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3-star hotels in City Bowl
Three-star hotels in Cape Town's City Bowl, the dense grid between Table Mountain, Signal Hill and the harbour. This shortlist is for travellers who want to walk to Long Street, Bree Street, the Company's Garden and the cableway, and who are happy with city noise in exchange for being in the middle of everything.
Staying in City Bowl
The City Bowl is Cape Town's amphitheatre of flats and Victorian shopfronts, wedged between Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, Signal Hill and the harbour. It takes in the CBD grid, Bo-Kaap on the Signal Hill slope, and the residential shoulders of Gardens, Tamboerskloof, Oranjezicht and Vredehoek. It is the only part of the city where you can genuinely live without a car for a week: the cableway, the museums, three markets and about two hundred restaurants sit within a thirty-minute walk of each other.
These hotels sit across that grid and its edge. Queen Victoria Street, Wale Street, Long Street, Loop Street and Shortmarket Street put you in the thick of the CBD and its nightlife; Mechau Street sits in De Waterkant, and 24 Alfred Street reaches the V&A Waterfront. It suits couples and friends on a short break who want restaurants and bars on the doorstep, and business travellers who need the CBD. Families should look to the units with kitchens and family rooms, and anyone who wants to swim daily should read the facilities carefully.
The shortlist
Ranked by hotel class, then guest rating and number of reviews.
Afribode Acc Studio Martini
Queen Victoria Street Cape Town 8001, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Outdoor pool
- Free car parking
Why stay hereAn outdoor pool and a garden give this 3-star studio on Queen Victoria Street a quieter edge than its central address suggests, and free car parking makes it easy to come and go. Laundry service is on hand for longer stays. It suits solo travellers or couples who want a simple base with a pool between city outings.
See Afribode Acc Studio MartiniSt Martini 204
204 St. Martini Gardens 74 Queen Victoria Street Cape Town South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Pool and spa · Step-free access
- Outdoor pool
- Wheelchair accessible
Why stay hereSet in St. Martini Gardens on Queen Victoria Street, this 3-star apartment offers an outdoor pool and garden for unwinding, plus lifts and wheelchair accessible access that keep the building easy to move around. Laundry service covers longer trips. A good fit for guests who want step-free convenience and shared outdoor space in the City Bowl.
See St Martini 204805 Dockside
Mechau Street De Waterkant, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Indoor pool
- Free car parking
Why stay hereAn indoor pool is the standout here, useful when the weather turns, and the concierge can help with plans around De Waterkant and the rest of the City Bowl. Free car parking and dry cleaning service round out the practicalities. Suits travellers who want a 3-star base with parking and a pool in the city.
See 805 DocksideLoader 51a
51 Loader St, Cape Town, South Africa
- Air conditioning
Why stay hereAir conditioning is the facility that matters at this 3-star address on Loader St, keeping the interior comfortable through Cape Town's warmer months. Its position puts guests within the City Bowl, convenient for exploring on foot. Best for travellers who want a straightforward, cool place to sleep and little else.
See Loader 51a1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower
1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Outdoor pool
- Parking
- Wheelchair accessible
Why stay hereA 3-star apartment block in the heart of the City Bowl, 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower puts you in a spot that guests rate highly, 4.4 out of 5 across 637 reviews. The lifts make the tower easy to navigate, and an outdoor pool gives you somewhere to cool off between city errands. Self parking suits anyone arriving with a car. It works well for travellers who want a central, straightforward base with a pool rather than hotel extras.
See 1304 Mandela Rhodes TowerMandela Rhodes Place
Wale St, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Outdoor pool
- Free car parking
- Kitchen
Why stay hereA broad set of self-catering facilities, including a kitchen, washing machine and free Wifi, makes this 3-star apartment on Wale St work well for longer City Bowl stays. Guests also get an outdoor pool and terrace. Ideal for families or groups who prefer to cook and settle in rather than eat out every night.
See Mandela Rhodes PlaceLa Grenadine Petit Hotel
15 Park Road, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Families · Drivers
- Free car parking
- Lounge
- Family rooms
Why stay hereWith a garden, terrace and even a jacuzzi, this 3-star petit hotel on Park Road feels more like a private retreat than a city stopover. Family rooms and babysitting service suit guests travelling with children, while the kitchen and laundry service help longer stays run smoothly. Its 4.6 guest rating reflects how well that combination lands.
