Long an Aussie favourite, this African city is in for a big year

Heading to South Africa? Good news. Qantas has significantly expanded its services, running an Airbus A380 between Sydney and Johannesburg, reintroducing first class for the route, and relaunching Perth-Johannesburg services, now operating multiple times a week.

With Qantas connections from Johannesburg, South Africa’s legislative capital, Cape Town, has long captured the imagination of Australians, and it is increasingly drawing the attention of global hotel groups.

Picturesque Cape Town has the highest occupancy rate in South Africa (and by extension, the continent) and is seeing the kind of significant hotel development it did before the 2010 World Cup. The first African outpost of Marriott’s Edition hotel brand is due to open this year at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

The hotel will bring a new kind of cosmopolitan polish to the area, offering destination dining and a rooftop bar. (The latter is not the first in the area: the landmark Silo Hotel offers such a vantage point.)

But international brands have been only part of the story; design-led independent hotels offering more intimate stays that are often also more memorable are a hallmark of the city.

The latest to debut, The Claremont (in the leafy suburb of the same name), is a 15-room boutique hotel from the Sabi Sabi Collection, a high-end operator best known for its renowned safari lodges near Kruger National Park.

The Claremont inhabits a restored 1920s manor, the former home of Frederick Henry Dumas Man, who set out to create a residence that combined the grace of European living with the heritage and character of the Cape.

It was designed by Magda Sauer, one of South Africa’s first registered female architects, in the Cape Dutch Revival style.

For the Sabi Sabi Collection, The Claremont is a milestone – it’s the company’s first expansion beyond the bushveld.

For Australians planning to combine a Sabi Sabi safari with a Cape Town visit on the same trip, The Clarement makes perfect sense.

But book well ahead: during summer Cape Town hosts major events and on long weekends, the best places – especially boutique hotels – book out quickly.

Demand is fuelled by a mix of travellers: those flying in specifically for Cape Town’s food, art and landscapes; others combining a few nights here with a safari or the Garden Route; and a growing number of repeat visitors who already know the city and want to experience it differently each time.

There’s plenty to lure them back. The next two years will bring a packed calendar of cultural highlights, including the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, and a steady stream of food, design and wine events.

The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa continues to anchor the waterfront’s creative pull, while neighbourhood dining scenes — from Kalk Bay to Woodstock – remain among the most exciting in the southern hemisphere.

See autograph-hotels.marriott.com; claremontboutiquehotel.com