How Africa’s Top-Ranked City Hotel Masters The Art Of Living Like A Local

THE CAPE CADOGAN WITH TABLE MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKGROUND

There's a moment in a great hotel, when you stop feeling like a guest. At Cape Town's Cape Cadogan, that happened to me before I'd even unpacked. Waiting in my room on arrival was a handwritten welcome note from Robert More, Andrew Nicholson, Trevor Terblanche and the Cape Cadogan family: "Great to have you with us for the next few days. Enjoy and let's take care of all your needs while you are in our care." It was a small gesture, but it really set the tone. This wasn't going to be a stay defined by marble, grand entrances and the anonymity of a huge hotel, it was much more the feeling of being welcomed into a home. That difference matters, and it goes a long way to explaining why Cape Cadogan was recently crowned the No. 1 City Hotel in Africa.

THE CAPE CADOGAN VILLA OFFERS SPACE FOR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS IN A THREE BEDROOM VILLA WITH PRIVATE CHEF AND VEHICLE AVAILABLE

In a city swimming in spectacular luxury hotels, particularly around the V&A Waterfront, Cape Cadogan offers something altogether different: the opportunity to feel, however briefly, like you actually live in Cape Town.

One of the things that strikes you about Cape Cadogan is the setting. Rather than being cocooned inside a resort-like enclave, the hotel sits in the funky Kloof Street neighborhood, surrounded by quirky, cool, cafés, restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries, plus the houses and apartments of permanent Cape Town residents. As Robert More, CEO of MORE Collection, puts it, "the energy here is completely different to the V&A Waterfront."

This is not a criticism of the V&A Waterfront. It's more a recognition that travelers are increasingly wanting different versions of a destination. Some want the polished spectacle and retail shopping opportunities of a waterfront address, while others want to step outside the front door of their hotel and find themselves within the city itself. Andrew Nicholson, General Manager of Cape Cadogan, puts it well: "What makes Cape Cadogan different is that we don't separate guests from Cape Town, we immerse them in it." For many people, this is becoming the definition of modern luxury travel.

CAPE CADOGAN GENERAL MANAGER, ANDREW NICHOLSON

A luxury hotel used to mean being somewhat removed from the destination ̶ having a private entrance, a spectacular view, and a tightly controlled environment. Today though, luxury travel increasingly means having access to and connection with the destination, while of course still having somewhere beautiful to return to at the end of the day. Cape Cadogan really understands this, and cleverly caters to the distinction.

THE CAPE CADOGAN IS A COLLECTION OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS JUST OFF THE UBER COOL KLOOF STREET

THE CAPE CADOGAN IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND HERITAGE BUILDING

A collection of beautifully restored, heritage residential buildings, the Cape Cadogan is a National Monument dating back to the early 1800s. There is real history here, but it doesn't feel like a sterile museum. As GM Andrew Nicholson says, guests often describe Cape Cadogan as feeling "more like staying in a sophisticated Cape Town home than in a traditional hotel," and I know exactly what he means.

HIGH TEA IS A DAILY TRADITION AT CAPE CADOGAN

Having spent years visiting, staying in, and writing about luxury hotels, the most memorable things for me have always been the personal. Here, the team knows who you are. They want to understand why you're travelling. They notice what you enjoy. Most importantly, they understand that service doesn't mean constantly being in your space. "Personalized service comes from paying attention," says CEO Robert More, "knowing when someone would enjoy a conversation, when they need help, and when they'd prefer some space." That might sound simple, but in practice, it's one of the hardest things in hospitality to get right.

During my most recent stay, the welcome note was just the beginning. Mid-visit, I returned from hiking on Table Mountain, to find a gift waiting for me: treats and toys for my dogs at home. The accompanying note read: "A little something for the gang back home. We couldn't let you head home to the farm empty handed, so put together a few treats and toys for your four legged family! We hope they approve." That small gesture said more about the hotel's approach than any more formal five-star service ever could. The Cape Cadogan team knew that I hike daily with my dogs at home, and that chances were I was missing them while I was away. That gift demonstrated that someone had listened, remembered and cared. As GM Andrew Nicholson puts it, "Luxury is no longer just about beautiful spaces; it is about meaningful human connections."

"PERSONALIZED SERVICE COMES FROM PAYING ATTENTION" SAYS CEO ROBERT MORE, "KNOWING WHEN SOMEONE WOULD ENJOY A CONVERSATION, WHEN THEY NEED HELP, AND WHEN THEY'D PREFER SOME SPACE."

I find a good way to understand whether a hotel belongs in a neighborhood, is to look at who's sitting in its restaurant. At Cape Cadogan, Upper Union has become a destination in its own right, attracting both hotel guests and Cape Town residents who are looking for something a little bit special; anything from summer lunches in the courtyard, to winter dinners by the fire.

UPPER UNION IS EQUALLY PART OF THE HOTEL AND PART OF THE NIGHBORHOOD

There is also something quite different about eating in a restaurant frequented by locals, rather than one designed exclusively for visitors. You're no longer experiencing a version of the city specifically created for tourists, you're part of the place. As Andrew Nicholson describes it, Upper Union is "a perfect reflection of our local connection; it's vibrant, sophisticated, welcoming and distinctly Cape Town," he says, "with a local energy that simply can't be manufactured."

UPPER UNION, EQUALLY POPULAR WITH TOURISTS AND LOCALS

Perhaps the most revealing measure of Cape Cadogan's success is summed up by something CEO Robert More told me: "Our neighbourhood gives guests a feel for the everyday life of Cape Town. There is something wonderful about stepping out of your hotel into a neighbourhood where people live, work, meet friends and go about their day. You begin to find your own favourite coffee shop, recognise a familiar face and develop a little routine. Those small moments create a sense of belonging.

… For me, success is when a guest leaves feeling, 'I could live here.'" That's a remarkably ambitious goal for a hotel. It means that the objective is not simply to impress a guest for 48 hours, it's to make the place feel so familiar, so comfortable and so personal that you could imagine yourself becoming part of it. This happens when you find a favorite coffee shop, begin to recognize people on the street, discover a restaurant you want to return to, and start to develop your own routine. When that happens, Cape Town is no longer just another stop on an itinerary, it's become a place you know, and this is perhaps the real secret behind Cape Cadogan's success.

THE INTERIORS AT CAPE CADOGAN ARE STYLISH AND SLEEK

THE INTERIORS AT CAPE CADOGAN ARE STYLISH AND SLEEK

Cape Cadogan calls itself a sanctuary, and it is, but it's not a sanctuary that asks you to escape Cape Town, it's one that encourages you to feel part of it.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com