Babymoon review: Cape Grace, Cape Town

Why we chose this hotel: With bump in tow, we chose Cape Grace for it’s central location, meaning easy access to the best Cape Town sights – and a quick journey home for when sightseeing had taken it’s toll on my legs! The beautiful accommodation, fantastic menu and indulgent spa also helped our decision. We stayed in a Mountain View room. This meant, after a night flight arrival, we woke up on our first morning to a breathtaking view of Table Mountain: a great start to our babymoon.

Our flight with KLM was comfortable and, pardon the pun, 'flew by'. A great feat for a long-haul flight, especially since I am pregnant feel uncomfortable a lot of the time. The staff were friendly and accomodating and the food and refreshements just kept flowing.

The Cape Grace really feels like a home-from-home, with an abundance of friendly staff waiting to greet you. Whenever we returned from a day or evening out, someone always greeted us with ‘Welcome home’, which was lovely. The small things can really make a big difference. Even though we were staying so centrally, we only experienced calm, quiet and tranquillity at the hotel – the perfect city retreat.

Accomodation: The Cape Grace is a long and slender hotel, with harbour and Table Mountain view room along one side, and harbour and V&A Waterside views along the other. The head of the hotel is joined to the Waterfront via footbridge, which also leads to the Two Ocean’s Aquarium. There are a variety of suites available, some with interleading doors, some more suited to couples and some giant suites with a living room and small kitchen. If you are bringing your baby, the hotel can arrange extras for you like a plush seal toy, bath toys and mat, a cot and toiletries. Something to keep in mind when we plan our return trip with our baby, when he or she arrives!

Each room has an antique piece of furniture. Ours was a small wooden, child’s chair – very appropriate! We loved the mix of the traditional décor with a modern twist. It highlights the rich past of the city, while making sure your stay is comfortable and in the lap of luxury. Look out for the intriguing chandeliers dotted around the hotel. They have been designed with unusual objects entagled, such as cutlery, kettles and seashells – a sight to behold! All rooms have the necessary essentials, including air con, a digital safe and a private mini bar.

The Spa at Cape Grace: Leaving my husband to the delights of the hotel’s newly refurbished Bascule Whiskey Bar, I headed to the Spa for a pregnancy massage. Having already enjoyed the spa-like shower and bath in our own room, (the shower had a handy built-in shelf, which meant I didn’t have to bend to reach my toiletries), I had high hopes for my spa experience. I felt myself instantly relax as I changed into my robe and slippers in the cosy changing room. The treatment rooms are located around a central lounge area, which has a balcony with an uninterrupted view of Table Mountain.

Sitting in the massage chair, the masseuse put me at ease asking me if i wanted the curtains closed or open to see the mountain, offering me refreshments, and asking me about my pregnancy. The preganacy-safe treatment uses relaxing grape seed oil instead of aromatherapy products. As I relaxed into the massage, my pregnancy-related aches and pains began to melt away and I'm not ashamed to say I fell asleep: a sure sign of a fantastic massage.

A representative of the Spa at Cape Grace says: "We do also recommend our manicure and pedicure treatments, for pregnant women. There is nothing better than a great pedicure with a relaxing foot and leg massage for tired feet from pregnancy. Our Comfort Zone and QMS facials are also perfectly safe to receive during pregnancy. We do not, however, recommend any use of the hot spa facilities, sauna or steam room, as well as any reflexology treatments."

Cape Grace prices

- A Table Mountain Luxury Room during Low Season costs from £316 (RMB 4790) per room per night inclusive of daily Full English Breakfast

- A Table Mountain Luxury Room during Peak Season costs from £410 (RMB 6200) per room per night inclusive of daily Full English Breakfast

Essential travel info

We made the most of our trip to Cape Town with a few night's stay at the beautiful 12 Apostles Hotel, located at the at the edge of Table Mountain national park.

We flew with Dutch airline, KLM. KLM operates flights from London Heathrow to Cape Town from £770 including taxes and charges.

All prices quoted are subject to change and optional extras may be applicable at the time of booking.