The Clarendon - Bantry Bay

Great location! Super friendly staff! Lovely view! Choice at breakfast for first few days!

Change to more limited breakfast part way through stay!

Moved mid stay to top floor room. More spacious than lower floor

Top floor had an odd smell. Noise from the plumbing first thing in the morning will wake you up. ( didn’t have this problem in first room) no long hanging if you have bought dresses . Outside balcony area beds needed to be cleaned

Nice sunset. Not much actually. On our first evening I asked my husband if we could check out the next morning and just bite the bullet on £800 per night for the following 2 nights. Came away feeling completely ripped off. I am only writing this as I stayed next door last year which was stunning. I booked this as it had very good reviews. Think I must have stayed in a different hotel! I have been coming to RSA for nearly 20 years and stayed in 7-10 hotels each time. This is only the 2nd time I have felt even slightly disappointed. It certainly takes the gold medal for bad value. There are many lovely statements on line regarding the owner. The owner ,I believe, is a very clever woman who if you complain about something, she completely agrees with you. In our case she gushed about how well travelled, how helpful we are to her, how knowledgeable, how kind I was. Did try to put her right on that one! Makes you feel you are her new best friend. This would appear to be her method of damage limitation. It works. Usually! It was only after leaving the hotel that I realised that I felt completely manipulated. I even had red roses sent to the room. I was told she would give me a discount. Won’t be holding my breath!

Tasteless and tacky. Cheap and nasty furniture everywhere. The owner has apparently discovered pearlescent cream paint and painted what look like very cheap compressed board tables, dining chairs, pillars etc so badly complete with drips dried in. Silver coloured mirrors and other accessories everywhere giving the feeling of a cheap tart’s boudoir. Our bedroom, which although light and airy carried on in the same theme with cream vinyl covered furniture and a rather gauche silver coloured chandelier. The bathroom, I found terrifying. Scared of slipping on the floor. Shiny huge tiles on the floor which has a piece of carpet on it but one can’t help but wonder when it was last cleaned properly and are you going to pick up a nasty fungal infection/ veruca etc. likewise the same tiles in shower where there is a plastic mat to stand on. Yuck! Food We ordered sandwiches for lunch on arrival. Truly disgusting. Chicken and mayonnaise toasted sandwich and a tuna sandwich took well over an hour to make. Chicken toasted was burnt and complete with plenty of gristle. Tuna was traditional sandwich but the tinned tuna was heated. Why? My husband’s avocado and prawn fashion sandwich (new to this term) was sushi which arrived a further 45 minutes later as they sent out for it. This was very pleasant but so obviously brought in (it takes more skill than the chefs here have to make sushi!) the soy sauce was still left in the plastic containers. This is after all meant to be a 5 star hotel. Breakfast. Buffet was ok but cooked breakfast was shocking for both of us the 1st morning. 2nd morning my husband gave up but I had avocado on toast with poached eggs which was actually quite good. At 6pm first day we went to the bar for drinks. I asked for a glass of South African sparkling wine. Only available by the bottle! 5star hotel? Pool area is cramped and the pool needs some renovation. 72 steps (I think) from pool to our room so if elderly or infirm, be aware.

Very slick, lovely staff, lovely pool, great location

Beautiful hotel with stunning views. Rooms were clean and spacious. Staff were nice and helpful especially the manager Juliet.

The food wasn’t that great. It didn’t match the prices.

The place was clean and staff friendly

Parking was limited and on a steep incline. The vehicle was parked overnight in this position, which affected the oil level readings the following morning.

The staff

Very overpriced for South Africans for what you get

An oasis of calm just 10 minutes from the main Cape Town attractions. The staff cannot do enough for you from great service to recommendations.

There's nothing not to like unless you're looking for a lively place to stay. This hotel is very much a place to unwind rather than your typical chain hotel with a bar/ gym etc