Cloud nine: A state of euphoria, blissful happiness. It seems we’re all chasing this high more than ever after the unprecedented year South Africans have experienced.
If you’re needing a break from the chaos of life, look no further than your own city. Cloud 9 Boutique Hotel, located in the heart of Kloofnek road, is an inner-city oasis designed to offer you optimal relaxation.
This 55-room luxury boutique hotel and spa joins the former Leeuwenvoet House guesthouse with three other heritage properties, beautifully blending traditional and cultural design.
Walking into the air-conditioned hallway of Cloud 9 is a welcome break from the bustling Kloofnek road. Your senses are greeted with luxurious decor in rich tones of green, orange and purple, and a large-scale plant wall brings life to the indoor space.
The rooms at Cloud 9 are all furnished with modern amenities like a Nespresso machine, Ultra HD TV with an extensive channel selection, air conditioning, a fridge and complimentary high-speed fibre Wi-Fi.
If you’re lucky enough to have a room with a balcony, you simply must spend your morning with a cup of coffee in hand to take in the view of Table Mountain.
Of course, a hotel stay is not complete without a relaxing spa treatment. Luckily, the Deluxe Laser and Spa is just a few steps away on the ground floor. Book a deep tissue massage and feel your worries melt away as the expert masseuse works out your body’s tension.
Stress gone, it’s now time to hit the water. Cloud 9 offers a plunge pool for visitors and a heated pool for hotel guests, so you have your pick depending on the view you want that day.
If swimming isn’t your thing, you can also grab a refreshing cocktail and enjoy sundowners at the Mountain Club Restaurant, a spectacular double-level rooftop restaurant atop the hotel. With 360-degree views of the city, it’s a sight that’s hard to beat.
While you’re here, you may as well sit down for a delicious dinner at the restaurant. The Mountain Club offers a comprehensive menu that appeals to a number of tastes, with breakfast, tapas, sushi and full dinner and dessert options.
The tapas were a true delight. Do yourself a favour and order the prawns with chilli, garlic, pickled ginger, and avocado herb salad. The prawns are delicate and flavourful, and the sauce is so good you’ll end up dipping your side order of fries in it to keep savouring the flavours.
Speaking of fries, these come topped with Grano Padano and truffle oil to add a touch of luxury.
We stuck with the seafood theme and also ordered the grilled calamari smoked paprika aioli, which will leave you wanting to lick your plate clean. Salmon California rolls rounded out this delectable dinner experience.
If you’ve got a big appetite you can opt for mains like cauliflower steak served with chickpea puree, cauliflower chips and roasted summer vegetables, or the blackened chicken bowl with hummus, avocado and roasted summer vegetables.
Meat-lovers will enjoy the grain-fed beef fillet served with a truffle exotic mushroom ragout, polenta fries with Grano Padano. There is also the option of feasting on a springbok loin with baby buttered vegetables, parsnip puree and green peppercorn crême. Fresh line fish with herb buttered potato puree, olive tapenade, caper berry and slow-roasted tomato buerre blanc completes the main menu.
The menu is complemented by an extensive wine list offering anything and everything alcoholic, from MCCs to spirits.
After a meal like that, there is nothing better than a comfortable bed. Luckily, the hotel’s king-sized bed was more than accommodating. End your night by sinking into the plush pillows and dream the night away on Cloud 9.
Visit the Cloud 9 Hotel website HERE, and to book a stay, click HERE.
Picture/s: Kirsten Jacobs