One&Only Cape Town Review: The V&A Waterfront's Island Resort

Location & Setting: Dock Road, V&A Waterfront

One&Only Cape Town sits on Dock Road at the V&A Waterfront, with its own stretch of marina and a private island at the heart of the property. You are a short, flat walk from the main Waterfront shopping and restaurants, the Zeitz MOCAA contemporary art museum and the Two Oceans Aquarium, and roughly twenty to twenty-five minutes by road from Cape Town International Airport outside peak traffic.

For a visitor, the position does two things at once. It puts the whole Waterfront on your doorstep, and it gives you water and mountain in every direction — the marina in front of the main building, the landscaped island in the middle, and Table Mountain, Lion's Head and Signal Hill filling the skyline behind the city. The City Bowl, the Atlantic Seaboard beaches at Clifton and Camps Bay, and the start of the Cape Peninsula drive are all a short hop away.

The position puts you within easy reach of:

• The V&A Waterfront — shopping, restaurants, the Zeitz MOCAA and harbour cruises, all on foot
• Table Mountain and the cableway — around fifteen minutes by car, best gone to early before the cloud settles on the top
• The Atlantic Seaboard — Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay beaches a short drive down the coast
• The Cape Winelands and the Peninsula — Stellenbosch and Franschhoek under an hour out, Cape Point a half-day loop

The Resort: Marina Rise and the Private Island

What sets One&Only Cape Town apart from every other hotel on the Waterfront is its shape. This is a true resort laid out across two parts, joined by a footbridge over the water, and understanding the split is the single most useful thing before you book.

On one side is Marina Rise, the seven-storey crescent building that holds 91 of the rooms and suites. Its rooms look out over the marina and the harbour to the mountains, and it is where the main lobby, the Vista Bar and most of the dining sit. On the other side, reached across the bridge, is the private island — a landscaped garden ringed by 40 suites, with the resort's infinity pool, the sun deck and the spa. The island is the quieter, more secluded half; the Marina Rise side is closer to the lobby and the walk into the Waterfront.

The resort opened in 2009 under Kerzner International, and it has been kept up to the standard that name carries. The feel is warm and contemporary rather than old-world grand — timber, stone, soft neutral tones and a lot of natural light, with the water never far from view.

The Rooms & Suites: Where You'll Actually Stay

The resort has 131 rooms and suites in total. They share the same design language — generous proportions, warm neutral palettes, Nespresso machines, egg-shaped soaking tubs, rain showers and dual marble vanities — but the outlook and the mood change a great deal between the two sides.

Marina Rooms

The entry rooms are the Marina Rooms, from 63 square metres — among the largest standard rooms you will find in Cape Town, and most come with a balcony looking over the marina to Table Mountain, Signal Hill or the harbour. These are the rooms most couples and business travellers will book, and they already feel well above a standard five-star.

• Best for couples and solo travellers wanting a smart base on the water, close to the lobby and the walk into the Waterfront
• From about R15,000 per room per night, indicative

Island Suites

Across the bridge, the Island suites start from 73 square metres at the water's edge, ringing the infinity pool and the gardens. These are the pick for anyone wanting the quieter, more private half of the resort, with the pool and spa a few steps away. The One-Bedroom Island Suite runs to about 115 square metres and the Island Grand to 181, with the larger two-bedroom suites reaching up to 254 for families.

• Best for honeymoons, longer stays and anyone wanting seclusion and the pool on their doorstep
• Rates on request by suite and season

The Table Mountain & Presidential Suites

At the top sit the signature suites. The Table Mountain Suite has a large private terrace and a twelve-seat dining table built for entertaining, with the mountain laid out in front of it. The Presidential Suite adds a private kitchen and the space for a family or group wanting an apartment with full resort service behind it. There are also larger Marina suites — the One-Bedroom Marina Suite at about 123 square metres and the Marina Grand at 155 — for those who want the space without crossing to the island.

• Best for families, groups and milestone stays
• Rates on request

‹ › ROOMS & SUITES

Marina Rooms over the harbour, island suites at the water's edge, marble bathrooms throughout. Swipe through.

The Island Pool, Spa & Wellness

The island is where the resort earns its name. The infinity pool runs along its edge, ringed by a palm-lined sun deck and cabanas, with the water and the mountains around it — the kind of place you settle into after a day on your feet and do not rush to leave. It is a genuine resort pool in the middle of the city, which is close to unheard of on the Waterfront.

The One&Only Spa sits on its own part of the island, with twelve treatment rooms including couples' villas, a relaxation room, a sauna and a steam room, and a salon. There is a fitness centre with a yoga and Pilates studio for anyone keeping a routine on the road. And for families, the KidsOnly club gives children a supervised space of their own, which makes this one of the few hotels at the top of the Cape market that genuinely works with young children in tow.

‹ › POOL, SPA & WELLNESS

The island infinity pool and the twelve-room spa, both a short walk across the bridge. Swipe through.

Dining & Bars

Dining is one of the real reasons to book here, and you can cover the whole day without leaving the resort.

