Built in the 1920s, this Cape Dutch-style hotel stands along Sea Point's apartment block-lined sea-facing stretch. Its location is its main feature: Across the road is the Atlantic Seaboard's lawn-lined Promenade, which is prime people-watching territory, with Capetonians coming out to walk, jog, and soak up the sun whenever the weather cooperates. The atmosphere in the hours leading up to sunset, and over the weekends, is electric. If you don't join the crowds, claim your perch on the terrace of the house restaurant, Harveys, and take in the scene as you sink cocktails with the regulars—Sundays are known for live jazz and extended brunches, although there's nothing remarkable about the food. The hotel is still family-owned and run on an intimate, friendly level, with rooms exuding just enough character to keep things interesting ("classic" quarters integrate modern design with old-fashioned elements like antiques and botanical artworks). If you opt for one of the great-value sea-facing junior suites, you'll also have views of the ocean as it hypnotically pounds the edge of the city.