December 20

Introducing The All New MannaBay Hotel

0  comments

December 20, 2013

We all know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

But there’s always room for improvement, right? Well that’s exactly what the new MannaBay Hotel has done by moving to its new home at the top of Oranjezicht. It took hard work, long hours, and not just a few headaches and drama, but the new MannaBay has finally opened its doors.

“What do you do to a hotel that already rivals the best hotels in Cape Town?” I wondered, anticipating the tour of the new property with a glass of champagne in hand. I immediately realised that the new MannaBay did not only move higher up geographically, but everything has been taken up a notch. From the decor to the food and facilities. So let me tell you all about it. I’ll start with the rooms…

The Rooms

The themes of the original seven rooms have been kept along with one addition – The Flamingo Room – bringing the total number of rooms to eight. The hotel has incredible, panoramic views over the city and onto the harbour beyond and of course of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. A large, sparkling, white marble swimming pool will catch your eye and make you want to jump in. But if you can resist that temptation there is a steam room and gym to keep you active. If you prefer the outdoors to keep healthy, the hotel is at the foot of Table Mountain with great hiking trails through the back gate which leads directly into the Table Mountain National Park.

Atlas Bar

Facilities include an inviting outdoor area, with a number of sitting areas that include a cosy fire-pit to keep the Cape Town chill away and a spectacular rooftop bar – The Atlas Bar. There can’t be many finer spots from which to enjoy a cocktail or two. If you manage to peel your eyes from the magnificent views, you can read a book. The hotel has over 3 000 books, bought from the Help the Rural Child, and TEARS (The Emma Animal Rescue Society) .

Decor

Art piece

As I walked in I instantly recognised some of the art pieces from the original MannaBay but there are so many striking new pieces to enjoy.  The large carpets representing flags from different countries still cover the MannaBay floors. The new art pieces include nine hand-painted pictures featuring the most critically endangered animal species in the world. But my personal favourite is a piece representing the swallow migration between Europe and Africa each year. Imagine 200 swallows hanging from the ceiling. The number of swallows represents the number of miles each bird covers each day with the exact GPS coordinates of their journey.

Art piece

You will also find wonderful pieces by the local artists Karen Miller and Chris Diedericks. And just in case you relax so much that you forget where you are, the new bedding has the MannaBay logo embroidered and the crystal champagne glasses have the logo embossed. Talk about attention to detail.

Food

The kitchen

Breakfast spread

If you’ve been lucky enough to have stayed at MannaBay, you will know that they serve a scrumptious breakfast. But at the new MannaBay you can expect much more. With the hotel only serving the most important meal of the day, you can rest assured that you will start your day in style. The open-plan kitchen means that you can interact with head chef Ricardo while he makes perfectly poached eggs for your Eggs Benedict.

When you return from a busy day exploring the Mother City, you will be greeted by the legendary high tea which starts at 4pm. The team can also organise wine and whisky tastings for guests. The impressive wine list was compiled with the help of local wine legend Katie Barratt (aka The Wine Fairy) and showcases the best of South African wine with particular focus on the varietals that thrive in the Western Cape climate. It’s worth mentioning as well that the prices are incredibly reasonable – a refreshing change from the usual over-the-top prices in hotel bars.

High tea spread

Extra Features

– 24-hour butler service, laundry service, in-room spa treatments, complimentary wifi, airport transfers, dinner transfers within the city, GPS devices and mobile phones pre-programmed with useful numbers for guests to use while out and about.

There is so much more I could say about the new MannaBay. But the best way to truly appreciate the hotel is to experience it for yourself.

Contact one of our travel experts today to start planning your ultimate Cape Town holiday!



Tags


You may also enjoy 

Why Cape Town is the Best City in the World

Why Cape Town is the Best City in the World

Cape Town in Pictures

Cape Town in Pictures

About the author 

Matthew Sterne

Matt discovered a passion for writing in the six years he spent travelling abroad. He worked for a turtle sanctuary in Nicaragua, in an ice cream factory in Norway and on a camel safari in India. He was a door-to-door lightbulb-exchanger in Australia, a pub crawl guide in Amsterdam and a journalist in Colombia. Now, he writes and travels with us.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
>