The Portswood Hotel

You stay here in the middle of the V&A Waterfront, with the city’s maritime side on the doorstep and a hotel designed around that theme. The Portswood Hotel keeps things polished without drifting into resort theatre: air-conditioned rooms, a pool outside, a restaurant on site and room service when your legs have had enough of the day.

English is one of the languages used for the hotel’s website, alongside French, German, Spanish and Chinese, so the property is set up for an international clientele. The setting suits a couple wanting Cape Town close at hand, but the practical details also work for divers: breakfast, a proper room, somewhere to sit with a drink and no need to turn the evening into an expedition.

The hotel is in Cape Town, on the V&A Waterfront, around 2 miles from the city centre. You are surrounded by the useful sort of urban detail: restaurants, cafés, museums, public transport and the waterfront itself. MyCiTi Station Granger Bay is about 350 metres away on foot, while MyCiTi Station Waterfront is roughly 650 metres away.

Mouille Point Beach is about 0.7 miles away, with Three Anchor Bay Beach around 1.4 miles away. The Two Oceans Aquarium is roughly 300 metres from the hotel, and the South African Maritime Museum is about 350 metres away. For a change of scale, Signal Hill is around 1.2 miles away and Lion’s Head about 2.6 miles away. Cape Town International Airport is approximately 13 miles away by road.

The rooms follow the hotel’s maritime style rather than pretending to be private apartments. Air conditioning matters here: it gives you a cooler place to recover when Cape Town has delivered a warm, active day. Satellite television, Wi-Fi, an en-suite bathroom with shower, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer cover the basics without fuss. Some rooms also have a bath, which is the useful version of luxury when your shoulders have had enough.

For a couple, the Standard Queen Room keeps things straightforward, while the Standard Twin Room suits two divers who would rather not negotiate bed territory after a long day. The King Studio and King Suite give you more room to spread out, making them the sensible choice when you want space beyond the bed. The Deluxe Queen Room is intended for single occupancy, so it fits a solo traveller who wants a proper king-size bed without booking around an absent roommate.

There is an electric kettle and tea and coffee-making equipment, plus a minibar. Room service runs around the clock, which is handy when the day starts early, ends late or both. Daily housekeeping, a desk, a flat-screen TV and a wake-up service keep the room functional rather than merely photogenic.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, giving you the efficient start that an active day usually requires. Breakfast in the room is also available if you would rather keep the morning quiet and let someone else deal with the first decision of the day. The hotel also has a minibar and room service, so food does not depend entirely on your enthusiasm for getting dressed again.

The Quarterdeck Restaurant brings Indian cuisine to the table, with Cape Malay decoration adding a clear local reference to the room. That gives dinner more character than a generic hotel menu. Beside the outdoor pool, the terrace works for a light snack or a drink when a full meal feels like overkill.

There is one cocktail bar, while the poolside terrace provides another place to sit outside. The combination is uncomplicated and useful: eat properly at the restaurant, order something lighter by the pool, or stay in your room and use the 24-hour room service. No elaborate evening strategy required.

The outdoor pool is the obvious place to slow the day down, with a terrace, sun loungers, umbrellas and pool towels. A garden adds some breathing space around the hotel, while outdoor furniture gives you somewhere to sit without automatically ordering another drink. It is a modest proposition, but a good one when all you want is water, a chair and a little less movement.

A fitness centre is available for anyone who still has energy to spend. For a gentler outing, walking tours and bike tours can be arranged, and the tour desk can help with the wider city. Golf is available within 3 miles, while hiking, cycling, fishing and windsurfing are offered away from the property.

The V&A Waterfront also gives you plenty to do without turning the hotel into an entertainment complex. The Two Oceans Aquarium is about 300 metres away, the Springbok Experience Rugby Museum roughly 150 metres away and the South African Maritime Museum around 350 metres away. The Zeitz MOCAA is about 800 metres away, and the Nelson Mandela Gateway and Clock Tower are both within roughly half a mile.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 16:00, and check-out from 07:00 to 10:00. The front desk operates around the clock, with luggage storage, a concierge, a tour desk and currency exchange available on site. An airport shuttle is available, and car hire can be arranged through the hotel.

Private parking is available at the hotel, including valet parking. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, and a lift reaches the upper floors. Facilities include wheelchair access and a toilet with grab rails, with an accessible room option for guests who need it.

This is an adults-only property: children are not allowed, and the minimum age for check-in is 18. Cots and extra beds are not available. Pets are not allowed, and payment is by card rather than cash. Non-smoking rooms and a designated smoking area keep those preferences separate rather than leaving the whole building to negotiate them.