Cosy Downtown Loft with Views over Rooftop Deck
Entire loft in Cape Town, South Africa
- 2 guests
- Studio
- 2 beds
- 1 bath
Rated 4.78 out of 5 stars.290 reviews
Hosted by Alan
- 12 years hosting
Listing highlights
Featured in
Elle Decoration, August 2009
ArchDaily, February 2011
ArchDaily, February 2011
Dive right in
This is one of the few places in the area with a pool.
Mountain and city views
Soak up the views during your stay.
Our cozy little loft features an architect-designed interior consisting of wood, steel and exposed brick. During it's renovation in 2006 certain original features, including Oregon ceiling beams and parquet floors, where restored to help retain a sense of its Cape heritage. The industrial red brick wall and orange mosaic in the kitchen and bathroom reflects an element of quirk and youth.
The space
The apartment is fully furnished, it's got fast WIFI; it's got a curved HDTV with Netflix, it's got a lounge sofa to relax on, it's got a gas-burning stove and all the kitchen stuff to fix your own meals and brew your own coffee (as we love to cook and can't operate without a morning coffee) – and all sorts of odds and ends to make your stay as comfy as possible.
The apartment is as central as you can get in Cape Town: it's literally down the road from the famous Green Market Square, up the road from the Grande Parade and City Hall, and round the bend from our version of Central Park - the evergreen Company Gardens, home of many a woodland creature and a great new restaurant too.
The so-called 'Fan Walk' (laid out by the City of Cape Town for the 2010 FIFA Soccer Worldcup) to the Greenpoint Stadium starts right outside – if walking is your thing.
The 106 bus is a block away and it will take you up Kloof Street and over the mountain to Camps Bay; so getting to the beach and back is a breeze. The T01 is 4 blocks away and it will take you to the Waterfront for shopping, sight-seeing and eating out.
Closer to home is Long Street with all the bars and clubs; Bree Street with all sorts of interesting shops and restaurants; Church Street with galleries and antique markets; tree-lined and car-free St George's Mall with the new Foodlovers Market (open all week) and a more informal open air market on Thursdays for fresh homemade food, cheese, biltong, brownies and other goodies and treats.
Back home the history buffs and architecture nerds should note that the loft is located on the top floor of the historical Wellington Fruit Growers Building, a long and skinny landmark sandwiched between Longmarket and Darling street, in downtown Cape Town.
This well-known heritage landmark was originally designed by Fred Glennie in 1934, who, prior to setting up his own practice, was an assistant to Sir Herberts Baker's office. Glennie designed many well-known commercial buildings in Cape Town, such as the Reserve Bank in Wale Street (1928) and the Commercial Union Assurance building, Saint George's Street (1930). He also designed the Royal Hotel at Beaufort West (1931).
The original terracotta facade is adorned with ornate carvings of heraldic shields, natural motives and cherubs, and most units still feature original arch windows. In 2005 the complex was converted into mixed and residential use, and now houses 15 apartments, mainly occupied by creative people using the dramatic spaces as both offices and homes.
Guest access
Guests have full access to everything. Guests also have access to The Adderley - a building across the road that has a pool and gym.
Other things to note
Access to the bedroom is via a small ladder, so you kind of climb into/up to the bedroom. And obviously you climb down in the mornings.
Once on the mezzanine level (bedroom level) one can stand upright but the beams prevent one from walking around when upright. I'm 6"2 and we managed relatively well by bending here and there for the three years we lived there. But yes, you will knock your head; maybe more than once.
There is no rail on the mezzanine - some view this a potential safety issue, others like the fact that there isn't one as it 'opens the space' to an extent, and an added rail might be trip hazard.
These issues are apparent when looking at the photos of the apartment. Most guests found these aspects were part of the charm!
Lastly Cape Town is currently experiencing the worst drought in almost a century; and the City of Cape Town has implemented water restrictions and ask all to save water where possible: short showers, re-using shower water to flush the toilets and so forth.