See La Grenadine Petit HotelLong Street Boutique Hotel
230 Long St, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Families · Drivers
- Parking
- Breakfast in room
- Bar/Lounge
Why stay hereA bar and lounge, terrace and balcony give this 3-star hotel on Long St plenty of places to relax, and room service plus a 24 hour front desk cover late arrivals. Breakfast in room is available for slow mornings. Suits guests who want a lively Long Street location with hotel comforts rather than an apartment.
See Long Street Boutique HotelWarren Heights 504 by CTHA
9 Warren Street, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Step-free access
- Free car parking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Free Wifi
Why stay hereFree Wifi and free car parking are the practical draws at this 3-star apartment on Warren Street, with wheelchair accessible access adding step-free convenience. The City Bowl location puts the surrounding streets within reach. Good for guests who need to park a car and stay connected during their time in the city.
See Warren Heights 504 by CTHAHotel Sky Cape Town
Lower Long St, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Families · Drivers
- Outdoor pool
- Free car parking
- Fitness Center
Why stay hereA fitness centre, outdoor pool and restaurant make this 3-star hotel on Lower Long St a self-contained option, and 24 hour security plus a 24 hour front desk keep things running at any hour. Family rooms are available. It suits guests who want hotel-scale facilities and a central base for a City Bowl visit.
See Hotel Sky Cape TownNeighbourgood East City
60 Corporation St, Cape Town, South Africa
- Bar/Lounge
- Kitchen
- Air conditioning
Why stay hereBalconies, a restaurant and a bar/lounge give this 3-star hotel on Corporation St spaces to eat and unwind without leaving the building, and the kitchen adds flexibility for self-caterers. A 24 hour front desk and 24 hour security cover arrivals at any time. A solid pick for guests who want both hotel services and apartment-style cooking.
See Neighbourgood East CityCartel House Hotel On Loop
113 Loop St, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Swimming pool
- Parking
- Free Wifi
Why stay hereA swimming pool and a business centre make this 3-star hotel on Loop St equally useful for unwinding and for working, and the concierge can help arrange time around the City Bowl. Multilingual staff and a 24 hour front desk ease communication and late check-ins. Suits guests mixing city leisure with work commitments.
See Cartel House Hotel On LoopONOMO Hotel Waterfront
24 Alfred Street V& A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Step-free access
- Wheelchair accessible
- Air conditioning
- Free Wifi
Why stay hereShuttle service and a 24 hour front desk make arrivals and daily trips straightforward at this 3-star hotel on Alfred Street in the V&A Waterfront, with a restaurant on site and wheelchair accessible access throughout. Suits guests who want to be based at the waterfront and rely on hotel services rather than self-catering.
See ONOMO Hotel WaterfrontDaddy Long Legs Art Hotel
134 Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa
- Bar/Lounge
- Air conditioning
- Free Wifi
Why stay hereThis 3-star hotel on Long Street leans into its art concept, and the bar/lounge and terrace give it a sociable centre. A 24 hour front desk and express check in keep coming and going simple. Best for guests who want a characterful Long Street stay with a lounge to return to rather than apartment facilities.
See Daddy Long Legs Art HotelThe Trade Boutique Hotel
55 Shortmarket St, Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Drivers · Pool and spa
- Outdoor pool
- Spa
- Parking
Why stay hereAn outdoor pool with a pool bar, plus a spa and massage service, make this 3-star hotel on Shortmarket St a place to slow down between city outings. The kitchen and laundry service add longer-stay practicality, and a restaurant and bar/lounge cover meals. Suits guests who want leisure facilities and self-catering flexibility in one.
