My partner and I booked Derwent from reviews on tripadvisor and so based on those we had high expectations. They were all surpassed. This was our first trip to South Africa and we stayed there for the first two days and final two days of our 16 day trip. During this time, we stayed in a variety of accommodation and Derwent delivered definitely the highest standard of service and the most fun. The hotel itself is lovely, well decorated, comfortable and relaxing. It wasn't warm enough to take advantage of the pool, but we made a dent in the honesty bar and the free cakes. The free provision of internet was handy for planning later parts of our trip. There was a good variety for breakfast - fresh fruits, yogurt, breads, cheeses, meats as well as cooked options to your taste.
The rooms were lovely, good facilities and a balcony, which in Summer I could certainly see myself sipping G&Ts on the terrace until the small hours. But what no doubt distinguished Derwent from other accommodation were Jo, Carol and the staff. They have achieved the delicate balance of being very helpful and responsive but not intrusive, of providing an intimate space but also privacy. They are a font of knowledge, particularly on restaurants and wines - they have obviously done a lot of personal research which is commendable. I have always hated that phrase - 'arrive as a guest, leave as a friend', it struck me as insincere but I've had to rethink.
We were lucky with the weather when in Cape Town and when we bid Carol and Jo farewell to head east, they were shortly heading north on their own holidays. We were not to know until our return visit that subsequent deluges in the Cape Town area meant cancelling their own holiday - had we known we would have taken them and their dogs with us.


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