Why settle for The Grand Budapest Hotel when you can stay at The Trade Boutique Hotel instead? Brian Berkman discovers a delightful hotel in the Cape Town CBD inspired by the set of the classic film.
Photo: Brian Berkman
Stepping into The Trade Boutique Hotel (Trade) on the Cape Town CBD’s Shortmarket Street is like stepping into a Wes Anderson dreamscape.
The film director behind such classic films as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel has, in recent years, expanded into creating interiors, such as those for the prestigious vintage Belmond British Pullman Train.
A triad of businesses have made Trade the success it is today. Rawson Developers, Bone Studio, and TPF Hospitality were inspired by Wes Anderson’s ethos: centre-framed shots, pastel and saturated colours, a storybook or diorama-like appearance, and signature costume looks.
In their homage to him, the team behind Trade and The Wes Bistro & Bar restaurant on the ground floor of the building, have created a witty and distinct hotel which is an absolute delight to stay in.
Morné Möller, a director of Rawson Developers, tells Farmer’s Weekly that Cape Town is “currently the only working city that has the potential to turn into an Amsterdam, London, or New York. We have taken it as our duty to assist the city to
get Cape Town CBD to that place by supporting the mayor to make Cape Town as good as all the international, well-known, and appreciated cities”.
He says that Trade is one of the best-located hotels in the Cape Town CBD, with all the amenities required for a boutique hotel, with a European feel to make tourists feel at home in ‘our’ home.
Nicola Orpen, co-owner of Bone Studio, was behind the design.
“We were approached by Rawson Developers to create a unique hotel concept that would work for both ‘aparthotel’ and boutique hotel requirements, which meant high functionality, but with personality enough to draw guests in,” she says.
According to Orpen, they weren’t trying to replicate any specific Wes Anderson movie, but more of his cinematic personality and style in their attention to set design, props, and saturation of colour, with pops of quirk and character.
“We drew inspiration from [Anderson’s] creative aesthetic and see the result as a respectful homage to the world he creates in his films,” she adds.
“Our concept for the building was Wes Anderson in Paris; a touch of old Hollywood glamour and frills meets eccentric quirks of character. We wanted you to feel like you were stepping onto a movie set, having a sense of adventure, but with home comforts. Externally, we wanted it to be a loud stamp onto Loop Street – painting the building in a reverse ombré of peach and coral tones to break what was previously a solid colour block of a building,” explains Orpen.
The writer can confirm that they have achieved their goals; it is a whimsical delight, and the rooftop bar (The Moon) and terrace is a particular pleasure.
Amenities and room details
With its wrought-iron furniture, awnings, and umbrellas with crenellated fabric, the rooftop feels chic but also very homely. And, for a little fun, the small rooftop swimming pool has ‘no skinny dipping before 9pm’ written in mosaic tiles.
There are ‘Press for Champagne’ bells on the rooftop and downstairs at The Wes restaurant. Some of the rooftop stone tables have chess or draughts boards in their design styled like Paris and New York’s parks.
Farmer’s Weekly stayed in a room with the bedroom separated from the sitting area by a large pane of glass. This optical illusion makes the room feel far larger when the blind that separates the two spaces is opened. The bedroom ceiling has moulded cornices, invoking an old-fashioned, more elegant period.
The kitchen is well equipped with self-catering items, including a large fridge and a Nespresso machine.
The bathroom, furnished in a classical style, with black-and-white floor tiles, brass sanitary ware, and an elegant pedestal basin, has a cute neon-green trolley unit on wheels, fitting neatly behind the bathroom door when not in use.
To ameliorate the noise from the city and nearby nightclubs, Trade has double-glazed windows, and they are actively working to further dampen outside noise by placing an additional layer of double glazing on the windows of the rooms nearest to noise sources.
There is only secured, off-site, parking in an adjacent building for a few cars, which is a significant drawback. An alternative (and cheaper option) is to park in Heritage Square about a block away and use Uber to get around.
Dining and extras
The Wes restaurant is independently operated and serves a good breakfast for hotel guests. The cold buffet includes a selection of juices, fruits, yoghurt, and cereal, as well as individual pots of overnight-soaked Bircher muesli. Hot options include the full English breakfast and omelettes.
When The Wes restaurant isn’t trading, the staff at the rooftop bar can assist with a limited menu. Trade general manager Chris de Villiers says they are currently investigating stocking a limited range of high-end frozen meals to be enjoyed in-room.
Currently, hotel guests skew 40% towards visitors from Europe and 60% from South Africa and other Southern African Development Community countries. In the first six months of business, Trade has, according to De Villiers, enjoyed high occupancy rates.
Unique touches
The ground-floor spa is called the Mendl Suite and offers massage, face, hands, and feet treatments. Fans of The Grand Budapest Hotel will recognise the spa’s name, which was taken from the pastry shop where the character Agatha worked.
Look out for the cleaning staff in their red tracksuits, à la The Royal Tenenbaums, and the in-room Field Guide, stylishly designed, contains recommended nearby restaurants and drinking spots. There’s an app, too.
For more information visit thetradehotel.co.za, email [email protected], or phone 076 334 0166 or 071 642 6150.
