fun. Thanks Nqabisa for making me feel all polished again - literally!

5. The food. If you must go to the Table Bay (and you really must) then do it for the food. They are big on treating, surprizing and feeding you. You can eat at the spa, in your room, at the pool, on the balcony and of course you can eat at Camissa, The Atlantic and The Union Bar. View all their menus, prices, operating times and make bookings here. Really, if you want to spoil someone special or be super romantic or propose or have an anniversary or just be amazing - take your loved one to The Camissa for dinner. Or to The Lounge for High Tea. Of course, their restaurants are open to all guests, not just residents. We had the Cape Mussels with whine wine, garlic, chives, cream and Chakalaka bread. For mains we had the Apple Cider Roast Baby Chicken and Graeme had the Shiraz Braised Lamb Shank. At dessert we had the Rainbow Cheese Cake with Mixed Berry Compote which was sensational.

After dinner we retrieved to our room, watched a movie (Shrek had JUST started I mean how lucky even is that), snacked on treats and enjoyed a glass of wine and some romance on our balcony. The boys were very good in the restaurant. I popped some crayons and paper in to my hand bag, so they were occupied with drawing. They really loved their little bed and snuggling in with us. Sleep time!

If you've ever seen me eat like a grown warrior man, then it is at breakfast. And does the Table Bay DO breakfast. They have the biggest breakfast selection in the Cape or something ridiculous. I think they have over 300 dishes, including a waffle bar. Breakfast is served in the Atlantic, buffet style from 6:30am to 11:00 am and flows in to every room. Find breakfast dishes in the lounge, Camissa, Union Bar and everywhere between those times. This meant that after we ate EVERYTHING they had (basically) we could still sit in the lounge and enjoy more teas, cheese and pastries. They also have a juicing station where they served Apple & Spinach juices which were delicious. Really you have not seen a bigger breakfast selection in the history of breakfasts. I couldn't get a lot of pictures because well, I wanted to eat it all *immediately*. They also had wholewheat crumpets with cinnamon and honey and YES - sushi for breakfast. Even oysters. Why not?

BONUS 6. Surprises and Amazing Staff. After breakfast, the boys RAN to Oscar's Kids Club (by then they were already on 1st name basis and secret handshakes with every butler, waitron, concierge, receptionist and hotel manager at The Table Bay. I have never experienced such hospitality in all my years of travel (goodness knows my parents took us everywhere). Everyone was incredibly friendly, attentive and professional. They stopped to chat with my boys, ask them questions, play with them. They brought them apple juice in champagne glasses in reception, asked their names, sneaked them Easter eggs. Every single person and other child got exactly the same treatment. You couldn't get to the Concierge desk because Ryan was so busy chatting, accommodating, servicing, making arrangements and giving advice to tourists. He even let my boys hug him! Haha. Really, everyone was just incredible. You really feel like royalty when you're there - everything is so regal, but comfortable, fancy... but warm.

As we were leaving they said they had ONE more 'small' surprize left for us. When the Concierge flashed that Helicopter pamphlet at me, my heart beat and burst like a thousand drums! Fifteen minutes later a golf cart collected us for our very first helicopter ride. We got to see Cape Town in a way we'd never experienced it and it was the perfect ending to the most wonderful weekend. Thank you so much for having us. It was an absolute dream! I will always remember The Table Bay as one of my fondest and happiest family memories.

An incredibly warm and heartfelt Thank You to Nicki Dadic, Ryan van Zyl, Sarah Prins and Nina Barrie for coordinating this magical family weekend. And big sloppy kisses from the boys too xx