Alphen Hotel

Alphen Hotel Review

Built in the mid-1700s in Cape Dutch style, this former manor house is now a national monument and one of the Cape's historic treasures. The owners are descendants of the distinguished Cloete family, which has farmed the land around Constantia since 1750. Cloete paintings and antiques, each with a story to tell, adorn the public rooms. Rooms range in size from compact to rather large. A small drawback is the slight traffic noise from the nearby highway in rush hour, but a health-and-wellness center on the grounds just might help you forget about it. Only luxury rooms have air-conditioning. Many rooms have been recently updated bringing them up to par with 2010 stylings, including velvet couches and silver-leafed side tables. The Boer 'n' Brit bar is wonderfully atmospheric with its huge wood-burning fireplace, leather club chairs, and historic mementos. It's very popular with locals who come for a beer, to watch the Saturday afternoon rugby match, and enjoy pub fare like fried hake and chips. The elegant Cloete restaurant had a face-lift in July 2009, and the new menu is offering white tomato soup, salmon gravadlax, and roasted duck with duck spring rolls.