I spent $317 a night to stay at the Taj Cape Town. The mountain views weren't even the best part of the 5-star hotel.

Aida M. Toro
·7 min read

  • My friend and I paid $1,900 to stay in a mountain-view room at the Taj Cape Town in South Africa.

  • Our room had a walk-out balcony, a bathroom with marble detailing, and a desk.

  • I was a big fan of the food, especially the masala chai and grilled meat.

Destination weddings are a great way to see the world. That's why I was ecstatic when my best friend asked me to be her plus-one to a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the top unique wedding destinations for 2024 and 2025.

When we were choosing a place to stay, I decided to go with a chain I was already familiar with and booked a room for two at the Taj Cape Town. I previously had afternoon tea at The Pierre, a New York City-based Taj hotel, so I was curious to see what the chain's South African branch would be like.

I spent 35,500 ZAR, or about $1,900 USD, on a six-night stay at the hotel. Here's what our experience at Taj Cape Town was like.

Our room felt elegant and had a beautiful view.

A bed with a white comforter and pillows in the center of a hotel room with nightstands on either side and a chair, table, and large window
Our room had beautiful furniture and bedding.Jazmine Padin

The Taj Cape Town has 176 individually decorated rooms, many of which have expansive views of Table Mountain and the city center.

Prices for most rooms and suites are available on the Taj's website, but guests must call the hotel to inquire about club rooms and one-bedroom suites.

I loved seeing Table Mountain from the comfort of my hotel room.

A view from a hotel window with a view of Cape Town, South Africa. There is a view of buildings with brown rooves, skyscrapers, and mountains
Our room had a balcony, which offered great views of the Cape Town city center.Jazmine Padin

I booked the luxury-tower room with a mountain view for six nights, which cost $1,900. This rate also included a breakfast buffet at The Mint Restaurant and Wood-Fired Grill, a dining area inside the hotel, and high-speed WiFi.

I loved looking out our window and seeing Table Mountain, a major landmark in Cape Town. Each morning, I made a cup of coffee and opened the balcony door just to enjoy the views.

I enjoyed the perks and amenities in our room.

Hotel room with flat-screen TV, sconces on either side, and a marble tabletop with a tea set and coffee maker in front
I watched the flat-screen TV while laying in bed.Jazmine Padin

According to the hotel's website, all accommodations have LCD TVs and high-speed WiFi. Our room had a flat-screen TV facing our bed.

The desk and closet were some of my favorite parts of the room.

A hotel room with a yellow rug and two dark wooden tables. One table has a chair with a jacket over it and a lamp on the tabletop
I sat at the desk when I needed to get work done.Jazmine Padin

Our room also had a desk, which was helpful when I needed to get some work done.

I also enjoyed the spacious closets in our room, as my friend and I could hang our clothing without it touching the floor.

The bathroom, complete with marble detailing, made me feel like a movie-star.

A bathtub with stone details and a floating sink in a beige bathroom. A mirror reflecting a bed with white sheets sits across from the tub
The bathroom was gorgeous.Jazmine Padin

I loved the bathroom, which had marble detailing, a rainfall shower, a bathtub, and several toiletries. Before we arrived, the staff even laid out robes and slippers for us in the bathroom.

Taking a bubble bath while sipping a cosmopolitan from the lobby lounge made me feel like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."

The food was a highlight of the trip, too.

A white table with a breakfast buffet including grains, oatmeal, dried banana chips, dried apricots, and yogurt
The English breakfast buffet had so many options to choose from.Jazmine Padin

We started most days with a satisfying breakfast at The Mint Restaurant and Wood-Fired Grill. I usually stuck to the English breakfast buffet, which included fresh pastries, waffles, pancakes, yogurt, and fruit.

I loved the berry yogurt because it was drinkable, like a high-end version of Danimals. The pastries tasted fresh, and I noticed the staff swapped them out with a new batch almost every hour.

I grabbed masala chai from the Indian-inspired breakfast buffet as well.

A staff member wearing a white button-down shirt and a plaid vest stirs a pot of masala chai at a table at a hotel buffet
A staff member strained the chai before serving it.Jazmine Padin

The restaurant also offered an Indian-inspired breakfast buffet. This included a drink station where a staff member prepared fresh masala chai, a spiced tea, for guests.

