A PRESIDENT
which also offers a few meat options.
The President is known for one of the best breakfast buffets in Cape Town – at an unbeatable R185, the sumptuous spread included everything from smoked salmon and fried dishes, to fresh juices and pancakes that kept me going for the rest of the day.
What I like about the President is that it offers specials in its restaurants throughout the year. The new Botany Cafe offers main courses throughout the week for R85. For Father’s Day, and Heritage Day, there is a two-course winter menu for under R200, making it affordable for locals.
Sommelier Job is wonderfully talented and passionate about locally produced products. He recommended that as an aperitif, I start with a local amber fynbos-infused gin cocktail, which was heavenly.
Growing up in Cape Town in the 1980s, Sea Point and Bantry Bay were the most fashionable places in Cape Town. The handful of five-star hotels were reserved for wealthy visitors from up country and overseas, and were seldom affordable for the average Capetonian.
Fast forward a decade or two, and how things have changed. The President has become not just a hotel but a hangout, where locals can while away their time with a sense of being in a far-away exotic destination.
I was impressed by the number of locals who were dining and staying there.
On entering a lift, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised to hear many guests with a local accent, and even met a South African couple from Sydney visiting family in Cape Town who told us that they always stay at the President when they visit as it feels like a home from home.
The service was excellent – from the reception desk to the restaurant – and the staff were relaxed and happy, and this was reflected in the way they interacted with guests.
The hotel’s internet connnectivity is one of the fastest in the country, which allows guests to enjoy super-fast Wi-Fi with no restrictions.
The President Hotel is a wonderful weekend break for locals – you will feel as if you have escaped to a island resort (without the airports, flights and general stresses involved in travelling abroad).
I will definitely be returning – if not for a relaxed weekend break, but to celebrate a special breakfast or dinner.
The handful of five-star hotels in the area were reserved for wealthy visitors from up country and overseas, and were seldom affordable for the average Capetonian