• Nobu — the only Nobu in Southern Africa, the Japanese-Peruvian kitchen founded by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, and the headline table most guests book at least once
• ROOI — South African fire-and-grill cooking built around local produce and wine, the room for a relaxed dinner close to the lobby
• Isola — al fresco Mediterranean dining by the pool, the easy choice for a long lunch in the sun
• Vista Bar & Lounge — cocktails, afternoon tea and a glass at sunset, with Table Mountain in front of you

Nobu is the one to book ahead, especially on a weekend. For a first night, a drink at Vista as the light goes off the mountain, then dinner at ROOI, is the easy way to settle in.

‹ › DINING & BARS

Nobu, the ROOI grill, poolside Isola and the Vista Bar under the mountain. Swipe through.

Pricing & Value Analysis

Comparative Value

• vs. the newer Waterfront hotels: The newest openings on the Waterfront give you the latest room in town. One&Only answers with something they cannot — a true resort layout, a private island, a proper infinity pool and a spa of twelve rooms, all in the middle of the city. On rate it sits right alongside them.
• vs. an Atlantic Seaboard villa: A Camps Bay or Clifton villa gives you space and privacy but none of the service, dining or wellness of a full resort. One&Only is the choice when you want everything handled, Nobu downstairs and the Waterfront on your doorstep.
• vs. a city-centre five-star: A City Bowl hotel can be a little cheaper and closer to the restaurants of Bree and Kloof streets, but you give up the water, the island pool and the resort feel. One&Only is the pick when the setting is the point.

The Value Proposition: You are paying for the one hotel on the Waterfront that feels like a resort rather than a tower — island, pool, spa and Nobu, with the whole Waterfront outside. For a honeymoon, a family trip, or a few polished nights on either side of a safari, that is a strong proposition, as long as you match the right side of the resort to how you want the stay to feel.

What Could Be Better: Honest Critiques

In fairness, here is where One&Only will not suit everyone.

1. The Rate Is at the Top of the Market

This is one of the most expensive hotels in Cape Town, and the headline room rate is only the start — Nobu, drinks and the spa add up quickly. It is superb value for what it is; it is not a place to book if the budget is tight. We will always tell you honestly when a quieter five-star gives you more of your money back.

2. It Is a Large Resort, Not a Hideaway

With 131 rooms and suites, four places to eat and drink, a pool, a spa and a kids' club, this is a lively full-service resort. If your idea of luxury is eight suites and total quiet, a small boutique house or a bush lodge will suit you better. The island side is calmer than Marina Rise, but this is still a busy hotel by design.

3. It Is a City Resort, Not a Safari

Guests sometimes expect wildlife from a resort this green and this grand. It is an urban harbour address. The safari is a flight away in the Kruger, the Eastern Cape or further north — which is exactly the trip we build around a stay like this. Treat One&Only as the city bookend, not the bush.

4. It Is Not the Newest Room in Town

The resort opened in 2009 and has been kept to a high standard, but a run of brand-new hotels has since arrived on the Waterfront. If being first into the newest building matters to you, weigh that up. If a proven resort with an island and a pool matters more, One&Only still has something the newcomers do not.

Who Should Book One&Only Cape Town?

Practical Booking & Visit Information

Best Time to Visit

• Summer (Nov–Mar): Cape Town's peak — long, warm days for the beaches, the Peninsula and the island pool, and the busiest, priciest window. Book well ahead.
• Autumn (Apr–May): Our pick — warm, settled weather, fewer crowds and softer rates, with the mountain often at its clearest.
• Winter (Jun–Aug): Cooler and wetter, but the quietest and best-value time, and the spa and Vista afternoon tea come into their own.
• Spring (Sep–Oct): Wildflowers in the wider Cape, whales off the coast and rising but not yet peak demand.

Getting There

• By air: Cape Town International Airport is about twenty to twenty-five minutes by road outside peak traffic; we arrange a private transfer straight to Dock Road.
• On foot: The main V&A Waterfront, the Zeitz MOCAA and the aquarium are a short, flat walk.
• Around the Cape: We pair the resort with a private guide and vehicle for Table Mountain, the Peninsula, the Winelands and the beaches.

Good to Know

• The resort is split across Marina Rise and the private island — tell us how you want the stay to feel and we will place you on the right side
• Rooms include Nespresso machines, egg-shaped soaking tubs and rain showers; most Marina Rooms carry a balcony
• Nobu books up on weekends — reserve ahead
• The KidsOnly club makes this a strong choice for families at the top of the market

Sample Cape Town & Safari Journeys

Most people put One&Only at the start or end of a bigger Cape and safari trip. The sample journeys below are the ones we build most often around a stay here. Prices are per person and indicative; the exact figure depends on the room, the season and your party. We tailor every one of them, so treat these as a starting point rather than a fixed menu.

Want one of these costed for your dates and party? Send us an enquiry or WhatsApp +27 78 471 4852 and we will come back with a firm quote and the right room for your stay.

A note on the images: the photographs on this page illustrate the style and standard of the resort rather than specific named rooms or restaurants. We update our reviews with our own photographs as we visit.