First if all, this is quite an imposing hotel in a very interesting area of Cape Town. On entry, you are aware of a spectacular atrium. There's also a bar on the top floor adjacent to a beautifully designed swimming pool. There's something beguilingly surrealisitic about the street sounds floating up from down below as you swim through the water. The chic bar also doubles as a breakfast location.

Just up the road you will find the infamous Slave House (which was operated by the Dutch East India Company and is a testament to man's inhumanity to man) and the luxuriant and almost-tropical Company Gardens, as well as the National Art Gallery and the Jewish Museum. Unlike the Waterfront, this area beside the Mandela Rhodes gives you a feel for the real 'Cape Town' and it is both a delight and a privilege to be surrounded by indigenous South Africans (as opposed to tourists) when you walk your way down either Adderley Street or Long Street. Another option is to take the ten minute walk through Company Gardens and have the delicious afternoon tea on offer at the Mount Nelson hotel al fresco in the midst of the beautiful weather Cape Town is currently experiencing.

Unfortunately, I arrived at this hotel on the night of March 2nd during a week when Cape Town was literally bulging at the seams (hosting both a cycle race and an anaesthetist's conference). On arrival, I produced my Venere booking confirmation number. The woman behind the main desk told me that the Mandela Rhodes had not received my Venere booking for the 3 days through to March 5th. The duty manager then told me that he had never heard of Venere (even though I pointed it out to him on the Tripadvisor website as one of the four main booking agencies listed in connection with the Mandela Rhodes hotel). In the end, they gave me one night in a large apartment., and told me I would have to go elsewhere for the remaining two nights.

My apartment at the Mandela Rhodes was very large with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Definitely comfortable. But I do not share the views of some of the other posters on this site about the quality of the internal decor. It reminded me more of Sallynoggin in Ireland than Cape Town. The kitchen fittings had a boring, bog standard look to them, and the floral pattern on the couch was more 1950s than the year 2008. That said, however, the bedrooms (though small) were very cosy and the shower was powerful and soothing after a long day in the sun.

In the end, Junior, one of the managers, phoned me to my room on the morning of the 3rd of March to tell me that he had secured accommodation for me for two days across the street for circa Euro 70 a night. I was moved to a brand new hotel fifty metres away (the Holiday Inn Express) which was absolutely fine. So, though I'm very critical of the Mandela Rhodes for failing to honour my Venere booking in the first place (for which I had a specific confirmation number), I am grateful to Junior, the duty manager who retrieved what could have been a very difficult situation for me (given that virtually every other hotel in Cape Town was booked out during what was essentially a very busy week).

Finally, I would reiterate my earlier comment about the centre of Cape Town. Well worth experiencing if you want to taste something other than the tourist-oriented predictability of the Waterfront. And quite safe during the day, though you will need to take taxis in the centre of town area after about 8.00 p.m.

Mandela Rhodes is a new, beautiful and stylish hotel in the heart of Cape Town. The hotel is a stone's throw from Parliament, St. George's cathedral, and St. George's mall, where a fun, flea market exists during the day. There are a number of excellent cafes and breakfast places within 1 or 2 blocks of the hotel. Long Street, which a hip young place to go at night is two blocks away as well. The rooms are more like apartments, with a living room and a fully stocked kitchen and kitchen table. The interior design of the hotel is amazing...hip, modern and fun. The rooms are impeccably maintained. I was really impressed. Be warned, however. The room may be equipped with a colander and a wine opener, but it won't have a hair dryer or an ironing board. Strange, but true. The staff was helpful, polite and friendly. The cab service from the hotel was ridiculously expensive, but it was convenient. For the price, it was one of the nicest hotels, I have ever experienced. There is ongoing construction, but since I was up early in the morning it didn't really bother me. My friends were bothered by it...I guess it depends upon whether you are a heavy sleeper or not. All in all, I can't praise the hotel enough.

Just got back from a 2 week trip to South Africa including 5 days at the Mandela Rhodes place. As we have 2 small children aged 6 and 4 we had initially thought it better to stay somewhere nearer the waterfront but a combination of late booking and a ridiculous policy of insisting on only 3 people sharing a room put paid to this and we found ourselves booked into the Mandela Rhodes place. What a serendipitous decision. Basically it has all the advantages of a hotel with the added advantage of you getting a full suite. No more tripping over the children's clothes as they were tucked up in their own room. No more waking up with a toy in the small in your back, there was ample space in kitchen / dining room. Most importantly of all the TV and DVD in the sitting room meant that holiday's could include lie-ins again. Perfect.

The standard of decor throughout was modern and well maintained. Everything was very clean. The staff could not have been more helpful and friendly from first to last. The most striking thing was how much attention the kids got - it was like they had just found another 20 new friends. Nothing was too much bother. We didn't eat in the room - why would you when South African food is so cheap. Instead we had breakfast every day in the excellent hotel restaurant on the 7th floor. We even had dinner there once which was very good too. Downstairs in the reception is the excellently stocked Wine Bar and restaurant which does a very mean tapas.

Even the location turned out to be a plus. After all how many times can you walk round the waterfront shpooing mall? Instead we spent more time at the less touristy and far better eating establishments such as Riboville (10 yards walk outside the hotel) or the Savoy Cabbage (a short drive).

At no point did our city centre location feel like a security risk, The hotel is extremely well served with security guards at every entrance, their are safes in every room and a very safe undergound car park.

For families, I really can't think of a better hotel. We loved it.

Having read the reviews here; the one that caught my eye was about poor service; nothing could be further from the truth. The service was excellent; above and beyond the call... they couldn't have been more helpful.

We stayed in a tastefully decorated one bedroom apartment on the seventh floor; just near the restaurant and pool terrace area. The restaurant has good ambience and is of high quality; plus with a the very strong pound-rand exchange rate when we went it was dirt cheap.

This is a great, central hotel; just across the road from a fantastic japanese fusion restaurant and, provided you've hired a car (parking if you're in the hotel is 50Rand/day); well located for table mountain, the V&A docks, the wineries, Robben Island, Townships, the casino, sea point and Clifton beach... which make up a good portion of holiday travelling.

Overally we had a wonderful time; loved the well furnished 4-5 start standard apartment and were treated beautifully by the courteous staff.