Cape Town<\/a>, trendy Camps Bay is really where you want to be; it\u2019s essentially the Copacabana of the city, with the Twelve Apostles standing in for Sugarloaf Mountain, and palm trees waving gently in the ocean breeze. The area attracts a well-heeled European and South African clientele, reflected in the hotel\u2019s mix of guests, which includes smartly dressed families, hip young duos and chic older couples.<\/p>\nInside, interesting and unusual decor dominates. The atrium features a showpiece sofa shaped like the infinity sign, and playful brass and handspun wool chairs by Egg Designs, while the library room\u2019s backlit shelves are stacked with Assouline coffee table books and various objets d\u2019art. Award-winning interior designer Tristan du Plessis has collaborated with local artists to decorate the public and private spaces; an eye-catching canvas by visual artist WonderBuhle hangs by the reception desk, while statement lighting includes a bespoke, sculptural chandelier by multidisciplinary designer\u00a0Jan Ernst.<\/p>\n
A tactile, ice-white staircase links all five floors, with the spa and gym located on the first level, and the outdoor pool on level two; here, the curved teak sun-loungers and cream chairs and sofas have an Art Deco feel. Spot small, sensual details, from the etched, timber-clad walls in the lobby, to the smooth, striped, sage-green marble that forms the fireplace by the pool bar and the painted mural lining the back wall of Omri. Throughout, seaside blues, forest greens and neutral sand tones pleasingly reflect the colours just outside the hotel.<\/p>\n
The backstory<\/p>\n
Built on the site of a former, rather dated, apart-hotel, Morea House \u2013 named for a local flower \u2013 is the first hospitality project by private owners who wanted to create a luxury hotel with a coastal, nature-focused vibe. It occupies a prime position on Victoria Road, and comes under the auspices of Autograph by Marriott.<\/p>\n
Rooms and suites<\/p>\n
There are 90, spread throughout the upper four floors. Some have an oceanfront view, some face towards the mountains, but all follow a similar, tasteful design aesthetic: pale, stone-coloured walls, blond wood flooring and light, marble-clad bathrooms. There are occasional, more individual, details; rooms feature \u2018deconstructed\u2019 wall-hangings by local fine artist Julia Pepler, while the four Morea Signature suites are hung with striking portraits by Nigerian photographer Lakin Ogunbanwo. Vast, comfortable beds, bergamot-and-mint-scented toiletries by Italian natural skincare brand, Team Dr Joseph, and smart, Netflix-enabled televisions make the accommodation a soothing pleasure to return to after a day out.<\/p>\n
The area<\/p>\n
Victoria Road functions as a beach promenade by day, and de facto catwalk by night, as locals and visitors get dressed up to drink Babylonstoren ros\u00e9 or spicy margarita sundowners at upmarket, seafront facing bars such as Caf\u00e9 Caprice or Chinchilla. If you\u2019re stuck for something to wear, or want to stock up on swimsuits, there are several designer stores to choose from, from Boutique Marly to Pink Protea. Beyond Camps Bay is a variety of smaller, yet still picturesque, stretches of sand, including Clifton beach and the aptly named Bali beach.<\/p>\n
The service<\/p>\n
Polished, professional and attentive.<\/p>\n
Food and drink<\/p>\n
Omri is a welcome addition to Camps Bay\u2019s restaurant scene. With an expansive outdoor terrace, it\u2019s not only atmospheric by night but also fantastic for people-watching. The food here is in a class of its own, its Lebanese menu honouring the heritage of one of the hotel\u2019s owners and helmed by highly skilled, fellow countryman Joe Estello. Smoky grilled meats pair with delicious dips from muhammara to baba ganoush, accompanied by piles of puffy pita bread. The salt-baked whole fish is a standout, and the likes of fattoush and tabbouleh salads make welcome additions, as good as anything you\u2019ll find on London\u2019s Edgware Road. Similar flavours drift into the more casual menu at the pool bar, which pairs crowd-pleasers such as club sandwiches and gourmet burgers with chicken tawouk or kofte wraps.<\/p>\n
Wellness<\/p>\n
Given its proximity to the Atlantic, it\u2019s no surprise that cold water therapy forms part of the hotel\u2019s wellness ethos. On arrival, guests are supplied with a hand-drawn map of the surrounding area detailing the best places to take a cold plunge, from local lidos to tidal pools. Before any treatment in the small-but-sleek spa (all raw plaster walls and stone herringbone tiles), it\u2019s recommended that you alternate between the sauna and the jade-green-tiled cold plunge pool. A range of signature treatments includes the Morea Ocean Radiance, which combines a thorough massage with a reviving facial using flowing techniques and gua sha in conjunction with Parisian-based brand, Biologique Recherche, as well as Team Dr Joseph. Next door, the 24-hour gym is kitted with Matrix equipment; you\u2019ll find everything you need from hand weights to cross-trainers, treadmills, rowing machines and exercise bikes.<\/p>\n
For families<\/p>\n
Some of the rooms can be inter-connected, and children are not just tolerated but welcomed. On arrival, they\u2019re gifted a small furry toy, like a hippo or giraffe, and provided with colouring books and pencils. There are also children\u2019s menus available at both restaurants and babysitting services available, should parents want the evening off.<\/p>\n
Eco effort<\/p>\n
The majority of ingredients are locally sourced, toiletries are stocked in refillable bottles, and there are no single-use plastics. As part of Marriott International, the company\u2019s recent sustainability goals include a 30% reduction in carbon intensity, a 15% reduction in water intensity, and a 45% reduction in waste to landfill.<\/p>\n
Accessibility<\/p>\n
Four adapted rooms contain lowered sinks, raised toilets, roll-in showers and grab rails. There are also wheelchair-accessible entrances and elevators.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why book? For proximity to the ocean and mountains. Morea House is mere steps from the Blue Flag-certified…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80,514],"class_list":{"0":"post-408465","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-technology","11":"tag-web"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}