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Cape Town Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers
Corner of Century Boulevard and Rialto Road, Century City
From R2 130 a night Phone 021 525 3888
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The Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers in Century City is a futuristic building and boasts a fancy-looking suspension bridge over the slow-moving waters next to Canal Walk.
I pull up to the parking entrance with my car, and the gentleman manning the boom gate is friendly and asks me if I want to valet the car. I decline, but it’s nice to know I could if I wanted to.
The lobby is as striking as you might expect, with brown finishes and a high ceiling. They have a lovely seating area with soft couches for you to enjoy a drink on, or rest while you wait for a taxi to pick you up, or if you’re just trying to hang somewhere other than your hotel room. The Great Room, as it is called, is a large lounge and is styled in a cosy and inviting manner with flowers on tables and soft brown colours used for the furnishings.
It’s my first night in Cape Town and the Marriott is as luxurious as any hotel you might find in the city basin. I check in and head to the third floor and I’m greeted by quite a surprise. The room is in darkness, lit only by purple accent lighting underneath the bed and along the ceiling. I’m a huge fan of mood lighting, and it looks mad cool.
I walk around the room trying to find the shower but have no luck. I’m bothered by this, because I need to shower before I head to an event hosted at the hotel. Near the door and close to the toilet and bath is a tube that’s also lit up with this purple neon light. I walk towards it and pull a knob on what turns out to be a door to a cylindrical-shaped shower. Very futuristic.
I attend the event and mention to a staff member in the lobby that I can’t find a TV in my room, just a remote. The staff member tells me that my TV is actually housed in the base of the bed.
I can’t believe it and so, as soon as the event is over, I head back up to check this out. Low and behold, as I hold down a button on a strange-looking black remote, a trap door grinds into motion and the flat screen smart TV slides up. The mechanism is slow-moving and if you lift your finger off the button the entire process stops, so the movement isn’t as smooth as I had expected. It’s still cool regardless – I’ve never slept on a bed that had purple neon lights underneath it and a TV stashed in its base.
It seems like all the rooms in the establishment are as well equipped as mine and quite spacious and I don’t feel like I’m staying in a hotel as much as I often do in hotels. (Just don’t ask me how I know what any of the other rooms look like – what happens in Cape Town stays there.)
The next morning brings with it the joys of Cyril’s load shedding. Now I must navigate my way back to my room in darkness as the hotel passages don’t have any windows. By the stairwell doors to each floor, staff members stand with torches ready to escort guests, provide them with water and profusely apologise. There’s something almost post-apocalyptic about it all, but I manage to find my way back to my room.
The staff at the Marriott handle the load shedding very well and it left me feeling like this establishment would be worth another visit.
I’m told the franchise wants to open a hotel in Johannesburg, so be sure to look out for that.
