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Escape to Elegance: A Weekend Away at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa
Ever thought of escaping to elegance by experiencing a weekend away at the infamous 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town?
No, we didn’t think we would ever stay at a 5 star hotel either!
In this blog post we talk about how you can stay there too, without breaking the bank, well sort of…
Where is the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa located
The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa is located on the infamous Victoria Road in Cape Town. Taking the scenic route from Sea Point through to Hout Bay, you will pass this splendid 5 star hotel. If you are too busy looking at the ocean views, you might just miss one of the best 5 star hotels in Cape Town.
The sea view rooms have Atlantic ocean views, where you can see whales and dolphins during certain times of the year.
What more could you want as a traveler visiting Cape Town? You get the whole package – mountain and ocean views (this is a huge tourist attraction for foreigners traveling to Cape Town).
The hotel is nestled on the base of Table Mountain, where you have the backdrop of The Apostle Mountain range behind you. Driving along Victoria Road, you will be able to see all 18 peaks along the apostle mountain range.
These are the names of the apostle mountain range peaks
Kloof, Fountain, Porcupine, Jubilee, Barrier, Valken, Kasteel, Postern, Wood, Spring, Slangolie, Corridor, Separation, Victoria, Grove, Llandudno Peak, Llandudno Corridor, Hout Bay Corner.
Hiking these mountains is a very popular activity amongst locals and tourists. For those staying at the 12 Apostles Hotel, there is access to the hiking routes from the hotel. If you are a beginner hiker or hiking solo, we suggest that you find a tour guide to show you the ins and outs, as well as from a safety perspective.
What is the best area to stay in Cape Town
We are seriously lucky with the beaches along South Africa’s coastlines. Whether it be the west coast or east coast, both coastal areas have spectacular sceneries with plenty activities to do.
Areas along the Atlantic Coast are a huge seller for tourists traveling to Cape Town. Being in the heart of Cape Town, you are spoilt with plenty restaurant options, views for days and have easy access to tourist attractions.
The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa is a lovely split of being away in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by nature, but not too far away from civilization.
For those who want to venture into Cape Town, the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle, which runs daily between 08:00 and 21:30. It’s only a 15 minute drive to the V&A Waterfront via Camps Bay, where you will be able to hop on and hop off. There are designated areas where the driver will drop off and pick up guests, make sure you know where these spots are along the route.
Some of the best areas to stay in Cape Town are: Sea Point, Camps Bay, Clifton, Mouille Point, Green Point. These areas are all extremely popular areas for tourists to stay in during their trip to Cape Town.
The area you decide to stay in depends entirely on what kind of holiday you want. Some travelers prefer the quieter areas, away from the above mentioned tourist hubs.
The Cape Winelands: Accommodation options outside of Cape Town
Splitting up your holiday with a few days in Cape Town and a few days in the winelands is also a popular option. For those tourists who have more time and are flexible, being based in the winelands for 3 to 4 nights, is highly recommended. Once you arrive in the winelands region, you will realize how many wine estate options you have and you’d want to see them all!
The most popular wine regions for tourists to stay in are Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl.
Wine farm hopping is a must! And is of course easier to do if you are based in one of these wine regions.
We highly recommend doing the Hop-on Hop-off wine tram in Franschhoek. It is a lovely way to explore more of the Franschhoek winelands and visit a variety of wine estates. There are different colour wine tram lines, so find out which wine estates you are most interested in visiting and book that colour tour.
If you are a guest staying at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, they have a concierge desk where the staff will be able to book any tours for you or answer any questions that you might have.
For those feeling adventurous and have more time to explore South Africa and Africa, get some inspiration from our blogs below.
Perhaps considering a 5 day trip to the Victoria Falls, or a trip up South Africa’s West Coast to Langebaan? I am sure you have heard of Churchhaven and Kraal Baai, two spectacular beaches inside the West Coast National Park. For those who are time restricted, you can base yourself in Langebaan and do day trips from there.
Must visit beaches near The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa
There are a few must visit beaches that you need to visit during your stay in Cape Town. The 12A hotel is located right in front of the beach, however, the beach is not ideal for swimming or tanning as there are rocks and no real beach with sand.
The next best beach from the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa is Cosy Bay. A cute, quaint beach with white sand and freezing cold water. Don’t tell us that we didn’t warn you! 😉
Bakoven, Beta Beach, Camps Bay Beach (there is a lovely tidal pool to swim in with stunning mountain views) are other beaches in close proximity to the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa.
Glen Beach, Maidens Cove, and the well known Clifton Beaches are other beaches you should totally add to your beach list. Be prepared for steep steps if you are wanting to go to any of the Clifton Beaches.
Another tidal pool is Saunders Rock, which has recently become an extremely popular beach to swim at amongst locals and foreigners. This is such a special spot to swim all day and watch the sunset, while snacking on your picnic / Uber eats from close by restaurants (pizza from New York Slice Pizza and healthy from Kauai. You will often find us getting Marcels Frozen Yogurt and sitting by the ocean, come winter and summer!)