The space
The apartment is fully furnished, it's got fast WIFI; it's got a curved HDTV with Netflix, it's got a lounge sofa to relax on, it's got a gas-burning stove and all the kitchen stuff to fix your own meals and brew your own coffee (as we love to cook and can't operate without a morning coffee) – and all sorts of odds and ends to make your stay as comfy as possible.
The apartment is as central as you can get in Cape Town: it's literally down the road from the famous Green Market Square, up the road from the Grande Parade and City Hall, and round the bend from our version of Central Park - the evergreen Company Gardens, home of many a woodland creature and a great new restaurant too.
The so-called 'Fan Walk' (laid out by the City of Cape Town for the 2010 FIFA Soccer Worldcup) to the Greenpoint Stadium starts right outside – if walking is your thing.
The 106 bus is a block away and it will take you up Kloof Street and over the mountain to Camps Bay; so getting to the beach and back is a breeze. The T01 is 4 blocks away and it will take you to the Waterfront for shopping, sight-seeing and eating out.
Closer to home is Long Street with all the bars and clubs; Bree Street with all sorts of interesting shops and restaurants; Church Street with galleries and antique markets; tree-lined and car-free St George's Mall with the new Foodlovers Market (open all week) and a more informal open air market on Thursdays for fresh homemade food, cheese, biltong, brownies and other goodies and treats.
Back home the history buffs and architecture nerds should note that the loft is located on the top floor of the historical Wellington Fruit Growers Building, a long and skinny landmark sandwiched between Longmarket and Darling street, in downtown Cape Town.
This well-known heritage landmark was originally designed by Fred Glennie in 1934, who, prior to setting up his own practice, was an assistant to Sir Herberts Baker's office. Glennie designed many well-known commercial buildings in Cape Town, such as the Reserve Bank in Wale Street (1928) and the Commercial Union Assurance building, Saint George's Street (1930). He also designed the Royal Hotel at Beaufort West (1931).
The original terracotta facade is adorned with ornate carvings of heraldic shields, natural motives and cherubs, and most units still feature original arch windows. In 2005 the complex was converted into mixed and residential use, and now houses 15 apartments, mainly occupied by creative people using the dramatic spaces as both offices and homes.
Guest access
Guests have full access to everything. Guests also have access to The Adderley - a building across the road that has a pool and gym.
Other things to note
Access to the bedroom is via a small ladder, so you kind of climb into/up to the bedroom. And obviously you climb down in the mornings.
Once on the mezzanine level (bedroom level) one can stand upright but the beams prevent one from walking around when upright. I'm 6"2 and we managed relatively well by bending here and there for the three years we lived there. But yes, you will knock your head; maybe more than once.
There is no rail on the mezzanine - some view this a potential safety issue, others like the fact that there isn't one as it 'opens the space' to an extent, and an added rail might be trip hazard.
These issues are apparent when looking at the photos of the apartment. Most guests found these aspects were part of the charm!
Lastly Cape Town is currently experiencing the worst drought in almost a century; and the City of Cape Town has implemented water restrictions and ask all to save water where possible: short showers, re-using shower water to flush the toilets and so forth.
What this place offers
Mountain view
City skyline view
Kitchen
Wifi
Shared pool
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4.78 out of 5 stars from 290 reviews
Overall rating
- 5 stars, 81% of reviews
- 4 stars, 17% of reviews
- 3 stars, 1% of reviews
- 2 stars, 1% of reviews
- 1 stars, 0% of reviews
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for cleanliness
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for check-in
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for communication
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars for location
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value
Guest reviews mention
Where you’ll be
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
The loft is located in an old part of town, where art deco buildings and history is found around every corner. Saint George's Cathedral, The Company's Garden and old Slave Quarters, City Hall and the Central Library are all steps away.
Meet your host
Born in the 70s
Where I went to school: Paarl Boys High
I'm a tech enthusiast with a blend of design and coding expertise. Over two decades, I've lived across our vibrant town (Cape Town is in fact a small, little town) from the leafy suburbs to the charming seaside to the gritty inner city to the colourful city bowl. What began as assisting friends and family with their Airbnb listings has evolved into managing a diverse portfolio of properties, fostering opportunities for others in our community.
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.
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