Do you want to be a popular parent? My favourite family hotel in Cape Town is the One&Only Hotel at the V&A Waterfront. It’s not cheap, so won’t suit every budget. But if you don’t mind taking a big chunk out of your wallet, the kids will thank you for it. My son Mark keeps asking when we can go back!
Cleverly, One&Only Cape Town has numerous room types. The double queen can sleep 2 adults and 2 kids on two queen beds. Or you can have a king bed and a rollaway if you have one child (and don’t mind a squeeze). There are interleading rooms too, if you prefer a degree of separation from your offspring! No matter how many kids you have, the hotel can seamlessly accommodate you.
That isn’t the exciting part though. The real star of the show is their enormous KidsOnly club which is open from 10am until 7pm. I don’t know why more hotels don’t offer this type of amenity, which is more often found at beach resorts than in cities. It’s a winner!
The younger kids, aged 4-11, are entertained within an inch of their lives. A reading pod for story time, an arts and crafts pod with themed daily activities, a private garden for outside play, a movie room and cooking activities. When I went to fetch my Mark, he cried and absolutely refused to leave.
Teenagers might scoff at the thought of a KidsOnly club. But when they see the games room with Wii, Xbox (and other technology that I don’t understand), the movie room and the snacks on offer, they might even crack a smile.
There are a number of small touches. Sarah was given candyfloss when we ordered wine, so everyone had lovely sundowners with the incredible Table Mountain view as a backdrop. Very thoughtful and clever, and much appreciated.
If you happen to be in Cape Town on business or have your own lineup of events planned, the KidsOnly club can arrange outings for the kids to fun places like the aquarium, the penguin colony and more. So don’t feel bad if you need to go to the office, the kids will have a blast.
And when it all gets too much, mom and dad can head off to the superb spa for a relaxing massage. That’s what I did!
