The Grand Daddy Hotel

38 Long St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

You might hear Long Street before you see it—this bustling artery is the heart of Cape Town, home to some of the city’s most popular restaurants, bars, and boutiques, all within a few blocks’ radius of the Grand Daddy Hotel. Built in 1895, this landmark building has been transformed into one of the city’s quirkier havens, though it somehow manages to walk the fine line between campy and classy. It’s a spot that’s beloved by tourists and locals alike (don’t be surprised to stumble onto a local fashion shoot in the gilded Daddy Cool bar).

Behind the stately gray exterior lies a whimsical world: snuggle into crisp white sheets in one of the 26 colorful rooms or suites, or settle into a stylishly appointed Airstream in the rooftop trailer park. And speaking of the rooftop: there’s no better place to take in the view of Table Mountain presiding over the city.

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Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa

In a city with no shortage of great lodgings, Cape Town’s Grand Daddy Hotel offers guests something a little different: a night’s sleep in a vintage Airstream trailer parked on the roof of the hotel. The top-floor trailer park—which includes seven units, all with views of Table Mountain—was conceived by owner Jody Aufrichtig and local design studio Whatiftheworld. A different South African artist imagined the look of each trailer, and themes include the pink-hued “Love of Lace,” by Tracy Lynch, and Mark and Joe Stead’s “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” featuring a human-size bear suit in the closet. During your stay, take advantage of the adjacent rooftop bar and picnic seating, a more sociable option than trailer-side room service. —Diane Vadino

This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.

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