See The Trade Boutique Hotel
The shortlist side by side
| Hotel | Class | Guest rating | Reviews | Parking | Pool or spa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afribode Acc Studio Martini | ★★★ | 4.5 | 158 | Yes | Yes |
| St Martini 204 | ★★★ | 4.5 | 158 | – | Yes |
| 805 Dockside | ★★★ | 4.4 | 974 | Yes | Yes |
| Loader 51a | ★★★ | 4.4 | 972 | – | – |
| 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower | ★★★ | 4.4 | 637 | Yes | Yes |
| Mandela Rhodes Place | ★★★ | 4.4 | 636 | Yes | Yes |
| La Grenadine Petit Hotel | ★★★ | 4.6 | 75 | Yes | – |
| Long Street Boutique Hotel | ★★★ | 4.4 | 249 | Yes | – |
| Warren Heights 504 by CTHA | ★★★ | 4.4 | 209 | Yes | – |
| Hotel Sky Cape Town | ★★★ | 4.3 | 2,493 | Yes | Yes |
| Neighbourgood East City | ★★★ | 4.3 | 675 | – | – |
| Cartel House Hotel On Loop | ★★★ | 4.4 | 85 | Yes | Yes |
| ONOMO Hotel Waterfront | ★★★ | 4.2 | 586 | – | – |
| Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel | ★★★ | 4.2 | 305 | – | – |
| The Trade Boutique Hotel | ★★★ | 4.4 | 43 | Yes | Yes |
From each hotel's own listing on this site; a dash means it is not listed.
How to choose
For families
Mandela Rhodes Place and La Grenadine Petit Hotel both offer family rooms, cots and kitchens, with La Grenadine adding high chairs, babysitting and a garden. Long Street Boutique Hotel has family rooms and a sofa bed; Hotel Sky Cape Town adds family rooms, a restaurant and a fitness centre for longer stays with children.
Mandela Rhodes Place · La Grenadine Petit Hotel · Long Street Boutique Hotel · Hotel Sky Cape Town
Closest to the centre
Long Street Boutique Hotel, Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel, The Trade Boutique Hotel, Neighbourgood East City, 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower and Mandela Rhodes Place all sit on or beside the Long, Loop, Shortmarket, Corporation and Wale Street grid, so the restaurants, bars and markets of the City Bowl are on foot rather than a drive.
Long Street Boutique Hotel · Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel · The Trade Boutique Hotel · Neighbourgood East City · 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower · Mandela Rhodes Place
With a pool
Afribode Acc Studio Martini and St Martini 204 share an outdoor pool and garden; 805 Dockside has an indoor pool and 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower an outdoor one. Mandela Rhodes Place, Hotel Sky Cape Town and The Trade Boutique Hotel add outdoor pools, the last with a pool bar and spa.
Afribode Acc Studio Martini · St Martini 204 · 805 Dockside · 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower · Mandela Rhodes Place · Hotel Sky Cape Town
Top-rated by guests
La Grenadine Petit Hotel scores 4.6 from 75 reviews, with a garden, jacuzzi and massage. Afribode Acc Studio Martini and St Martini 204 both score 4.5 from 158 reviews; 805 Dockside (974 reviews), Loader 51a (972) and 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower (637) follow at 4.4 on much larger review counts.
La Grenadine Petit Hotel · Afribode Acc Studio Martini · St Martini 204 · 805 Dockside · Loader 51a · 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower
Where to stay in City Bowl
Long Street
Long Street is the City Bowl's loudest strip, lined with Victorian shopfronts and bars. Long Street Boutique Hotel sits at 230 Long St with a bar and lounge, bike rental and airport shuttle, while Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel at 134 Long Street trades on its art-themed rooms. Expect noise and people late into the night, and keep phones out of sight after midnight.
Our picks here: Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel
De Waterkant
De Waterkant sits on the edge of the City Bowl towards the harbour, and 805 Dockside on Mechau Street is the one listed hotel here. It offers free car parking, an indoor pool, concierge and dry cleaning, and it scores 4.4 from 974 reviews, the largest review count on this shortlist.
Our picks here: 805 Dockside
V&A Waterfront
ONOMO Hotel Waterfront sits at 24 Alfred Street in the V&A Waterfront, a harbour district rather than the City Bowl grid itself. Its 24-hour front desk, restaurant, shuttle service and wheelchair-accessible rooms suit travellers who want the waterfront on the doorstep, with the City Bowl a short ride away.
