Review of Atlantic House, by Brian Johnston

Atlantic House is a boutique hotel located on the higher slopes of Camps Bay, perhaps Cape Town's trendiest seaside suburb, and just a short drive over the hill to the city centre. It's a great location for enjoying all the city has to offer without being in the middle of the hubbub. Step into the entranceway of Atlantic House boutique hotel and immediately you're in a very bright lounge with cheerful yellow and gold décor and an open fire in winter. But your eyes are drawn to the expansive windows which run the length of the house and look out across the trees and into the bay, whose vivid blueness turns to gold at sunset. The boutique hotel has a contemporary style with very little concession to Africa except for a large, two-storey mural of an African woman's head in profile.

The facilities

A lovely lounge down the corridor offers staggering views of the bay (perhaps this is a hint to take a wander). A desk with a lap top has wireless internet access; the television comes with a DVD player, and DVDs can be borrowed from the boutique hotel's library, which also includes shelves of books and magazines. Atlantic House also has an honesty bar. Stairs lead from the lounge down to the breakfast room, complete with a soothing aquarium, and out to the pool deck. By the standards of Cape Town boutique hotels, the swimming pool is a reasonable size, allowing you a few strokes rather than just a wallow. No smoking is allowed in the boutique hotel, though you can puff away on balconies and terraces.

The rooms

You aren't going to be in a crowd at this boutique hotel: there are just five rooms. At garden level, one room overlooks the pool; the other has a private walled garden and looks out on Table Mountain. Two others, on a higher floor, look towards the ocean and have balcony decks. A final room also looks seawards but has no deck. Guestrooms at Atlantic House are large, but only have queen-size beds and one lounge chair. Welcome letters and chocolates are a nice touch to the rooms. Lovely, crisp bathrooms are decorated in beige marble and white tiling, and have double sinks and separate shower and bath.