The Ritz hotel in the vibrant Cape Town suburb of Sea Point Re-imagined.

After a R120-million rejuvenation project, The Ritz hotel in the vibrant Cape Town suburb of Sea Point is ready to welcome locals and tourists to what is now the most glamorous urban resort in the Mother City. An icon of the city’s skyline since the early 1970s, over the decades this once-stylish address slowly lost its lustre until in 2016, the Ritz Hotel Management Company (Pty) Ltd saw an opportunity to revitalise – and reimagine – this faded star of the Atlantic Seaboard and bring it back to beauty.

Last night I joined a relaxed gathering of media and friends at The Ritz Hotel for a tour of the grand old dame, who is now ready to welcome the world to join her in her new era.

The rooms are gorgeous and all have a sea view, the entrance celebrates Wanderlust in neon light and the wallpaper will have you wanting to redecorate. We enjoyed a delicious dinner on the first floor in the glamorous resort style CASA Restaurant and Cabanas with views towards the pool and loungers. Exciting that the top floor revolving restaurant will be opening next week.

The Ritz Hotel Returned to Glory

“It’s a beautiful piece of local architecture that desperately needed a new lease on life. We had a very clear vision of what we wanted to create, and what Cape Town needed,” says, Lisa Carey, Marketing & PR Manager for The Ritz. RHMC identified a gap in the market for an international-grade hotel that would marry a contemporary design aesthetic with world-class service: “We are not creating a quirky boutique property or a stiff five-star hotel. We want to cater for that beautiful niche in the middle. We wanted to take luxury and design, and make it accessible”, Carey comments further.

Accessible luxury with a sensorial appeal is a thread that runs throughout The Ritz and the décor is only half the allure of a stay at The Ritz. Unique for a hotel in Cape Town, each and every room boasts panoramic views of both the city and sparkling Atlantic Ocean.

But far and away the finest views in the city are to be found at the very top on the 21^st and 22^nd floors and in the hotel’s flagship restaurant on the 23^rd floor. The Ritz has long been famous for its revolving restaurant – the only one of its kind in the Western Cape – and 2017/2018 is set to restore its reputation as one of the most sought-after refined dining destinations in the city.

While those upper floors will enchant in the evening hours, during the day it’s down on the humming first floor that locals and travellers are set to find their home away from home. CASA Restaurant & Cabanas brings a touch of Miami South Beach glamour to Sea Point, with all day al fresco dining that ranges from brasserie-classics to sushi and wood-fired pizza.

This grand dame of the Atlantic Seaboard has certainly seen a lot since the doors first opened in 1971. Now, after a multi-million-rand revamp, this icon of the Mother City is once again ready to take its rightful place on the roster of world-class South African hotels. Hello Cape Town, The Ritz is back and she’s ready to play.

The Essential Details

The Ritz re-opened on 15 December 2017. For bookings accommodation and restaurant bookings email: reservations@theritzcapetown.co.za. For more information about The Ritz visit: www.theritz.co.za. With thanks to Manley Communications for hosting me last night. Do contact them for any press queries. NOTE: Top and room pics supplied.

With Ian Manley and Keith Bain, editor at Kulula’s Khuluma magazine.

AN UPDATE: The Ritz has since closed down in late 2018, pending word.