Hotel Sky Cape Town

I’ve worked in aviation for 20 years and stayed in hotels around the world, but I’ve never had such poor basic service. I asked for no housekeeping for four days, then was told I’d have to pay when I requested drinking water. On my second day, I waited all day for clean towels. That’s basic hospitality, and the standards here were very poor. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The room was clean, modern, and comfortable, and the evening had a lively feel without becoming too much. We stayed at Hotel Sky Cape Town for my wife’s 40th birthday, and the staff made us feel welcome in a warm, genuine way. Both the hotel and restaurant teams went out of their way to make her feel special, with thoughtful touches that made the occasion memorable for us. The service was attentive and friendly throughout. We’ll definitely be back.

I booked this place late while attending a conference, but I wouldn’t stay here again even for $1,000 a night. The lifts are a nightmare. Budget 20 minutes to go up or down, around 10 minutes waiting and another 10 riding. They stop at every floor, and staff get on and off to change floors. A trip back to your room three times in a day can easily cost an hour. I’ll probably have lift nightmares for years. The room is long and has two large beds, but nothing else, a completely baffling design. The shower swings from freezing to boiling, and there’s nothing you can do about it except risk getting burnt. You get one bottle of water on the first day, then you’re on your own. Checking in and out is another ordeal, budget 30 minutes each time. The restaurants aren’t terrible, but their designs are laughable, and food takes at least 45 minutes. Breakfast isn’t great either, though it’s probably the best part of staying here. This is a truly terrible hotel, maybe the worst I’ve stayed in for years.

The location on the foreshore is pretty good, although it isn’t really in the V and A area, which is about a 20-minute walk away. Breakfast was great, the staff were friendly, and lunch was very good too. The rooms are a bit quirky. There’s a good sports bar with sushi as its speciality as well as other bar meals, and coffee machines in the hallway near the bedrooms. We didn’t try the main restaurant for dinner.