The next stop of our Africa trip in June 2023 was Cape Town. For our accommodation, we had originally booked Cape Grace. Unfortunately, the hotel was subsequently closed for renovations and our reservation was cancelled.
Given that we had wanted to try out a luxury property that’s located on the V&A Waterfront, we were deciding between One&Only Cape Town and The Silo Hotel. Eventually we choose the later as the property seems more unique in terms of both its design and its history.
The Silo Hotel Stay Details
Table of Contents
Hotel Background and Information
The Silo Hotel opened on 1st March 2017 and is located in a historic grain silo complex that was the tallest building in Sub-Saharan Africa when it was opened in 1924. The grain silo was in use for 77 years until 2001. After being abandoned for a number of years, the building was transformed by the award winning Heatherwick Studio, which currently houses both the hotel and the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA).
The luxury boutique property has 28 rooms and suites, with the breakdown of the room types as follows:
The Silo Hotel is situated on the V&A Waterfront, one of the main attractions of the city. Being a mixed-use destination, the waterfront contains numerous restaurants, retail outlets and museums; all of which are within walking distance of the hotel. From Cape Town International Airport (CPT), it takes around half an hour to reach the property by car.
Main points of interest in Cape Town from the hotel:
- Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Within the hotel complex)
- V&A Waterfront (Beside the hotel)
- The Nelson Mandela Gateway To Robben Island (9 minutes’ walk)
- Bo-Kaap (15 minutes’ Drive)
- Castle of Good Hope (15 minutes’ Drive)
- Iziko South African Museum (20 minutes’ Drive)
- Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (30 minutes’ Drive)
- Camps Bay (30 minutes’ Drive)
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden (45 minutes’ Drive)
Booking Process and Pricing
As the hotel wasn’t running any offers when we made the booking, we took advantage of a 10% cashback from Shopback (a Cashback site) when booking through Expedia and booked via the OTA instead.
Expedia did not require us to pay upfront at the time of booking but we got a message from the property shortly after the booking was confirmed which requested that we make full payment in order to confirm the booking.
After we made the payment via the link given (which incurred a 2% charge as payment was by credit card), our booking was promptly confirmed by the hotel.
Check-in & Lobby
We arrived at the hotel at around 11am and upon arrival, the bellman came forward to open our vehicle’s door and took our luggage.
On the ground floor was an arrival lobby which had a couple of sofas near the entrance.
Further in the lobby was a concierge desk which was surrounded by various artworks.
There were two lifts, which we took on our way to the main lobby on level 6. These lifts can also be used to reach the guest room levels with the room key.
The hotel’s main lobby has a couple of eye-catching sofas which also doubles up as a curio shop with merchandise placed on shelves located around the seating area.
There was no one else at the front desk when we arrived and we were attended to immediately. We were offered a welcome drink (Champagne) shortly after being attended to while the check in formalities were underway.
During check in, the front desk staff asked what our plans for dinner were and upon revealing our dinner plans, we were advised to change one of the restaurants we planned to visit due to poor reviews. The front desk staff then suggested an alternative (of similar price point) and assisted to cancel our original reservation and book the newly suggested restaurant which was much appreciated.
Unfortunately, our room was not ready after the check in formalities were completed and we were told it would be ready in 30 minutes. We sat in the lobby to wait and after 20 minutes, we were informed that our room was ready and were then escorted to our room after the front desk staff gave us a hotel tour.
We were also given a room tour before the front desk staff left and our luggage were delivered about 10 to 15 minutes after that.
Room: Silo Room
We had booked the lead-in category Silo Room which is reasonably sized at 44 sqm (474 Sqft).
The main door had a long mirror attached and to the right of the entrance are the light switches.
Due to a lack of a walkway from the entrance, the entire bedroom and balcony can be seen upon entering. The room had high ceilings complete with large chandelier lighting and floor to ceiling windows which gave the room a bright and spacious feel.
Next to the entrance is a large open concept wardrobe which is partitioned into three sections.
On the left and centre section is where two bathrobes, the bedroom slippers, a bottle of pillow spray, a rattan container and a safe can be found.
The rattan container had a tube of sunscreen and insect repellent from Charlotte Rhys, as well as a shoe matt, vanity kit, sewing kit, and sanitary bag.
On the right section of the wardrobe are another two bathrobes, a rattan bag with the laundry list placed in it.
Below is the laundry price list if anyone is interested.
Adjacent to the wardrobe is the King sized bed flanked by two bedside tables. The bed was unremarkable and we were able sleep well without any issues.
The bedside table on the right had a tray placed on it with the air conditioner controls and light switches right above.
The bedside table on the left comes in the form of a multi-tier stand with a tray on the top tier as well. There isn’t any power outlets above the bedside table but there is one on the bottom left wall to the bedside table.
As part of turndown service, a bottle of water, a glass and a snack was placed on the beside table.
