The first hotel to open in the heart of this working harbour-cum-shopping mall, the V&A sure is one of the most central places to stay in Cape Town, offering a comfortable base from which you can shop, dine, sample wines (and local and imported beers), take in some great jazz (in the adjacent Green Dolphin) and be lulled to sleep by the sound of seals playing in the water. Forget the television-designers have had the good sense to position a pair of plush velveteen armchairs facing directly towards that fantastic view (so do be sure to book a mountain-facing room). There’s something very authentic about this Waterfront hotel – perhaps due to the care the architects took to retain the original facade of the warehouse which the hotel occupies – and while it may not be as luxurious and fanciful as some of its competitors, if offers the best value in the Waterfront, not least now that you have access to the spa and pool at the nearby Dock House (reviewed earlier), an exclusive sister hotel which overlooks the entire V&A complex.