The hotel is located just underneath table mountain and from the upper terrace has a nice, yet limited, view over the city. The area itself is very secure and in Cape Towns 'posher' area with 24h security.

The hotel itself is very beautiful, always clean and very trendy, great interior. Feels indeed like a home away from home. Due to the fact that the hotel has not too many rooms it feels very intimate and you don't often meet fellow guests, except at breakfast. The rooms are very nice and clean. Only downside is the too small pool.

The staff was always very helpful and has organised many trips for us and made the stay as stressless as possible with nothing to worry about, also going to the gym (Virgin Active) wasn't a problem. The staff was always available, yet very discreet and more in the background.

The food itself - breakfast that is - was nice. Not too much and not too varied but enough. The staff at breakfast is also very friendly and chatty, which is nice.

Pro: Great area (yet a bit further away from the centre and the beaches - about 15 min), great boutique hotel, very stylish and clean, great staff from managers to cleaning staff, wonderful rooms, great food.

Contra: The pool is very small, a bit more variety at breakfast would be great.

A fantastic little hidden gem just underneath table mountain. We had a great stay.

My husband and I (on holiday from Cesenatico, Italy) visited South Africa for 3 weeks in October and stayed for 4 nights at Alta Bay in Cape Town.

What we loved most about this charming guest house was the fact that it is in close proximity to the beaches, the Waterfront and inner-city, but feels as if it is in the quiet and tranquil countryside. Our suite, the Bay Suite, had wonderful views of both the city and the sea; was spacious and very comfortable. The inside and outside living areas are also beautifully designed with a homely, but elegant feel. We also enjoyed chatting with the hosts, Stephan and Beaula and found them to be very helpful and knowledgable about what to see and do during our visit.

We (my husband and I)have a small tour operating business and we will definitely be sending our clients, who want to visit South Africa, to stay in the beautiful Alta Bay in Cape Town.

My wife and I recently completed a trip of several weeks to South Africa, which included seven nights at the Alta Bay in Cape Town. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and found it to be of very good value.

We had initially struggled to find a location that would be willing to accommodate our young son as well, but the booking experience with the owner, Stephan, was both efficient and very welcoming.

The property is gorgeous; the setting is intimate, stylish and serene. We stayed in the Loft which was spacious and well-appointed, and had access to a lovely sitting area outside.

We found the location in Higgovale to be excellent for traveling in and out of the city (having a car is ideal). The self-catering dimension of the hotel worked well for us (although breakfast can be arranged though Stephan) as the room had plenty of kitchen space and there are a couple of excellent breakfast options in the neighborhood.

Stephan and Beulah were charming and helpful hosts, and we look forward to returning next year. We would be happy to recommend the Alta Bay to anyone looking for a special stay in Cape Town.

Firstly, I have to say that Stephan and his wife Beulah were charming hosts, who made it clear they were always available if we needed anything. As other reviewers have stated, the rooms are comfortable and spacious, in a lovely garden setting, close to Table Mountain.....BUT...some things have changed.

Our arrival at Alta Bay caused some surprise. Although we had a confirmed booking Stephan was not expecting us. We learned the place had been closed for some months, undergoing renovations, and was still in the process of being painted. Stephan informed us we would be the first guests to experience the "new" Alta Bay, which now no longer included breakfast or an open bar, and was now R500 cheaper.

We paid R1700 a night, which was almost double what we paid for similar accommodation in Jo'burg (Rutland House) and Durban (Rosetta House) both of which included a beautiful home cooked breakfast. For 3 of the 4 nights we stayed our television would not work. (Stephan was quick to call in a TV technician, but the technician not so quick to turn up!!)

Alta Bay is well set up for self catering and if it had a washing machine/dryer it would be better value for money. We found it necessary to get a taxi everywhere (including the nearest supermarket) as, situated on the mountain as it is, the walk was too steep for us.