Cape Town: Derwent House Boutique Hotel review

Derwent House Boutique Guest House Cape Town

Derwent House in Cape Town South Africa (1), originally uploaded by garybembridge.

Derwent House Boutique Guest House Cape Town

Lounge at Derwent House

Derwent House Cape Town (3), originally uploaded by garybembridge.

We have stayed at Derwent House twice now, and below is the review I wrote on the first trip – which still applies and Jo and Carol have managed to not only maintain the high standard of our first trip but also keep adding new little touches and extras. We love Derwent House, and would stay there again when return to Cape Town. BUT it is not for everyone, and some people tend to forget that this is a Guest House and not an “all singing/ all dancing” hotel with all that this brings. For us it is perfect.

On the 2nd trip we stayed in room 9 which has a lounge area, small kitchen and bedroom and this was a fab room. Video and pictures at the end of the posting.

Here is the original review:

We booked to stay at Derwent House as the place (Cape Cove Guest House) that we loved when we last came to Cape Town 4 years ago had closed down. We found it on tripadvisor.com where it was highly rated (number 1 in Cape Town in fact).

We had loved Cape Cove so much and so we had high expectations, and were pleased to say that Derwent House not only met but exceeded them.

The guest house was established only in about 2006 by Jo and Carol from the UK who bought and converted what sounds like a rundown house into a 10 room guest house that is very stylish, modern and with a real personality.

They had no previous experience of running a guest house or hotel, and so it is a testament to their determination and ability to understand what travellers need that they are able to achieve and then hold the top rated position in all of Cape Town on tripadvisor!

This is through, in my view, due to a combination of a few key things:

– Location. Derwent House is in Tamboerskloof, a largely residential area near the base of Table Mountain. From some rooms you have views of the iconic mountain, and even from the pool. But also it is a quiet neighbourhood so feels relaxing and calm, but is easy by car to get to the busy V&A and you can walk to Kloof Street which is fast emerging as a road of hot restuarants and bars.

– Jo and Carol. The 2 gals are very active and you not only feel they have a strong grip on and involvement in every aspect of the service and offer, even when they are not on site, as their staff are very well trained. They also seem to know everything that happens, I assume they must have a system of recording things by everyone as everyone knows of any issues you had (no matter how small). They are a mine of information, having tried all the places they recommend and seek feedback on places constantly. They used to be nurses at one point and this is probably where their skill in being people focused but with discipline that comes from that training!

– Value for money. The rates are very fair and reasonable for the offer.

– Added Nice touches and features:
– free passes for the huge and very modern Virgin Active Gym at Wembley Square. This is a lovely gym and has lots of fit and good-looking inspirational eye candy to admire while working out!
– free wireless internet access throughout the hotel. As a regular hotel stayer for work, I wish more hotels would do this! There is also a laptop in the lounge if you don’t bring your own.
– turn down with yummy chocolate and a small scroll with next day’s weather and “this day in history”. My only thought would maybe it would be even better if it was more Cape Town focused with some more on history and facts and features.

– the breakfast is very good and both hot cooked as well as cereal etc. There is a good choice including pancakes and French toast.

– then as well as the fully stocked honesty bar, there is coffee and teas plus cake all day and night (with free sherry and port). It was great to come home after dinner and have a coffee and port sitting outside on the deck relaxing.

– great pool and deck. When we arrived we were worried it would be small and feel crowded. But it seems people only really stay in Cape Town for 4 or 5 days and head out most days and we had the deck and pool to ourselves most days

– lack of families and kids. A boon. There was one family with a gal of about 14 and young lad of about 10 but they were out every day. But we did not have families and kids. I think that may be a policy.

Derwent House attracted a very specific crowd, which also helps. This may come from the fact that they do not really promote themselves other than the business that comes from tripadvisor and word-of-mouth. I joked that the clients were the “tripadvisor generation” as mostly they were 30 and 40 something professional couples with a fair contingent of gay male couples who would not want to be a gay guest house catering for singles and the party crowd.

We stayed in Room 4, which had both a separate bath and shower and great views of the mountain. There are 4 rooms in the main building and these seem to be slightly larger and more unusual shapes than the 4 by the pool. Those rooms seem smaller and only have showers. The rooms 5 and 6 are downstairs and open right onto the pool deck and so may feel less private.

We loved it. We will come again!

What would I change


– black out curtains (bring eye shades as very bright in the morning!)

TO SEE ALL MY PHOTOS OF DERWENT HOUSE; CLICK HERE