If you are wanting warmer water to swim in, head over to Muizenberg which is a very popular surf spot for experienced surfers and those just starting out.
Find out more about us
Read more about our travel stories and the reason behind why we started our travel blog.
12 Apostles Hotel and Spa Luxurious Accommodation
Absorbing the beauty on route to the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, was something truly amazing. As South Africans, we had driven that route on numerous occasions and had only ever visited the 12A perhaps three times.
Sounds ridiculous being a Capetonian. Even just going for a drink at their cocktail lounge seems like a fabulous idea, and I wish we had done it prior to our stay. Sitting on the balcony sipping on a cold one, with views of the mountain, Atlantic ocean while the sun sets. So dreamy!
When I was working in the travel industry, I did site visits and one of those were at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa. This was back in 2014 and of course it is a lot different when you are going for work purposes, compared to a chilled weekend away on your own terms as a paying guest.
Walking into the hotel, we were welcomed by such wonderful gentlemen. They showed us the way and took our luggage from us as we headed over to the check in desk.
Check in was a breeze, we confirmed our information and followed the friendly staff and colourful, vibrant carpet to our Mountain Facing room. It felt like the magic carpet was leading us to this dreamy location where we felt the stress and busy minds float away. The hotel is light, with nature peeking through at each corner, and the scents of ocean air filling the rooms and hallways.
As we walked into our large Mountain Facing room, one automatically walks over to the large balcony, which boasts views of the mountain ranges, the sounds of birds chirping, the smells of the fauna below as overall calmness surrounds you. The hotel gladly took our request of having two single beds, as we cannot share a bed.. (I know we’re not the only ones!).
Our booking included the dinner and movie packed, which consisted of the following below:
12 Apostles Hotel and Spa: Dinner and Movie Package
- Classic room with twin bed (whatever your preference is)
- Full English Breakfast at the Azure Restaurant
- Includes freshly harvested oysters and sparkling wine.
- 3 course dinner at either the Azure Restaurant or The Cafe Grill.
- You can select which restaurant you would like to eat dinner at and make the dinner reservation with the host accordingly. Make sure that you allow enough time to let the hotel know where you would prefer dinner, as reservations are subject to availability dependent on the hotel’s capacity.
- The Cafe Grill is definitely the more laid back restaurant out of the two, however, the menus are the same.
- Take note that the menu is a select menu for different packages.
- Use of the 16 seater in-house cinema to be enjoyed with fresh popcorn and candy served to you inside the cinema.
- There are set movies at set times, so make sure to look at the scheduling.
**Please note that there are certain rates for SADC residents, and that we made our booking based on being South African residents.
Let me upgrade you
Of course, having friends who work in the travel industry at Thompsons Holidays, Ravi-Lee did what best friends do, and upgraded us to a Mountain Facing room.
We were so amazed at the views from our room and actually didn’t want to leave! Alas, there was plenty for us to do during our 2 night stay at the 12 Apostles and we were eager to get exploring!
We would highly recommend upgrading your room category to get the most of your experience at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa. Yes, your bank accounts won’t like you after your trip, but this is a once off yolo (you only live once) spoil yourself and make the most of this 5 star hotel experience!
How many rooms does The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa have
There are 70 rooms and suites at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, and each are elegantly designed with a unique look and feel.
Imagine having a pillow menu?
Yes, you read correctly. 5 star hotel, giving 5 star service.
From pillow menus, to evening turndowns, to outstanding customer service from all hotel staff, this is a 5 star hotel experience in Cape Town that you do not want to miss!
Top rated spa experience in Cape Town
Our first time visiting the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa was when we visited The Spa. Our family had gifted us with a treatment for our 21st birthday! How fabulous! We didn’t really venture around too much back then, but wish we did!
Two things that definitely had us in awe and completely obsessed with The Spa, were the spa facilities and the outdoor Mountain Gazebos.
As you walk into the spa area, there is a calming feeling that overcomes you and you can feel that this is going to be a lifelong memory.
Their slogan is “Surrender Your Senses In A Spa By The Sea” and that is exactly what you can expect!
Now, for those that know us and follow us on Instagram, we tend to visit spas in and around Cape Town as often as our wellness and selfcare budget allows 😉
We can hands down say that The Spa at the 12 Apostles is one of the best spa experiences that we have had to date. I had the Red Carnation Baobab Salt Scrub and Julia had the Swedish Full Body Massage, and we spent the day relaxing in the salt water floatation pool and the hydrotherapy plunge pools.
Best treatment to have at The 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa
Since our spa visit in 2013, some of the facilities can only be used if you book a day package. If I were you, it is well worth splurging on the extras.
