Rising above the Foreshore neighbourhood of the Cape Town city centre is Rockefeller Hotel & Residences by Newmark, perhaps Cape Town’s most vibrant and popular hotel. Location and height tell part of the story – its 18 floors offer dramatic views of the harbour, freeways below, the city skyline and Table Mountain.
Head up to the rooftop lounge and bar called STUDIO and you’ll get eyefuls of all three – and gain a deeper understanding of why this is a legendary downtown destination.
But there’s another, less tangible aspect to Rockefeller Hotel & Residences. Given the property’s popularity among SA’s most eminent DJs, musicians and creatives, rumour has it that it was named not after New York’s Rockefeller Centre but rather Roc-A-Fella Records, the record company that’s produced albums for Jay-Z and Kanye West.
And, walking in through the hotel’s large sliding doors into a thoroughly Instagrammable world of neon signs, energetic conversations and a soundtrack to match, it’s easy to see the association and appeal.
The ground-floor Rockefeller Plaza restaurant and bar is a dynamic gathering point, day or night. Imagine casual mornings after breakfast and lazy lunches as record deals are signed over mimosas and sushi.
But if privacy and a little isolation are on the cards, room service is available 24/7 upstairs. Accommodation is diverse too – it ranges from standard hotel-style suites to one-bedroom apartments, and all exude the modern sophistication you’d expect from the tone set downstairs.
Still, you’ll likely find yourself constantly drawn back to that rooftop. The 18th-floor STUDIO, designed by musician Zakes Bantwini, houses a famous swimming pool beneath a retractable roof. It’s downtown Cape Town’s most noted space for artistic collaboration and laid-back evenings.
This inclusive, welcoming venue, open to the public and frequented by celebrities, is best experienced in the evening – with a cocktail in hand and as the DJ spins tunes to the sun slipping slowly behind Lion’s Head.
At that moment, as the neon sign behind reception reads, you’ll likely feel that ‘you are exactly where you need to be’.
To book your stay and for more information, head over to the Rockefeller Hotel & Residences website here.
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Picture: Supplied