There is a work desk placed next to the bed and it had a phone, two remote controls, a desk lamp, and a small booklet containing the hotel’s information.
The booklet also contains the in-room dining menu as well which we had captured for your reference.
Several power outlets can be found above the work desk which ranges from universal power outlets to USB-A outlets and these should be sufficient for the guests’ charging needs.
In case anyone is looking to get some work done, below is the WIFI speed test.
At the other end of the room, there is a dining table with two armchairs. This was where the welcome amenity along with some magazines were placed.
The welcome amenity consisted of some confectionary, a bottle of locally produced sparkling wine accompanied by a bowl of fruits.
The minibar is housed in a large blue cabinet and it is complementary except for four bottles of alcohol.
On the top shelve is a bottle opener, two bottles of wine which are complimentary, and four bottles of chargeable sprits.
On the next level is an ice bucket and a black container with four jars of complimentary nuts, sweets, and dried items.
The minibar fridge is on the bottom shelve and is well stocked with soft drinks, beers, and even chocolates.
Also in the minibar is a box of tea with 24 individual teabags of different flavors; one of the most we have seen in a minibar.
In the rest of the sections in the minibar, there were crockery, lemon and ginger, cutlery, a kettle, a Nespresso machine with six coffee capsules, two packets of hot chocolate powder, and two packets of locally roasted coffee.
The room’s television is wall mounted directly opposite the bed and below a massive piece of artwork.
There are only mostly local channels with the exception of the sports channels and CNN International so there wasn’t much of a variety. Fortunately, the television does support streaming which is an option should you not be interested in the local channels.
Separated by a set of double doors, the bathroom is very spacious for a lead in category room.
Similar to the bedroom, the bathroom has a high ceiling and a large floor to ceiling window with a view of the V&A Waterfront.
The bathroom is equipped with a double vanity, which is located opposite the bathroom entrance.
The vanity had a marble countertop with ample space for toiletries. There were four face towels, along side with Penhaligon’s branded body lotion, hand soap, and soap bar, as well as cotton buds placed in this area.
There are some storage spaces beneath the countertop which is where some hand and bath towels were placed.
A dental kit was unexpectedly not provided and was only given upon request. After we requested for two dental kits, we were surprised to receive Oral B toothbrushes and a box of Colgate toothpaste; the ones you can purchase from the supermarkets instead of hotel branded dental kits which is a strange arrangement.
Beside the vanity is a heated towel rack with more towels placed on it and a bin.
Next to the heated towel rack is the enclosed toilet. The hotel has thoughtfully placed a room spray in the area which is useful for freshening up the air at times.
On one side of the bathroom entrance is the shower area which is not fully enclosed. The lack of a door resulted in the shower area being very cold.
The shower consists of a rain shower head and a handheld shower head.
The body wash, shampoo, and conditioner are from Penhaligon’s which is the same brand as the hand and bar soap.
On the other side of the bathroom entrance is a dressing table that is equipped with a large mirror and a chair.
The Philips branded hairdryer is placed in one of the drawers of the dressing table.
Between the vanity and dressing table is a freestanding bathtub with a sofa placed next to it.
The bathtub looks large enough for two and is right next to the window; allowing its users to gaze at the waterfront while having a soak.
Small bottles of toiletries alongside a shower cap and two face towels are placed over the bathtub.
If privacy is needed, the electronically controlled binds can be drawn.
Returning back to the bedroom, the room’s balcony is located behind the dining table.
The balcony isn’t very big but it had two wooden armchairs and a side table for guests’ to relax while admiring the view.
From the balcony, you have an unblocked view of the V&A waterfront, and with a bit of a stretch, you will also be able to see the sea as well as Table Mountain.
Facilities
The Silo Hotel is equipped with following facilities:
The property’s swimming pool is located on the rooftop and is open 24 hours.
The T-shaped pool can be accessed via a flight of stairs and is suitable for laps due to the length of the pool.
At the opposite side of the pool is The Silo Rooftop, the hotel’s rooftop bar which wasn’t open when we visited the pool in the morning. The rooftop bar had several seat types running the entire length of the other side of the pool with an unblocked view of the ocean.
Alongside the spa, the studio gym is located on the 4th floor of the hotel. The gym isn’t large but is relatively well equipped with treadmills, a rowing machine, functional trainer, and weights.
There is also a cabinet with towels and a fridge where bottles of water are stored.
We did not visit the spa but for those who are interested, below is the spa menu.
Breakfast & Restaurants
The Silo Hotel has three dining establishments as follows:
Overall Impression
We had a good stay at The Silo Hotel.
To sum things up:
The Silo Hotel has a unique exterior and a beautifully decorated interior. The hotel is situated in a safe area and we had no issues in exploring the immediate vicinity of the hotel even at night.
Overall, The Silo Hotel is a good option in Cape Town though at this price point, we might be inclined to give the other luxury hotels a try should we return to the city.
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