Edition has opened its first hotel on African soil, and it has chosen a prime spot: Quay 7 on Cape Town's V&A Waterfront, inside the city's historic working harbour. The Cape Town Edition brings 142 rooms and suites to one of South Africa's most-visited precincts, joining a brand that already runs properties in London, Rome and beyond.
The building itself is a talking point. Architects Neri & Hu worked with local Cape Town firms on a low, warehouse-inspired form with pitched rooflines, echoing the harbour structures that once stood here. Six million bricks were laid by hand in shifting patterns — a detail that gives the facade a texture you won't find anywhere else. At the heart of the hotel sits The Drum, an open-top cylindrical space with a spiralling staircase leading to an outdoor viewing deck that unfolds views of Table Mountain, the Atlantic and the Waterfront below.
Rooms lean residential, with bespoke furniture, natural finishes and joinery nodding to 19th-century travel trunks. Rugs come from Shuttleworth Weaving in KwaZulu-Natal, and the art programme leans heavily on African makers: Zulu ukhamba vessels, recycled glass from Eswatini, and works curated by Southern Guild including photographs by Zanele Muholi and ceramics by Chuma Maweni.
Food and drink are a serious draw. Signature restaurant Shale sources from Cape farmers, fisheries and winemakers — think Saldanha Bay mussels in curry velouté with braised black rice — alongside a mostly South African wine list and in-house dry ageing. Up top, rooftop restaurant and bar EAVE sits beside the heated pool with Winelands-inspired small plates, sundowners and evening music. Ground-floor Punch Room revives the old Cape punch tradition with sharing bowls; the local Brandewijn mixes brandy, Pinotage, rooibos and winter spice. There's also a Lobby Bar styled like a Cape Town living room, complete with pool table.
Wellness gets unusual treatment: the spa sits below sea level, with five treatment rooms, a couples' suite, sauna, steam, infrared beds and Omorovicza products. A 24-hour gym and daily yoga, breathwork and sound baths run beside the rooftop pool. Events space includes a 200-person ballroom, boardroom, meeting studios and the rooftop Vantage venue.
For travellers, this adds a genuinely stylish, design-led option to a city short on luxury hotel openings, with dining worth booking even if you're not staying. Who's it for: design fans, food-led travellers and anyone combining the Waterfront with Winelands and peninsula trips.