Our picks here: ONOMO Hotel Waterfront
Plan your stay
Getting there and around
Site text describes the City Bowl as the one part of Cape Town where you can genuinely live without a car for a week: the cableway, the museums, three markets and about two hundred restaurants sit within a thirty-minute walk of each other. For everything else, use an Uber for anything over four blocks, particularly after dark. The lower cableway station is on Tafelberg Road above Kloof Nek, with the first car at 8am and a return fare of around R420; the Platteklip Gorge hike starts 1.5 km east along the same road. Buy cableway tickets online and check the wind status page, as the south-easter closes it for whole days. Expect car-guard interactions everywhere.
When to go
Cape Town's south-easter can close the Table Mountain cableway for whole days, so check the wind status page before planning a summit trip. Summer heat makes the uphill walk to Vredehoek and upper Oranjezicht punishing, even though these districts look ten minutes from town on a map. The Signal Hill trailhead on Kloof Nek takes roughly 45 minutes to the top, and full-moon nights bring hundreds of people with head torches, so go at dawn if you want it quiet. Book Bree Street tables three days ahead in high season.
Things to do near City Bowl
- A History Walk Through Cape Town's City Bowl: Landmarks and Context
- A Rainy Day in the City Bowl: Indoor Stops That Work
- Cape Town Neighbourhood Food Crawl: From Salt River to the City Bowl
- A walking route through the City Bowl and Bo-Kaap: six kilometres, seven stops
- City Bowl or Betty's Bay? Where to Base Yourself Near Cape Town
- City Bowl or Langebaan: Choosing Your Cape Town Base
- City Bowl to Table Mountain Cableway: Walking and Shuttle Options
- How to Get from Cape Town Airport to the City Bowl and Sea Point
Questions, answered
Which of these hotels is closest to the centre?
The Long Street and Loop Street cluster is the most central: Long Street Boutique Hotel at 230 Long St, Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel at 134 Long Street, Cartel House Hotel On Loop at 113 Loop St, Neighbourgood East City at 60 Corporation St and The Trade Boutique Hotel at 55 Shortmarket St all sit on the City Bowl grid.
Do any of these hotels have parking?
Yes. Free car parking is listed at Afribode Acc Studio Martini, 805 Dockside, Mandela Rhodes Place, La Grenadine Petit Hotel, Warren Heights 504 by CTHA, Hotel Sky Cape Town and Cartel House Hotel On Loop. Paid parking appears at 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower, Long Street Boutique Hotel and The Trade Boutique Hotel; 805 Dockside also lists parking.
Which hotels have a pool?
Afribode Acc Studio Martini and St Martini 204 have an outdoor pool and garden. 805 Dockside has an indoor pool. An outdoor pool is also listed at 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower, Mandela Rhodes Place, Hotel Sky Cape Town and The Trade Boutique Hotel, which adds a pool bar and spa.
Which is best for families?
La Grenadine Petit Hotel lists family rooms, cots, high chairs, babysitting, a kitchen, a garden and a jacuzzi, and scores 4.6 from 75 reviews. Mandela Rhodes Place has apartments, kitchens and cots, Long Street Boutique Hotel has family rooms and a sofa bed, and Hotel Sky Cape Town has family rooms and a restaurant.
Which hotel is the top-rated here?
La Grenadine Petit Hotel on Park Road scores 4.6 out of 5 from 75 reviews. Afribode Acc Studio Martini and St Martini 204 follow at 4.5 from 158 reviews, then 805 Dockside, Loader 51a and 1304 Mandela Rhodes Tower at 4.4, with 805 Dockside's 974 reviews the largest count on the shortlist.
Are pets allowed at these hotels?
None of the hotels here list pets among their facilities, so assume not unless you confirm directly with the property before booking.
Do any hotels have a spa or massage?
La Grenadine Petit Hotel lists massage and a jacuzzi. The Trade Boutique Hotel lists a spa, massage, an outdoor pool and a pool bar. No other hotel on this shortlist lists spa or massage facilities.
Do the hotels have restaurants or breakfast?
Hotel Sky Cape Town, Neighbourgood East City, ONOMO Hotel Waterfront and The Trade Boutique Hotel list restaurants. Long Street Boutique Hotel lists breakfast in room and a bar/lounge, and Daddy Long Legs Art Hotel, Cartel House Hotel On Loop and The Trade Boutique Hotel list bars.