sweet escape

BOUTIQUE HOTEL HIDEAWAY BESIDE THE CAMISSA RIVER IN CAPE TOWN AFFORDS GUESTS PRIVACY, TRANQUILLITY AND THE PLEASURE OF EATING BREAKFAST AT THE FOOT OF TABLE MOUNTAIN.

Cape Town is one of those places where, if you’re lucky, you can find a property in the suburbs that’s surrounded by nature, has sea views and is located minutes from the city. Camissa House is just that: named after the Khoena word for “the place of sweet waters”, the eight-bedroom boutique hotel is situated in a quiet cul-de-sac neighbouring a green belt. On the fringes of the City Bowl – the residential areas within the amphitheatre created by the mountain range – its back garden is Table Mountain National Park, and you have to tilt your head right back to see the famous eponymous mountain’s summit.

Owner David Ryan, founder and CEO of safari company Rhino Africa, is adept at finding and developing sites that give Mother City visitors a unique private perch from which to explore (or to hide out). He’s the owner of boutique hotel MannaBay, which has occupied two sites in the City Bowl. For the brief to architect Lauren Bolus of Make Studio, David used his hospitality insights and experience from building MannaBay and Silvan Safari in Sabi Sand Game Reserve. “We know guests in Cape Town typically spend less time in their bedroom than they would on safari, so we wanted to maximise the public areas of the hotel,” he explains. “We spent a lot of time on creating visually and spatially distinctive public areas – the magnificent breakfast atrium with views of Table Mountain, the rooftop bar, the pool area as well as the cosy indoor bar.”

While most new apartment developments around the country are marketing “hotel-style” luxury and amenities, this hotel offers all of those modern comforts within the well-appointed shared spaces, originality and scale of a home. The former building was, in fact, a six-bedroom house to begin with, which Make Studio reconfigured on the same footprint. The result is that no two suites are the same, maximising the panoramic rooftop balcony view or a meditative mountain-retreat perspective. It’s not formulaic, which is reflected in the finishes and interior design, and there’s also an intimacy, making for a memorable stay.

The most distinctive feature of Camissa House is the steel-and-glass atrium that brings Table Mountain in, letting the location and natural surroundings permeate the space. Surrounded by common areas, the atrium – which was an existing outside courtyard – “is the ‘piazza’ of the hotel,” says Lauren. “There are visual links to it through the textured breeze blocks as one circulates through the levels and overlooks it while walking along the passages towards the suites.”

Built on the mountain slopes above a large garage, the hotel’s three floors are terraced, and this effect of layering has been echoed in the internal layout and interior design. Architecturally, there are many sharp edges and clean lines, which are softened by plush jewel tones and materials that are rich and textural, and that pick up David’s vibrant artworks.

The building takes up most of the plot, so consideration was made to highlight existing surrounding flora and incorporate additional greenery. The atrium houses a tree at its centre, looks onto a rockery and is bordered by planters on the upper galleries. “Plants have been used as a functional aspect of the design, rather than an afterthought,” explains landscaper Chris Maddams. “The planting is intended to be eye-catching, either as a sculptural focal point or to create swathes of colour to brighten the spaces, and to surround guests with the lushness of the ferny kloof and ensure they feel like the hotel belongs high up on the mountain.”

FLOWING OUT FROM THE GROUND-FLOOR BAR, THE POOL AREA MAXIMISES THE VIEWS OF THE SEA AND THE CITY, WITH TABLE MOUNTAIN RISING UP BEHIND.

CAMISSA HOUSE OFFERS MODERN HOTEL COMFORTS WITHIN THE WELL-APPOINTED SHARED SPACES, ORIGINALITY AND SCALE OF HOME.

THE HOTEL’S THREE FLOORS ARE TERRACED, AND THIS EFFECT OF LAYERING HAS BEEN ECHOED IN THE INTERNAL LAYOUT AND INTERIOR DESIGN.

Breeze blocks form an intricate screen that contains the staircase and defines the atrium while maintaining visual connection. Their geometric shapes echo the linearity of the architectural design, and cast interesting shadows.

A mineral wallcovering in the lounge off the bar complements the jewel tones, warm gold, and timber and terrazzo finishes. Artworks by local artists were curated by owner David Ryan to deliver colour and drama. OPPOSITE,CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The open-plan kitchen is just off the atrium, which invites an easy informality; the underside of the concrete staircase has been le exposed, and the inverted steps, together with the breeze blocks and geometric balustrade, add texture and angular layering; gold details bring glamour to the downstairs bar.

Guests have access to a variety of private and public spaces, whether it be a balcony off their suite, the rooftop sundowner bar or poolside lounging. Beside the pool, there’s also a more secluded lowered timber deck under the tree canopies.

ABOVE The reading room-cum-TV lounge off the atrium features cosy dark panelling, plush fabrics and a wallcovering of an iconic Cape Town vista. BELOW indigenous fauna and flora were incorporated in the customised wallpaper designs, which introduce a theme and accent colour to each suite. OPPOSITE Timber, terrazzo and gold finishes have been used in the suites too, which all have different layouts.

“The architects gave us a great footprint to help enhance the design,” says landscaper Chris Maddams. “With defined planting spaces, I repeated plants in different areas to create continuity and balance the hardscaping. I chose species that add colour, life and movement in addition to being low-maintenance – we don’t want gardeners interfering with guests.”