Our Stay At 12 Apostles Cape Town: A Full Review

Planning a trip to South Africa? I’m sharing my full review of 12 Apostles Cape Town, including if it’s worth the price.

Our Stay At 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa In Cape Town

When we book travel, we take our hotel choices pretty seriously and do a ton of research on hotel locations, hotel reviews and what each property has to offer. For the first two nights of our trip to South Africa, we booked the 12 Apostles Cape Town, which is located directly on the water overlooking the ocean. 

The drive to get to the hotel from the airport is pretty scenic through some neighborhoods that feel like they are carved right out of the side of the mountain and then before you even feel like you’ve arrived – bam! The hotel just sort of pops right up out of nowhere and looks pretty unassuming from the outside. 

Our check-in process was really easy and they gave us some bubbly while they scanned passports and credit cards. Our room was ready right away and they had upgraded us to a 1-bedroom suite, which had two bathrooms and PLENTY of room for just two people. I will admit, the configuration of the rooms is a little funky based on bathroom set-up, but it’s not make or break.

The decor of the entire property is historic Africa meets quaint seaside bed-and-breakfast and features a gym that overlooks the ocean, conference rooms, two pools, two restaurants and my favorite — the Leopard Bar (featuring leopard carpet) that has an outdoor terrace for optimal sunset views!

What We Loved About 12 Apostles

The breakfast buffet at Azure is above-and-beyond what anyone could want to start their day. Bubbly, fresh oysters, made to order hot meals, fresh fruit as far as the eye can see and my personal favorite — cheese biscuits made fresh every morning. Goodness they were so good and a staple of Red Carnation Hotels from a recipe Bea Tollman (owner) made herself. 

The views are second to none. You will absolutely not find a better sunset spot in Cape Town! There is something almost magical about watching it sink below the skyline at the Leopard Bar or adjacent pool patio.

Lunch at the Cafe Grill is a MUST and I cannot recommend the avocado toast (made with wasabi – sounds weird, but trust me) and the vegetarian sushi. I am STILL dreaming about this epic meal and I would fly back to South Africa just  to have it again. 

Some Things We Didn’t Love

Our room was directly beside the pool, which was very convenient for lounging, but at night they never shut the lights off and the rope lighting shined directly through our windows despite us drawing the curtains. 

The walls are pretty thick, but we had some pretty rowdy neighbors who stayed on their balcony during what seemed like their entire stay. During the day we didn’t care, but one night they woke us up at 3AM, because they were laughing and screaming outside. We could hear their entire conversation word-for-word. Not the greatest, but it’s completely unavoidable as the guest balconies line up very close together. 

If given the option, we would definitely stay at 12 Apostles again + would recommend it for anyone traveling to Cape Town. It’s a great “outside the city” option and puts you in perfect proximity for visiting some of the most beautiful coastal towns and beaches!

Don’t miss Things To Know Before You Go To South Africa!