One hundred and thirty-one rooms on the V&A Waterfront, with Table Mountain rising directly behind. The most polished modern luxury hotel in Cape Town, and the South African One&Only flagship.
"131 rooms on the V&A Waterfront with Table Mountain rising directly behind. The most polished modern luxury hotel in Cape Town."
One&Only Cape Town opened in April 2009 on a private island within the V&A Waterfront — the rejuvenated harbour district that is now Cape Town's most polished urban setting — with one hundred and thirty-one rooms in two main wings and a Table Mountain view that the hotel was specifically positioned to capture. The Marina Rise wing (the larger, with the most-booked Marina Rise Rooms) faces the harbour with Table Mountain rising directly behind. The Island Suites — six standalone luxury suites on the property's small private island — are the property's flagship category, with private gardens and direct waterfront access.
The 131 accommodations split between Marina Rise Rooms (with mountain or harbour views), Marina Rise Suites (the larger one- and two-bedroom suites), and the six Island Suites — standalone two- and three-bedroom suites on the property's private island, with private gardens, direct V&A waterfront access, and butler service. The interiors by Adam Tihany are warm African-modern with curated South African art throughout the public spaces and private rooms.
The grounds — the 8-acre private island and the Marina Rise gardens — include the heated outdoor pool overlooking the harbour, the One&Only Spa (with treatment rooms designed by Tihany and a comprehensive treatment menu drawing on South African botanicals), the fitness centre, and the private boat dock. The kids' KidsOnly programme runs daily with conservation-focused activities, and the teen Lounge has its own programming.
Dining is at three main restaurants. Reuben's at One&Only — by the celebrated South African chef Reuben Riffel — is the property's headline modern-South African fine-dining. Nobu Cape Town is the South African outpost of the Nobu Matsuhisa global brand. The Vista Bar & Lounge is the lobby cocktail-and-light-meals venue. The wine programme is heavily Cape and Stellenbosch-focused with the country's strongest cellar selection. Service is consistent with the One&Only global standard delivered by a heavily Capetonian team, and the resort's combination of the V&A Waterfront location, the Table Mountain view, the Tihany design, and the South African celebrity-chef dining makes it the definitive Cape Town luxury choice.
The Cape Town honeymoon hotel. Book a Marina Rise Suite with Table Mountain view, or one of the six Island Suites for the maximum privacy. The combination of the V&A Waterfront location, Reuben's South African dinner, the Nobu lunch, and the day-trip access to Cape Point and the Winelands makes One&Only the right base for the multi-day Cape Town honeymoon. Pair with three nights at a Sabi Sand safari lodge for the full South African honeymoon.
For milestone anniversaries the Island Suites are the right scale. The team handles vow renewals at the on-property pavilion overlooking Table Mountain, private chef dinners, and the kind of bespoke arrangements (helicopter to Stellenbosch winelands, private safari transfers) that One&Only's planning team handles routinely.
The KidsOnly programme runs serious educational programming — Cape Town natural history, conservation activities, marine biology — that matches what the brand does at Reethi Rah. The Marina Rise two-bedroom suites and the multi-bedroom Island Suites are the family answer. The V&A Waterfront location means children have shopping, restaurants, and the Two Oceans Aquarium within walking distance.
Dock Road, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Cape Town 8002, Western Cape
V&A Waterfront; 25 min from Cape Town International (CPT)
131 rooms across Marina Rise + private Island
Marina Rise Room from R12,000 ($650)/night
Marina Rise Suite from R20,000 ($1,100)
Island Suite (2-3 bed) from R45,000 ($2,500)
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 2 nights
V&A Waterfront private island setting
Reuben's at One&Only (South African fine-dining)
Nobu Cape Town
Adam Tihany interior design
Table Mountain view from Marina Rise wings
Open year-round
Peak: November–February (book 4 months ahead)
Best value: May–August (winter, but mostly mild)
High-speed WiFi throughout
Reliable signal in all rooms and across the property
In-suite office setups on request
From R12,000/night (~$650). Island Suites book 4–6 months ahead. The November–February peak is the South African summer.
Book This Hotel →1899 pink hotel below Table Mountain. The grande dame, Belmond since 2014.
1906 Bantry Bay mansion converted to a 13-suite Relais & Châteaux property with one of Africa's great wine cellars.
Restored 1924 grain silo above Zeitz MOCAA museum. 28 rooms with custom-designed bay windows.