We recently spent time at The Cole by Kove Collection, the newly opened boutique hotel on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard – and it’s already making a compelling case for slow mornings, sunset cocktails and lingering rooftop dinners.
Set on Church Road in Sea Point, with the ocean just across the way, The Cole feels less like a traditional hotel and more like a beautifully curated coastal hideaway. Everything lives under one roof here: 60 ocean-facing suites, a lobby cocktail bar, an eighth-floor restaurant, a spa and a fashion-forward boutique; all designed to flow seamlessly from one space to the next.
True to Kove Collection’s signature style, the atmosphere strikes a careful balance between polish and ease. Interiors are bold but inviting, with a generous amount of lighting, considered textures and views that pull your eye outward, toward the Atlantic on one side and the mountain backdrop on the other. It’s the kind of place that suits both out-of-town travellers and locals in search of a refined escape close to home.
The hotel’s social heartbeat is Script, the lobby cocktail bar, where drinks are treated as a form of storytelling. Each cocktail is designed as a ‘chapter’, inviting guests to engage with flavour, scent and mood rather than simply ordering and sipping. It’s immersive without being precious — the sort of spot you drop into for one drink and end up staying far longer than planned.
Up on the eighth floor sits Figo, the rooftop restaurant, delivering laidback luxury with a Mediterranean sensibility. Expect fresh semolina pasta made on site, wood and charcoal-fired dishes and unfussy coastal flavours that let good ingredients shine. An open kitchen and wooded oven bring a sense of theatre, while the wraparound views do most of the heavy lifting – especially at sunset, when the Atlantic Seaboard really earns its reputation.
When it’s time to slow down, The Cole’s wellness offering comes into its own. The Urban Spa includes a sauna, cold plunge pool, hot slab and a couple’s treatment room – ideal after a long walk on the promenade. Adjacent to the hotel is Boutique Marly at The Cole, home to 24 niche fashion and lifestyle brands specialising in resort wear, swimwear and accessories, making it dangerously easy to pack light and shop well.
Location is, of course, part of the appeal. With the Sea Point promenade just steps away, guests are perfectly placed to experience one of Cape Town’s most loved stretches of coastline – and to understand why the city continues to feature so prominently on global ‘best of’ lists for lifestyle, food and travel.
Credits
Images: Supplied
