We may have stayed here on our very last night in Cape Town but I’m writing about it first because it is such a fantastic hotel that I couldn’t keep it quiet any longer.

When planning our trip which would involve lots of moving around, sightseeing and road tripping, staying in Airbnbs, guest houses, and all different types of accommodations, I wanted to find somewhere to stay on our last night that was a bit more luxurious and also somewhere that I knew would be a child friendly hotel in Cape Town. Somewhere with plush comfy beds, good food and cocktails, a pool; somewhere we could relax and rejuvenate for the last couple of days on what would have been an extremely adventurous trip.

Located in Bantry Bay, a beautiful beachy area between Sea Point and Camps Bay within a short driving distance to some of Cape Town’s main attractions, The President Hotel provided just that.

From the moment we arrived here we were made to feel like VIPs from being greeted in the car park to the super smiley reception staff who checked us in, and then being whisked up to our huge two bedroom family apartment on the top floor.

As soon as we stepped into the room the first thing we couldn’t help but notice was the amazingly thoughtful setup for an early treat for Evie’s 2^nd birthday which would be a couple of days later after we had returned home. Being able to celebrate it a little early here in Cape Town was so special as we knew we’d be too jet lagged and tired from the long flight to fully celebrate once we were back home.

She had been treated to a Peppa Pig gift bag (obviously the first thing she spotted with delightful cries of “Peppaaaa”!) with lots of exciting goodies inside, a zebra themed bamboo cutlery set which had been kindly set up with a highchair next to the dining table, and a big balloon with the number “2” on it.

A delicious looking birthday chocolate cake all personalised just for Evie (but which we gladly helped her eat), as well as cheese and crackers, fruit and nuts, cartons of juice and a bottle of wine for us grown-ups. It wasn’t even our birthday but we all felt thoroughly spoilt as well!

When we finally managed to tear our eyes away from all the exciting goodies and treats for long enough to notice the rest of the room, we realised how well suited the apartment is for a family. Two bedrooms opened off each side of the large kitchenette and lounge, plus two bathrooms and an additional toilet room which, as you can imagine, was pretty handy on a trip with four girls!

Wide floor to ceiling glass doors lead out from the lounge area onto a balcony which overlooked the pool below and panoramic views of the blue ocean behind the swaying palm trees. A wonderful spot for a sundowner in the evening or a coffee the next morning. Or to enjoy some of Evie’s delicious birthday cake!

We didn’t need a cot as we had enough beds for all of us, and in mine and Evie’s large king size room we found a unicorn cuddly toy on the bed which I decided was most definitely meant for me, not Evie, seeing as it hadn’t been left with the rest of her gifts. Yes, I cuddle it in bed every night at home with very happy memories of our stay here!  We had such a peaceful night’s sleep in here in the super soft comfy beds with blackout curtains which helped Evie sleep for longer.

Being able to see the pool from our balcony and bedroom windows had us wanting to get straight down there to relax so it’s where we spent the majority of our last day. The infinity pool overlooks the ocean and with the palm trees as a backdrop it felt like we were somewhere a lot more tropical than a big bustling city like Cape Town. Especially when I had a pinã colada in my hand!

If the kids get bored of the big pool or the adjoining children’s shallow pool (although I don’t know how they possibly could), there’s a playground area with a jungle gym and giant ball pit right next to the pool, so parents can keep an eye on them while lounging on the sunbeds sipping on a cocktail.  There’s a kids’ club, pizza making classes, extra fun activities during the holidays, and it looks like they organise some awesome children’s parties here too!

The President is so ridiculously child friendly that I couldn’t have asked for anything more when travelling with a little one. The staff were all so friendly and playful with Evie, making her smile and laugh constantly. They showered her with attention, gave her little treats and even took her into the kitchen while we were having dinner where the chefs all sang happy birthday to her! She’s never been a particularly shy child but she can sometimes be a little wary of new people but the staff here clearly made waves as she smiled at everyone, took staff members’ hands to lead them where she wanted to go and happily got lifted up into others’ arms. I saw her confidence really open up in just the two days that we were here and I completely put that down to how wonderful everyone was with her.

The buffet breakfast was the best we had on our trip with a huge range of variety including cereals, fruit, smoothies, cold meats and cheese, a hot food selection, fresh eggs, omelettes and pancakes, croissants, pastries, and scones with cream and jam. Scones for breakfast! Yes please! They even had Marmite and Peanut Butter which made me and my sister extremely happy after two weeks of being without either!

As it was our last night in South Africa we all wanted to eat dinner and enjoy our evening together, but for those who are after a rare child free evening, children’s meals from purees for babies to toddler meals, are available to order to the room and the hotel can arrange a babysitter.

The four of us however were treated to a wonderful dinner in The Islands Restaurant which had a lovely relaxed atmosphere but was also very welcoming to little ones (i.e. my slightly noisy crazy toddler!).  The food looked and tasted divine from the chicken, swordfish and risotto to Evie’s absolutely scrumptious mac and cheese.

It’s always the little extras and personal touches that make an accommodation stand out for me.  Aside from the amazing treats we’d already received, the apartment came with a Lavazza coffee machine, complimentary bottles of water, a mobile phone which we could use for local calls if needed and, not that we needed any extra sweet treats after all the cake, but little chocolates had also been left on our pillows.  Children are given a welcome pack as well as a bedtime treat of cookies and hot chocolate.  My favourite though was getting a mini virgin pinã colada for Evie when I ordered my own (non-virgin obviously) so she loved being the same as her mama with her own little cocktail!

I don’t think I’ve ever had such a warm welcome and such exceptional service during a hotel stay as well as somewhere that caters so wonderfully to the whole family. Everything about our stay here was just perfect. Although we really didn’t want to go home (like seriously didn’t want to go home – I actually cried when we left!), but we couldn’t have wished for a more perfect end to our amazing South African adventure.

Where’s the most family friendly hotel you’ve stayed?  What made it stand out from the rest?  Let me know in the comments below or at:

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Thank you to The President Hotel Cape Town who hosted our stay and gave us the most wonderful last night in South Africa!