The 12 Apostles Hotel is one of the best hotels in Cape Town, South Africa.
And they had us at the view.
Our room at the 12 Apostles Hotel wasn’t quite ready at check-in, so we were invited to drink chilled South African bubbly in the Leopard Bar (on the house, of course).
12 Apostles Hotel review
Leopard Bar, 12 Apostles
The Leopard Bar must be one of the best bars in the world.
Inside, the cozy space is decorated with leopard print carpeting and gilt-framed pictures of leopards.
We sat out on the terrace.
Sea salt scented the air. Gulls perched on the white colonial-style balustrade. And we gazed at enormous waves crashing on the giant boulders lining this stretch of Atlantic coast, as an orange sun dipped below the horizon.
Two glasses of bubbly each later (and long after our room was ready), we reluctantly decided to see our room.
About the 12 Apostles Hotel, Cape Town
That welcome set the stage for our stay at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town.
Flanked by South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles mountain range, the stunning hotel is on the scenic route just outside of “central” Cape Town.
Built around a Dutch-style hunting lodge dating back to 1929, it’s made up of three low-rise, white-washed buildings, connected by skylit walkways.
Cool feature!
The 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa has a 16-seat private cinema, screening some six movies a day (several are oldies like “Casablanca”).
Twelve Apostles Hotel rooms
The hotel has 70 serene rooms and suites.
Each room is individually decorated.
But you can expect creamy marble floors, white louvered window shutters, four-poster king beds with luxurious linens embossed with the hotel’s logo, an in-room Nespresso machine and both winter fleece-lined silk bathrobes and summer cotton robes.
You can tell the interior designer had fun here.
Hallways are laid with carpets striped in multiple colors of red, blue, yellow and green. The numbers for the guest room doors are placed inside what looks like a a shell. And the original art on the walls ranges from the somewhat serious (gilt-framed oil paintings) to the whimsical (collections of tropical fish).
It all lends the hotel a light-hearted beachy feel.
Planning a safari? You’ll see all the “Big Five” animals on a safari in Sabi Sands Game Reserve!
Walking trails
Behind the hotel, several private trails wind up the mountain, past cacti and pine trees.
You can take a picnic basket to enjoy at one of the hotel’s scenic picnic spots, which have stone benches and sun umbrellas.
Want to hike up Table Mountain? See our complete guide to hiking Table Mountain
12 Apostles Hotel restaurant
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Be sure to treat yourself to dinner at the Azure restaurant in the 12 Apostles Hotel.
Everything is tantalizing, starting with the lovely selection of house-made breads (cheese sticks, heavy whole grain and date-and-seed bread), accompanied by both regular butter and an anchovy-and-whipped-cream-cheese paste.
And the prawn curry! It’s very light, almost like a soup, with at least a dozen little plates of coconut almonds, roasted almond slices, lime chutney and other bits and bites to spice up things.
The palate cleanser of two little spoons of berry sorbet before the main course is a show-stopper– the waiter pours liquid nitrogen into a ceramic tea pot on the table and the fog overflows all over the table and rolls down onto the floor.
The breakfast buffet in the restaurant – complete with bubbly and oysters – is also an affair to linger over.
Recommended reading: Pssst! Check out the fun wine tasting tour we did in Stellenbosch!
Swimming pool
The Atlantic Terrace pool is another great place to park yourself for a while. It too has great ocean views.
Wow! Such service
It’s the extraordinary service, however, that really makes this boutique hotel a standout.
From sanitized TV remotes (sealed in plastic after each guest use) to smiling staff galore, the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa knows how to win over its guests.
Location: Where to stay in Cape Town
Many people like to stay around the central Victoria & Albert Waterfront area in Cape Town. We found that area quite touristy.
Located in Camps Bay, on the edge of Cape Town, the 12 Apostles Hotel is admittedly not smack-dab in the center of things. But it offers complimentary hourly transfers by luxury SUV to the city’s central V&A Waterfront – as well as the beaches and restaurants of Camps Bay. So you can easily get into town to tour Cape Town’s sights.
For us, the hotel’s location was perfect.
We had the feeling of a seaside resort, but with easy access to everything we could want to do in the city.
More 12 Apostles Hotel reviews
The 12 Apostles is one of the best Cape Town hotels and consistently rakes in great reviews.
It’s also received several top awards, including:
- TripAdvisor “Traveler’s Choice” Award 2023
- Recognition as one of the “Top 30 Hotels in Africa” in the 2020 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards
- Award for “Africa’s Leading Luxury Hotel 2019” (World Travel Awards).
Without a doubt, it’s one of the top 5-star hotels in Cape Town, and we’d have no hesitation staying there again!
12 Apostles Hotel & Spa: Check rates and availability
More South Africa travel information
See our other South Africa travel guides:
- 15 Best Things to Do in Cape Town
- Guide to Hiking Table Mountain
- Wine Tasting in Stellenbosch
- A Thrilling “Big 5” Safari in Sabi Sands
- South African Airways Review
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Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
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Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
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Photo credits: 5 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa
We stayed as media guests for the purposes of writing a 12 Apostles Hotel review. But we are always free to write what we want – the good and the, er, not-so-good!
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
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