The Hout Bay Hideaway

Rooms

This place will suit couples, families or groups: you can book either an individual suite, an apartment, a whole floor or the entire property, which sleeps up to 9 guests.

The suites and apartment have been individually decorated with care and attention to detail, but all in 1930s style. Rooms are filled with Sue and Martin’s impressive collection of antique furniture, colourful kilims, original Art Deco clocks and lamps (many from the Amsterdam School), and fine artworks.

The 3 suites on the upper floor vary in size, but all have shower rooms and views of Sentinel Mountain. We stayed in the Skylight Suite with its wonderful wraparound veranda overlooking the pool. The Sentinel Suite is similar, but it faces the sea. For extra space, opt for the Bay View Suite; not only do you get the best views of the bay, you also get an enormous private deck with teak furniture and hammocks.

Wooden bay windows and French doors open onto the garden from the ground-floor Garden Apartment, which has the added luxury of a spacious sitting room with a fireplace plus a separate bathtub and shower in the bathroom.

Deep armchairs, fireplaces and underfloor heating make all of the rooms a cosy option on winter evenings. Extra-long kingsize beds are laid with fresh cotton percale linen and each room has a satellite television, a DVD player, WiFi and a kitchenette with a sink, a fridge and a microwave.

All have ensuite bathrooms with a hairdryer, heated towel rails and fluffy dressing gowns. For the adventurous, there's also a functioning open-air Victorian-style bathtub set among ferns in the garden. Lie back and soak in a bubble bath while staring at the Southern Cross!

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

As the emphasis is on privacy at the Hideaway, your breakfast - fresh croissants, bread, fruit, yoghurt and orange juice - will be served to your private deck or veranda. You can also order cooked eggs if you wish. It's absolutely the perfect way to start your day.

All rooms have their own kitchenette with a fridge, a microwave-oven, a toaster, a kettle, a filter coffee machine and an iron. All are supplied with teas, coffees and milk. There's a barbecue area to try your hand at a traditional South African braai - fresh seafood can be purchased down at the harbour or there is a good supermarket nearby.

Restaurants within walking distance include the Chapman’s Peak Hotel, famous for its calamari and chips, and Dune - try the smoked ‘snoek’ pate here. A restaurant considered one of South Africa’s best is a short cab ride away: Kitima. Even if you can’t get a table (it’s usually booked weeks in advance) have a sample of its superb Thai cuisine in the elegant bar... and ask about the ghost!

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Fridge
• Kitchenette
• Microwave
• Oven
• Restaurants nearby

Activities

• Hout Bay beach is a lovely stretch of white sand if it’s not too windy. It’s not the best for swimming (the water is very cold), but the setting is spectacular. Have sundowners at Dune, a restaurant on the beach
  
  
• Follow Chapman’s Peak Drive, one of the most beautiful roads in the world, and enjoy a picnic at sunset. The views are breathtaking... and you can spot whales from the drive during the winter months
  
  
• Hout Bay's fishing harbour offers a colourful scene and is great for photography or sketching
  
  
• Hout Bay’s famous World of Birds has more than 3000 birds in pleasant, walk-through aviaries
  
  
• Suikerbossie Tearoom at the top of Hout Bay valley offers fine views down the peninsula
  
  
• Watersports in the bay include scuba diving, fishing, sea kayaking and sailing
  
  
• Llandudno is a beautiful bay with massive sandstone boulders and good surfing waves (less than 10 minutes by car)
  
  
• Go hiking, biking or horse riding along the many mountain tracks
  
  
• Cape Town with it's many attractions is an easy 20-minute drive away, don't miss Table Mountain, Robben Island or the V&A Waterfront
  
  
• The Winelands can be reached in about 30 minutes

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Kayaking
• Mountain biking
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Whale watching

Kids

Children cannot be accommodated at The Hout Bay Hideaway, unless it's cleared with Sue and Martin before booking.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

The Hout Bay Hideaway is located on the eastern slopes of Hout Bay, a 20-minute taxi ride from the centre of Cape Town, South Africa.

By Air
Fly into Cape Town International (33km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
It's approximately a 35-minute taxi ride from the airport or The Hideaway can arrange transfers on request. Most guests hire a car (see below).

By Car
For car hire, see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be provided when the booking is confirmed.

More on getting to South Africa and getting around.