After a wonderful week playing golf with friends in Knysna, we arrived, just a little tired, after a 7 hour drive at the 12 Apostles. We were immediately made welcome and throughout our stay found the staff to be highly professional and attentive without being too fussy.

The facilities are amazing! What a location ... can there be any better? Mountains on one side, or sea the other! What a choice. Having lunch in Azure restaurant, or sitting on the terrace of the Leopard's Bar watching the sunset ... they say the next port of call is South America!

Would we stay there again? Without doubt!

We spent 4nights for our 35th anniversary and what a treat. From the moment you step into this hotel, you feel welcome and at home.
The staff are exceptionally kind and friendly and nothing is too much trouble. After the first day they even knew our names. We received a special "to die for'' chocolate cake for our celebration.The winesteward, Brian, gave a winetasting on the Tuesday evening and was so knowledgeable about Cape wines. we really larnt a lot from him!
All the public areas are exquisite with so much attention to detail and relaxation.
The Azure Restaurant and balcony has beautiful views over the ocean, with Lion's Head and the Twelve Apostels as backdrop-stunning. The food was excellent!! We dined there twice-try the fish or pork belly! Breakfast is served here as well and there was no limit to what was on offer, even oysters and champaigne!!
The Leopard Bar was our favourite. It has a relaxing atmosphere where you can curl up on a sofa, read, chat, have drinks and be spoilt with snacks, nibbles, even kids are welcome. It really has a homely feel.
The pool and terrace adjacent to the restaurant also overlooks the Atlantic and is heated. The Rockpool was my favourite, built next to the Cafe. It was warm even though it wasn't heated and is almost like a jacuzzi in the mountains!
Our room and bathroom was beautiful and clean, with all the finer touches of the Red Carnation group. However, we would have prefered a bigger room (ours was 33sqm) and we could not use our patio , because it was always wet due to a sprayer system from the garden.
All-in all it was a fantasic experience and a huge spoil.

This was a hideous experience. We stayed for the night before my partner flew back to UK as a treat, OK, she has wheat intolerance. I know that's a nuisance, but a hotel of this calibre should be able to cope with such difficult concepts as "no dairy please" and "Does this dish contain wheat". Major dramas as dish after dish came from the kitchen only to be found to have "some flour..but not much"..or "I'm not really sure, I'd better ask again."
What appalled me was the attitude of Restaurant Manage who clarely thought we were just being difficult.

The Leopard Bar is dirty and busy. The staff here are charming and helpful but the whole experience is pressurized and generally uncultured. Whatever makes this place think it's still a top hotel?

This is my 5th in a row bad experience of the 12 Apostles.
End.
Finito.
Goodbye.
Adios.

Having had an extremely rough year and working straight through season I was at the stage where there was not even a battery left in me to charge.
I was so exhausted I did not have the energy to make arrangements, board a plane and fly overseas and if one more person needed something from me I thought I would implode.
Being in both Events & Entertainment as well as Property Rentals & sales, two very demanding service orientated industries, I was available to clients who knew no boundaries 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week

Desperately searching for a place to rejuvenate my mind, body, heart and soul I drove to the far corners of Cape Town left and right with a fruitless end result. I just could not find the peace, calm and pleasure I was looking for, a safe space to be, feel indulged, relaxed and excited by my surroundings

On my way back from a very long day of searching I drove past The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa and remembered with great delight that that was in fact my Happy Place. If ever I needed a break away from it all I would go sit in the shade under the beautiful, peaceful tree and look out at the tranquil view of the sea.

Now understand I am from Cape Town so I have plenty of sea to look at and this might be hard for you to understand but there is sea & energy and sea & energy and the energy and view from The Twelve Apostles just always has a way of instilling calm, peace and a smile in my soul, I think at one stage I even heard a snore.

The reception on arrival as always was one of warmth and smiles and the best part is they did not even flinch at the fact that I had my two 4 legged children with me

I decided to take it a step further and book in for the entire weekend. It was the best decision I've made in a long time

My suite was AMAZING ! beautifully decorated. The bed was raised on a level so you could languish on it and stare out at the sea. The lounge was sunken down and ran directly out onto a huge private deck. The room had a feeling of spaciousness which is very important to me, and I could have gladly stayed there the entire weekend had there not been so many other fabulous things to do.

