The Manor House at the Queen Victoria Hotel

The Manor House leans into its boutique credentials rather than competing with the big players, and is all the better for it. Guests have access to the Sanctuary Spa next door — a well-appointed spot for treatments that justifies the splurge after a day pounding Cape Town's streets. Dining is handled with equal confidence: Dash restaurant serves up gourmet fare with the kind of polish you'd expect from this corner of the Waterfront, while breakfast can be taken either at the Queen Victoria Hotel or at GINJA, a two-minute stroll away. The garden, shaded and unhurried, is the property's quiet trump card - a genuinely lovely spot to start the day before the city wakes up properly. The whole setup benefits from the security and buzz of the Waterfront precinct without being consumed by it.

All four suites face Table Mountain, and the view doesn't get old — not on day one, not on day four. Each opens onto a private patio or Juliet balcony, making the mountain a fixture of daily life rather than something you catch in passing. Inside, the rooms are spacious and smartly put together, with modern furnishings given personality through bold splashes of colour that stop well short of garish. King-size beds dressed in 300-thread-count cotton do their job admirably, and the bathrooms — with underfloor heating, heated towel rails and robes — are a cut above what the building's modest exterior might suggest. Minibars, air-conditioning and complimentary coffee and tea round things off sensibly. It's worth knowing that the upper two suites can be configured with a private dining area between them, which makes the whole arrangement rather appealing for those travelling together who prefer their own space to a communal hotel dining room.