Located in a prime position on Cape Town’s picturesque Camps Bay strip, The Marly Boutique Hotel and Spa has reopened after a five-month renovation that saw the addition of a new floor, 27 sea- and mountain-facing suites and an unrivalled roof deck.

The upgrade to the existing 11-bedroom hotel, which is discretely located on the top floors of a vibrant shopping and dining precinct, also includes a spa, boutique and state-of-the-art gym. Combine that with the array of trendy restaurants that form part of The Kove Collection’s greater offering surrounding the hotel, and The Marly really has it all.

This unique DNA makes for ultra-cool boutique hotel chemistry. “The success of The Marly formula is actually quite simple: Our guests can have it all,” explains founder and MD of The Kove Collection Paul Kovensky. “We’re catering to someone who appreciates unbeatable ocean and mountain views, five-star luxury accommodation in close proximity to the city, a world-class spa and gym, Camps Bay beach across the road, and seven incredible restaurants and bars to choose from in addition to the rooftop pool and lounge.”

Instead of a dedicated (and dare we say predictable) hotel restaurant, guests have the choice of one of The Kove Collection’s restaurants located in the centre, from brunch at La Belle, known for its exceptional patisserie, to a lazy lunch at the all-new Surfshack (check it out here), followed by sundowners at Camps Bay icon Paranga or its slightly more viby sibling and neighbour Chinchilla. That’s if you chose to leave the comfort of your suite or be torn away from admiring the panoramic views of Lions Head, the stretch of the bay and the Twelve Apostles from one of the loungers located in the pool.

Inspiration for The Marly’s design came from travel and research, explains Paul, who settled on the name while sitting at the Café Marly at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Château de Marly was the Sun King Louis XIV’s decadent countryside palace within the Versailles complex; his summer retreat where he took his family to hunt and escape from the bustle of the palace. “The design process had already begun,” says Paul, “and the name immediately resonated with me and fit the property perfectly. I knew that I needed to combine this timeless old-world story with Camps Bay seaside cool.”

Paul worked with Jo and Gregor Bremer of interior design studio Soda Custom to take fussy French classicism and give it a contemporary, suitably glitzy Camps Bay twist. A fresh, white palette is complemented by modern neutrals. Plush fabrics and tufted upholstery are updated with minimalist mid-century-inspired designs, white and cream leather, blonde wood, chrome, monochrome marble and plenty of sparkling mirrors.

In the reception and along the passageway, ornate panelling has been flattened and stylised and turned into a two-tone print that complements the clean-lined moulding and contemporary lighting. Slim spotlights illuminate quirky room numbers: Individually created hands painted in a delft style hold the sleek chrome number cards.

In the bedrooms, Piero Fornasetti-inspired cloud wallpaper runs up the wall behind the bed and onto the ceiling in a dreamy modern trompe-l’oeil. Scandi-style minimalist lampshade chandeliers take the place of a more elaborate traditional version, yet on the wall hangs an ornate gilded mirror more in keeping with the Marly’s regal roots. Rather than old masters, however, the walls are adorned with charcoal portraits by artist Riaan van Zyl.

There’s a simple, satisfying and sophisticated formula that’s been deftly repeated, with consideration given to the guest experience, attention to detail and a playful spin on palatial ornamentation to create a 38-room pleasure palace fit for 21^st century travel royalty.

“We want the guests’ first impressions to be about the decor, location, views, facilities and all-round luxury,” says Paul. “But what we want our guests to leave with, remember and talk about is the staff, service and absolute care they received from the team. Creating memorable guest experiences, that’s what will bring people back.” That and the views from Baptiste Rooftop, no doubt.

Find The Marly Boutique Hotel and Spa at 201 The Promenade, Victoria Road, Camps Bay, on Instagram (@themarlyhotel) and online themarly.co.za.

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Neutral tones, layered textures and sophisticated finishes bring coastal cool to this new diner on Cape Town’s picturesque Camps Bay strip.

Boasting exceptional views of one of the Mother City’s most iconic beaches, the Surfshack is the latest addition to The Kove Collection‘s portfolio, which includes La Belle Bistro & Patisserie, Chinchilla, Lilly’s and, amongst others, the soon to be reopened 5-star boutique hotel The Marly, located just above the Surfshack.

Jo and Gregor Bremer of interior design studio Soda Custom were the duo behind the laid-back, contemporary interiors’ “rough-and-polished, rustic-modern harmony”, as Jo puts it. “We took inspiration from trips to the Mediterranean. One restaurant that caught our eye was Scorpios in Mykonos, Greece,” he explains. “Natural elements found on the island have been combined with modern architecture to achieve an amazing space.”

Texture plays an important role – in addition to timber and bamboo, there are rattan, woven and rope elements, raw linens and supple tan leather, and the walls have been roughly plastered. The interior subtly reflects the cuisine: Relaxed yet refined. On the menu you’ll find diner-style burgers, pizzas, steaks and seafood off the grill, as well as shared fusion dishes, all beautifully presented. It’s unfussy yet stylish.

The finishes are considered and contemporary, like the terrazzo bar counter with large jewel-tone chips and pizza oven clad in twinkling white penny round mosaics. Local design can be spotted amongst the custom pieces  – Hoi P’Loy wall lamps; Houtlander chairs; a row of Weylandts pendants above the bar. The mood is set for languid, sun-kissed summer lunches that dissolve into sundowners.

Surfshack is located at 201 The Promenade, Victoria Road, Camps Bay, and is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday. For more information and bookings, visit surfshackdiner.co.za.

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Joburg restaurant Rockets Lolita’s has been shortlisted for the 2018 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. 

For owner Sean Barber the recognition validates their goal from the outset to break boundaries. “Throughout this process, the motivation was to be as good, if not better than, international restaurants and show what is possible with a South African team.”

“My inspiration was found in home-grown talent,” Sean continues. “I grew tired of hearing how incredible a restaurant or space was overseas when I knew we had the capabilities, creativity and talent to achieve this and more in our own home town.”

Sean’s brief to Wesley Bremer, co-founder of interior design and project management company Soda Custom, and his team was for an “aspirational restaurant that was unpredictable in its design, making each space infinitely interesting” while appealing to all five senses. Rockets, located in Bryanston, has been shortlisted in the Middle East & Africa Bar, Murals & Graffiti and Biophilic Design categories.

The challenge was the size of the restaurant: 1 780 m² over four floors. “We had to find a common thread that would create continuity in all the different spaces, but still keep it interesting throughout,” says Sean. Industrial elements such as off-shutter concrete, exposed trunking, roof trusses and air-conducting are juxtaposed with indoor greenery, murals, clusters of glass pendants, leather and high-quality finishes. 

Justin Badenhorst of Nomads Gallery was commissioned for two murals. Custom hand-blown glass pendants with filament globes were chosen to fill the double-volume space. There’s an intricate vertical garden and a 4 m high cherry blossom tree is the feature in the basement garden.

“My favourite area is the Lolita’s island bar,” says Wesley. “It’s a very simple design: the front is old reclaimed railway sleepers in a steel I-beam structure with an aged brass bar top.” For Sean it’s the private dining room where he was involved in the design.

The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, now in its tenth year, is a globally recognised competition dedicated to the design of food and beverage spaces. The ceremony will be held on 4 October 2018. View the full shortlist at restaurantandbardesignawards.com.

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