The Portswood Hotel

Great location, spacious rooms and beautiful lobby and pool area.

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Ivwas on a short stay in Cap town - the PortsWood was the perfect location! Very close to the bus station and the VA Waterfront.

Could not be situated any better for access to V&A Waterfront and the Cape Peninsula in general. Highly recommend.

Disappointing and deeply unsettling experience at the Portswood Hotel My colleague and I travelled to Cape Town for work over the weekend and stayed at the PortsWood Hotel. I write this review with a heavy heart because what should have been a simple, comfortable work trip turned into an experience that left me feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, othered. My Japanese colleague had booked two standard rooms for us. When we arrived, she was informed that she could upgrade her room for one night and then move into a standard room the following day. She was then placed in the upgraded room on the fourth floor. However, I—her Black female colleague—was placed in Room 104 on the ground floor, which is a service-style room designated for disabled and elderly guests, with clear, un-tinted windows facing the ground level. The placement felt uncomfortable and exposed. Naturally, I began to wonder: what happened to the standard room that was originally booked for me? If my colleague could move into a standard room the following day, why was I immediately placed in a ground-floor accessibility room instead? To be clear, my discomfort was not because the room was designed for guests with disabilities. In fact, I have deep respect for accessibility. My concern was that this specialized room seemed to be given to me unnecessarily, while there are many elderly or differently abled guests who might genuinely need and benefit from such accommodation. What made the situation more troubling was that shortly after I raised my concerns, standard rooms suddenly became available. This naturally left me questioning why I was placed in that room in the first place. The staff and many of the guests were polite and pleasant, and I appreciate those individual interactions. Yet, as an African guest in South Africa, I could not shake the feeling that I had experienced a subtle form of microaggression. It was painful because I have rarely felt this kind of treatment in my own country. South Africa carries a very painful and violent history of racial profiling and segregation, and establishments operating in spaces as international and visible as the V&A Waterfront should be deeply conscious of the sensitivities around dignity, fairness, and perception. Instead, I was left feeling as though I had been quietly taught a lesson—that because I am Black, I could be placed in the least desirable room without explanation, while others were accommodated differently. Perhaps this was not intentional. But impact matters as much as intention. For a hotel of this standing, the lack of awareness and sensitivity around how such decisions are perceived is deeply disappointing and frankly deplorable. I truly hope management reflects on this experience and takes it seriously, because no guest—especially in a country with our history—should leave feeling diminished or questioning their dignity.

This hotel is in a great location for the waterfront. Room was compact with Beds super comfy and a great breakfast included. Also nice welcoming staff. We would return to this hotel due to location. Unfortunately there was a lot of door slamming at night by other guests. I would recommend taking ear plugs

A well appointed hotel with gym, pool, nice modern rooms and an excellent restaurant and staff. A relaxing place, walking distance to the harbour and all the activity. We would definitely stay there again.

Great location. Very accessible for the waterfront, especially as we discovered route via car park. Room was lovely, clean. Friendly helpful staff. Good breakfast