City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront

You stay at City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront for its position: a short walk from Cape Town's waterfront shopping district, with some rooms facing the canal. The hotel has two hundred and seven refurbished rooms, some with canal views, and two bars — one on the ground floor, another on the first floor serving South African wine and coffee. The splash pool is small but cools you off in summer, and the fitness centre is open to guests.

Rooms have queen beds, tea and coffee stations, and selected DStv channels. Some connect for families, and accessible rooms have walk-in showers. The ground-floor restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a curry buffet on Wednesdays.

The hotel has a twelve-seater meeting room and a six-seater library space for smaller gatherings. You can walk to the V&A Waterfront in ten minutes, or take a taxi to Table Mountain or Signal Hill. The canal outside is lined with benches where you can sit with a drink from the bar.