Arriving dusty and tired from a road trip across the Karoo desert at the grand entrance of the One&Only, we were unprepared for the ambush of six impeccably smart valets in leopard print waistcoats who opened all four car doors simultaneously, causing suitcases, bottles of sun tan lotion and half-eaten sandwiches to tumble embarrassingly out. The valets, charm personified, did an excellent job of hiding their amusement as achingly chic hotel residents looked on. Stepping inside, the entrance is designed to pack a punch, with a giant circular cocktail bar framed by a huge glass façade, while a black infinity pool glitters seductively in the distance.
The One&Only is situated on a prime piece of real estate, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, one of the city's oldest and prettiest spots, in a complex that contains some of the most prestigious addresses in Africa. Capetonians are a car-addicted lot but the Waterfront has an almost European feel and people populate the area until late at night. For a few dirhams a water taxi will take you through the docks and up town. The hotel suffers a slight inferiority complex in comparison with the Radisson Waterfront which took the oceanfront spot - but works hard to make up for it with superb views of Table Mountain.
As with any new hotel there was a sense of staff still settling in, with some a touch overzealous and anxious to please - yet all went out of their way to help. There was a barely perceptible hierarchy of guests - a celebrity and other VIPs notably received more attention than other residents as they were ushered to top tables - but it wasn't unpleasant.
We stayed in a junior suite on the island: 37 square metres of unadulterated luxury with carpets so soft they sent toes to sleep, a deliciously deep, enveloping mattress and a dreamy shower. The hotel strives to appeal to business and leisure travellers, although the "modern African" design brief has a predominantly business, slightly impersonal feel. An adjoining room cleverly gives the option of a family suite. A Nespresso coffee machine, sumptuous toiletries and speedy, reasonably priced room service made it a chore to leave.
The hotel is patently excited about being the first in Cape Town to host celebrity restaurants, boasting a Nobu, the Japanese restaurant also found in London, and Maze, a Gordon Ramsay creation. Our dinner at Maze was the culinary highlight of the holiday: shucking huge fresh Namibian oysters (15 dirhams per piece) and chomping our way through Wagu fillet steak - cows are fed a special diet to achieve knife-through-butter tenderness but it comes at a price: expect to pay an eye watering US$102 (Dh376) for 200g. Breakfast was a lavish affair, serving everything from healthy fruit concoctions to piles of waffles with bacon and maple syrup.
It's still early days but it seems the One&Only is succeeding in its ambition to attract Cape Town's hippest and smartest. The self-consciously hip 'Evolution Bar' serves cocktails in their past, present and future incarnations - a Bloody Mary with biltong (dried meat) flavour vodka, anyone? Judging by the excitement that greeted the hotel's opening six months ago ? the biggest gathering of celebrities ever on the African continent, attended by Nelson Mandela himself - native South African Sol Kerzner's decision to site a property here has the town buzzing.
More reasons not to leave the hotel - an on-site French patisserie offers an excellent selection of macaroons, éclairs and tartelettes for afternoon tea - not something you'd find easily elsewhere in Cape Town - while a quirky art gallery shows off the talents of an edgy collection of contemporary native artists. The genius wine 'cellar' - a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass containing 5,000 bottles of wine from the local vineyards of Stellenbosch, and the patient, friendly sommeliers, made our meal. Unusually, you can order almost any wine by the glass, elevating an already delicious meal into a Bacchanalian feast. A two-hour spa treatment with native South African seaweed and hot stones ($206; Dh755) sent me swooning into the depths of relaxation.
For a hotel that makes much of its design credentials, form is sometimes revered at the expense of function - there were several beautiful, but ill-thought-out designs. The free-standing bath's curves turned out to be wholly uncomfortable; ask for a bath pillow. Also, the spa and gym are in different buildings - making for a sweaty walk through the ubertrendy bar to shower after a workout.
An artificial island resort can feel slightly odd in the heart of a city. Yet for sheer comfort and its stellar location the One&Only makes an excellent base for pampering and relaxation - just make sure your itinerary's not too ambitious.
Double rooms cost from $779 (Dh2,861) per night. An Island Junior Suite costs from $908 (Dh3,335). Both prices include breakfast and taxes.
The One&Only Cape Town, Dock Road, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (www.oneandonlyresorts.com, 0027 021 431 5250).
travel@thenational.ae
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Read more about the coronavirus
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