A day package that we can highly recommend is the Outdoor Bliss. This spa package is the perfect couples treatment and includes a 90 minute Swedish Massage, usage of the salt water floatation pool and the hydrotherapy plunge pools, lunch and bubbles at the 12A restaurant Cafe Grill.
**Treatment in the Mountain Gazebos is weather permitting.
If you want to experience a spa treatment but you are on a tighter budget, we would recommend having the Pressure Point Foot Therapy treatment.
Dining experiences and options
Our first morning having the most delicious breakfast buffet of our dreams (besides La Victoria in Mauritius when we were 15 years old🤭), I felt eyes on us.
With bellies full, a lovely lady came over to greet us. We thought it was the hotel staff being super friendly, meanwhile it was someone that knew me, but just didn’t know where from.
Being in the tourism industry, you meet many people along the way and it can sometimes be overwhelming to remember faces and names… we spoke for some time and eventually came to learn how we knew each other!
We both worked for an agency, where we had never met face to face because we were fully remote without offices. We spoke for hours until we eventually had to get going with our day.
We had to ask Chandre Sedres a question about the 12 Apostles and her role as Guest Relations Officer.
What is your favourite aspect of the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa
“My favorite aspect of The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa has got to be the fact that you’re literally walking through an art gallery through each corridor of the hotel.
The Tollmans had collected SA artwork and brought it back home. I appreciate the combination of art and history all in one place. This used to be my selling point whilst walking guests to their room or around the property and they loved it.
For some, remembering the art collection in the corridors would help them navigate their way to and from their rooms throughout their stay. ”
Back to the restaurant.
The 12 Apostles has two restaurant options that are located inside the hotel, as well as a dining lounge and the Leopard Bar.
PS: The Leopard Bar has the most spectacular views when Cape Town is showing off with the bright orange sun setting over the 12 Apostles Mountain range. Space is limited on the deck outside, so make sure to get there early to secure your spot.
We decided to try both restaurants and they both were lovely. You can feel the ambiance and vibes differ between the two restaurants, so it depends entirely what kind of dining experience you prefer.
For mains on our first night, we went to the Azure Restaurant, where Julia had a delicious curry and I had one of the best steaks that I have had.
For our second night, we had dinner at The Cafe Grill. I ordered the fish and Julia tried the steak out since I raved about how good the steak was the previous night.
A reminder, that the menus are usually set based on the package that you booked. The menu will most likely be the same, and you can sit at either restaurant of your choice.
12 Apostles Hotel and Spa: Special Offers & Packages
There are options for everyone 🙂
And this is how we were able to make our 5 star hotel dreams happen.
Special offers during off peak season are the perfect time to make your move (or make your booking). Hotels in general are a lot quieter and offer specials for locals to make the most of these deals.
Take advantage of the specials and packages running during off peak season. You will be able to save some bucks during this time period and the pricing during this time doesn’t break the bank entirely.
Thompsons Holidays are the travel company who we booked our 2 night dinner and movie package with. Our agent, Susan, was efficient and the whole process was pretty simple. I told her exactly what we wanted, most importantly to include the twin room, which is a huge factor for us when we travel.
Heads up, start looking at availability now 🙂
What is SADC
SADC = Southern African Development Community
For some people, this might be the first time seeing this term. Don’t worry, I only know of it from my days working in the tourism industry.
Which countries are part of the SADC
Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
How To Find Specials For SADC Residents
Yes, it might seem too far-fetched, but you can stay at the 12 Apostles too!
With the amount of foreigners traveling to South Africa during peak season (November – February), it can be overwhelming for locals when hotels are booked up months in advance. For us as local Capetonians, we are okay working through festive or traveling outside of South Africa to escape the crowds.
Many South Africans head to the coastal areas for festive and popular sightseeing attractions that might be unbearable for those who dislike overpopulated places.
That being said, any 5 star hotel is most likely going to be booked out over peak season. No reason to be mad about it and the perfect opportunity to make use of the SADC specials for locals during the quieter season.
Make sure to ask if there are discounts as a South African, not only for accommodation, but for tourist attractions too! You will be asked for either passport or ID, so for those living abroad and consider themselves South African still, make sure you have one of the above to benefit from the discounts. Otherwise you will have to fork out your Euro’s, USD or Pounds.
Get booking!
If we haven’t made you want to book your next holiday at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, then you will have to re read from the top.
Or have a look at off two wander’s Instagram page for a little more enticement.
How to book your escape to elegance at the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa
Have a look at the packages available over the dates that you would like to travel. There are many, and make sure to look out for the inclusion and exclusions to avoid disappointment.
**You don’t want to arrive at the hotel thinking you have all meals included, when in fact you have booked for dinners only.
- 5* The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa – Dinner & a Movie Package (1 Night)
- 5* The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa – Package (2 Nights)
**Please note that these packages are our own recommendations. They are subject to change and subject to availability. Ts and C’s apply as per the supplier.
Let us know when you’ve booked your escape to elegance 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa holiday 🙂