When I arrived in my room they had organised little doggy beds and bowls for me and when I went for a spa treatment the next day I even got a baby sitter. On offer was the cutest doggy menu with woof waffles, running the fast track, meaty muncher and a full English breakfast if you will my doll for the seriously indulged pet.

The fact that a hotel of such standing allows your pets/children is a wonderful option to have and even though they do, don't think for one minute that the hotel shows any signs of allowing animals as it is immaculately clean

There are even options of different pillows and soaps and anything else that you could want to indulge your needs and desires for feeling totally pampered. They have a philosophy - No request is too large, and No detail too small, I know as I read all their brochures and believe me they lived up to this. They went to the pharmacy and the pet shop for me and when they could not find what I wanted they went to two more

All the staff are so friendly and not in a false way, nothing is too much trouble. You can feel the genuine pleasure they get from being of service and I am a tough customer to please.
I can only put this down to the fact they are all so happy in their jobs. They all speak about the owners with such love, admiration and respect and it shines through

I had the pleasure of a dealing with one of the owners, Vicky Tollman and it really blew me away that someone who had such an empire, 15 hotels that I know about, a wine estate, a restaurant in London and a few travel companies to mention but a few could be so gentle, kind, down to earth, humble, spiritual, caring and polite

Friday I languished at the heated pool and soaked in the view.
Sat morning I woke up to rain and grey skies and not even this put a damper on my spirits as I was so happy in my surroundings.
I took the puppies for a walk up the mountain trail deeply breathing in the freshness of the drizzle on my face and savoring the fresh smell of the beautifully looked after gardens, herbs, trees and plants. I was feeling ridiculously happy and free.
I went to breakfast and felt like a child who had been let loose in a candy store.
Breakfast was a culinary delight of gastronomical proportion and each morsel was a taste sensation of note.
I did not even feel out of place being alone and sat peacefully in my corner drinking in the view, happy not to have to talk or be running after anyone, loving being served and with smiles and respect and pandering to my stomach and taste buds

After breakfast I changed into my gown and slippers and that's how I stayed for the rest of the weekend. Five star hotel and all yet comfortable enough to walk around the hotel, through to the spa, outside into the gardens and up the gorgeous mountain paths up the back of the hotel. and feel at home. In fact on Sunday morning walking my puppies up the mountain I met a couple in their gowns, drinking tea and walking happily along the path. They told me that after this weekend they were moving down to Cape Town

The Spa was just as much of a treat - gentle, calm, peaceful, candles, oh and more food. Every little nook and cranny of the hotel offers you little treats. There are bowls of sweets in all the restaurants, fruit, lemon and orange water at the pool and fruit, nuts, muffins, rusks, tea's and waters in the spa as well as friendly and informed therapists. After bobbing all my stress away in the divine salt flotation pool and floating in the heated jet pools I was subjected to a sublime combination of a Swedish/Thai massage that left me feeling completed and my body very grateful.

I floated back to my suite, took the puppies for a divine walk up the mountain path and tumbled back into bed and ordered room service.
Again a taste sensation of sheer delight

Sunday morning a repeat of walk, breakfast and spa and sadly eventually had to acknowledge that my weekend was up

To think that this secret Nirvana nestled between gorgeous ocean, spectacular views and majestic mountains is 5 minutes away from Camps Bay, 10 minutes away from where I live and yet I felt like I had found a paradise far away from home

Thank you Tollman family wherever you are in the world for bringing such family orientated casual opulence to our shores. Not only will I be making a regular habit of sneaking away to my happy place I cant wait to try out Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat, can you imagine the peace I will find there combined with pampering and delight

If the rest of this families collection of boutique hotels is all run the same way, which I can only gather they are, PLEASE let me win the lottery and I will happily try them all

What could be worse than travelling for miles, and arriving at a disappointment and trust me when I tell you I have many times. At least with this group I know what to expect

Don't even think twice if you want to start and end your time away with a ridiculous smile on your face like I did

I also want to be part of their family

Happy holidays and let me know if what I said made you go there and I dare you to find fault