City lights, camera, action… an urban getaway for glamour and romance.
A stay at The Trade Boutique Hotel on Cape Town’s Shortmarket Street feels like stepping out of time and into the mirage of a movie. The room decor, rooftop bar and downstairs restaurant set the scene: old Hollywood glamour meets the postmodern detail of a Wes Anderson storyboard. Individual, enticing, full of quirky details, it’s a fresh and appealing backdrop to a getaway in the heart of the city, where you can write your own storyline and fill your days with thrills and romance.
There’s a retro nostalgia reminiscent of the The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar aesthetic to the playfully designed rooms and suites. Urban and full of quirky design details with a contemporary spin, they are utterly comfortable, slightly frivolous and delightful from start to finish. A compact but fully functional kitchenette gives you total independence, but the food and extravagantly theatrical ambience of the hotel’s restaurant downstairs is likely to leave the oven unexplored.
The lodgings
Screen legends Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers inspire the decor themes in each of fifty rooms and suites. Fred embraces a palette of bold red, coral and cobalt, while Ginger flourishes feminine pinks, shots of yellow and earthy spice tones. Or there’s Ruby with calm greens with scatterings of scarlet. Cleverly designed, even the compact Urban room type makes space for a couch and a kitchenette, while the various suites add an open plan kitchen and lounge to the floorplan, with your own private balcony terrace in some.
- queen bed
- modern en-suite bathroom with toiletries
- kitchenette or open plan kitchen with fridge, oven, microwave, kettle and toaster
- couch or lounge
- flat screen TV
- colourful design details and artworks throughout
- airconditioning
Good to know The two-bedroom family suite makes an ideal base for families and friends travelling together.
A bistro with panache
Heading down to breakfast at The Wes, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped onto the set of The Grand Budapest Hotel. The Parisian-inspired bistro pays tribute to director Wes Anderson with feel-good whimsy, plush banquettes and an OTT fountain installation; a setting that feels like any magic could happen. The menu focuses on classic simple-but-delicious bistro fare, wholesome and hearty with a spritz of cosmopolitan panache. Despite all the temptations of Bree Street on your doorstep you’ll want to add a date night here to your urban sojourn for the sheer dreamy drama of it.
Opening times Monday – Saturday, 12pm – 11pm
Sunday, 12pm – 5pm
Contact 082 770 3573, info@thewes.co.za
Where to find it 55 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan
Rooftop sipping
Head up to the Moon Bar on the rooftop (reserved for hotel guests and the occasional event) for sultry sundowner cocktails, or a dip in the pool in warmer weather. Even in winter it’s a cosy refuge with moody dark green walls, a contemporary spin on a Victorian aesthetic, fringed chairs, marble urns filled with plants and pedestal tables.
Things to do
Stroll out onto Shortmarket, and round the corner onto Bree Street for the coolest restaurants, galleries and boutiques, or go exploring in colourful Bo Kaap. Later, head up to the rooftop, where loungers by the pool and bar tables invite you to settle in and soak up sunset views of Table Mountain, Signal Hill and bustling city streets. The whole of Cape Town is literally on your doorstep.
- breakfast, lunch or dinner at The Wes
- lounge beside the rooftop pool with cocktails, wine and eats from The Moon Bar
- massage in the Mendl treatment room
All you need is lights, camera action and you’re writing your own script for a weekend of thrills, romance, or simply kicking back with room service and screening some old-school Hollywood favourites.
Child friendly? Yes (No children under 12)
Pet friendly? No
Wifi? Yes
Sleeps 2 or 4 in the family suites
Cost From R1 440 per room per night
Where to find it 55 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town
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