It was made with a spice mixture called karha, which consists of ground ginger and green-cardamom pods.

Lunch at The Mint Restaurant and Wood-Fired Grill's outdoor patio was delightful.

A paddle engraved with "Taj Cape Town" holding a brisket sandwich and a gray cup of a salad with cheese and cucumbers in it
The brisket sandwich I ordered was one of my favorite meals.Aida M. Toro

We ate our lunches on the patio and watched as the meat used in our orders was grilled right in front of us. One day, I ordered a particularly memorable brisket sandwich made with savory meat, chimichurri, and peach preserves.

I never would have thought chimichurri and peach preserves would be a good combination, but the flavors paired well and complemented the glazed brisket. The citrusy preserves and herbaceous yet mild chimichurri made the brisket's already-sweet flavor stand out.

Afternoon tea felt like a great value, and the cake was delicious.

A table with tea cups and tea pot with a tower of pastries and sweets on the table. Wooden tables with gray chairs and a metallic wall are in the background
Tea was served alongside a selection of pastries and sandwiches.Jazmine Padin

We had to try the Taj's afternoon-tea experience, which cost about $15.

The afternoon-tea basket included one of the tastiest slices of red-velvet cake I've ever had. The moist cake was frosted with vanilla buttercream instead of cream-cheese icing.

I was told the pastries in the afternoon-tea basket vary daily, so guests may receive red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, or another cake flavor.

The room service and housekeeping staff were great.

Slices of cake on white plates on a brown tray placed on top of white sheets and a fuzzy blanket. One cake is vanilla and has blue frosting and the other is chocolate
One night, we ordered slices of cake through room service.Jazmine Padin

My friend and I were surprised by how fast the room service was. Whenever we craved cake or another pastry and called room service, a staff member came to our room almost immediately.

We also loved the attentive housekeeping staff. In addition to cleaning our room, the staff always asked if there was anything we needed, like an extra blanket.

I also went to the gym during my hotel stay.

A gym with weights, an upper-body machine, exercise balls, and the reflection of the equipment in a mirror
The fitness center had all the equipment I needed.Jazmine Padin

The fitness center had barbells and plates, treadmills, and a Concept2 Rower, a rowing machine I usually only see at CrossFit classes or luxury gyms. I rarely see equipment like this at hotel gyms, so I was excited to use it.

I swam and lounged in the pool area.

A pool area with lounge chairs with blue and white striped towels, a post with an orange safety ring hanging from it, and a deck with footprint and water splashed onto it
Several lounge chairs surrounded the pool.Jazmine Padin

The hotel's indoor pool was located behind the gym. The area had several lounge chairs, which made me feel like I was hanging out at a rooftop pool.

Guests who used the gym or pool had access to a locker room.

Locker room with wooden lockers, a wooden bench, a fabric hamper, and a blow dryer on the wall
The locker room was really clean.Jazmine Padin

The locker room, which had several shower areas and wooden lockers, was completely spotless. It made me feel like I was at a luxury gym like Life Time Fitness or Dogpound.

On the last day of our trip, my friend and I went hiking on Table Mountain after our check-out time. Even after checking out, the staff allowed us to return to the hotel to shower in the locker room.

I didn't visit the spa, but there were plenty of other ways to relax at the hotel.

An open glass door revealing a sauna with a white sign saying "sauna" next to the door
I took advantage of the hotel's sauna.Jazmine Padin

I didn't have time to visit the J Wellness Circle, the Taj's spa that offers massages and scrubs. However, I found the pool and its accompanying sauna to be incredibly relaxing.

Overall, the Taj Cape Town was one of my favorite travel experiences.

The writer wears a bright-red top and beige pants and holds a hand on her hip in a hotel lobby. The lobby has gray seating, a staircase, and a vase filled with green, yellow, and orange flowers
I was quite pleased with my experience at the Taj Cape Town.Jazmine Padin

Overall, my stay at the Taj was worth the money. I thought the $1,900 stay was a great value, especially since the breakfast buffet was included.

The staff was a highlight of the trip, as the housekeeping and room service teams were attentive and prompt. If you're headed to Cape Town and want an elegant stay, I highly recommend the Taj.

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