The Silo Hotel

"If you’ve stayed at the Silo Hotel in Cape Town or a Singita Lodge elsewhere in South Africa, you may have seen elegant woven baskets tucked discreetly under a sink or by a bedside." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"In 2017, when a century-old grain silo on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront reemerged from a renovation as the Silo Hotel, it immediately became one of the city’s most coveted luxury retreats. The team that transformed it: British architect Thomas Heatherwick and South African designer Liz Biden, owner of the Royal Portfolio, a collection of South African hotels and lodges to which the Silo belongs. The design-forward boutique hotel features 28 individually designed suites with gilt mirrors, contemporary African artwork, and crystal chandeliers that hover over freestanding bathtubs. The renovation included the addition of a saltwater pool, 184 feet above the city on the 11th floor. The panoramas from the T-shaped, glass-sided pool encompass Table Mountain, Lion’s Head peak, and the harbor. It’s hard to imagine a more scenic spot in the Mother City, especially on warm summer days while floating on a stylish striped float pillow." - Kathryn Romeyn

"Once we made it to Cape Town and settled in at the Silo Hotel, we sat down together and looked at what was ahead of us: an early-morning motorcycle ride around Table Mountain and then wine tasting, a helicopter ride above the Okavango Delta in Botswana to our first safari camp Duba Plains, then a mobile safari in the Moremi Game Reserve with Barclay Stenner Safaris."

"Positioned above the Thomas Heatherwick–designed Zeitz MOCAA Museum in a former grain silo at the V&A Waterfront, the Silo Hotel might have the most spectacular location in Cape Town. The hotel has a 360-degree view of the city, with Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, and the glimmering Atlantic Ocean all on display. Naturally, the place for a sunset drink is on the open rooftop. The 28 bright rooms, designed by Liz Biden of the Royal Portfolio, showcase those stellar views through multifaceted, geometric windows and feature printed sofas with colorful fabrics, glass chandeliers, and stand-alone tubs. The hotel also serves as a mini art gallery; scattered throughout the property are notable pieces by regional artists like South African–born Zanele Muholi and Jody Paulsen and Swaziland artist Nandipha Mntambo. Continue the art immersion at the Zeitz MOCAA Museum—its groundbreaking collection of contemporary works from Africa and its diaspora are a few flights below." - Mary Holland

"The Silo The new crown jewel of the Cape Town hotel scene, The Silo is housed in an old grain elevator, perched above 42 cement silos on the V&A Waterfront. The silos, which extend outward below the hotel, are home to the world-class Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, opened in September 2017. Inside the hotel, owner Liz Biden seamlessly blends her penchant for bold colors and animal prints with some of the best in contemporary African art. The 28 guest rooms feature handmade headboards and Egyptian crystal chandeliers; concave, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city or harbor; and deep-soaking tubs in the bathroom. On the sixth floor, you’ll find the concierge (Hoon Kim, one of only 12 South Africans to hold the coveted Crossed Keys—a distinction from the prestigious hotel concierge association Les Clefs d’Or), the Granary Café, the Willaston Bar, and several private meeting rooms. Also on-site is a spa, gym, and rooftop infinity pool and lounge with views of Table Mountain. If you’re visiting over New Year’s, head to the rooftop—or book a west-facing room—for spectacular views of the V&A Waterfront fireworks."