Taj Hotel | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

The Germany versus England World Cup match deserved a very special venue, and my first choice was the Twankey Bar at the Taj Hotel. Luckily I called to check that it had a TV, only to be told that it would be closed due to a stocktake! My next choice was the Mount Nelson Hotel, and I felt I was stepping into the lions’ den (pardon the pun) in watching the match there. Luckily I had a fellow German supporter, and we were ecstatic with the 4-1 outcome, even if it should have been 4-2.

The Mount Nelson probably is the most English-style of all Cape Town’s 5-star hotels, and its security staff with their safari-style helmets salute as one drives in. A friendly front-of-house staff member took me through to the Lord Nelson Room, where the soccer matches can be viewed by the hotel’s guests. Nothing about the hotel exterior or inside gave one the feeling that the world’s largest sporting tournament was currently taking place in the city. The chairs and couches were set up in a U-shape in the room, and small side tables were set up with plates and serviettes, snacks like chips and nuts, a snack menu, and later even a child-like plate of sweets was put out on the tables. Having Rudi Liebenberg as the top chef at the hotel was not evident in what was served in the Lord Nelson Room.

The Lord Nelson Room has a Tudor design, with wood-clad walls and wooden beams on the ceiling. It looks old-fashioned, the beige couches interspersed with rose-fabric covered chairs, and the closed curtains gave it a dreary feel. I arrived an hour ahead of the match, and observed the barman set up his little bar (everything was brought in from another section of the hotel). I was not asked if I wanted to order at all, and had to ask for a cappuccino and some water. A misunderstanding was efficiently and charmingly sorted out by the hotel’s Guest Relations staff member Osnat Gropper.

The World Cup menu has a very small selection of food options: potato samoosas cost R40, Southern Fried Chicken R50, the Mount Nelson Club sandwich costs R85, spicy Thai style fish cakes cost R60, a Ground Beef Burger costs R90 (the Mount Nelson burger once was the most expensive in the city), “baby gem lettuce” (no idea what this could be) at R65, a snack platter for four costs R230 (but it is not specified what it consists of), and mushroom empanadas (the waiter had to find out that these were mushroom-filled pastry parcels). One can also order a snack plate of biltong, droe wors and spiced cashew nuts for R60. The empanadas were outstanding, four served piping hot, in a white bowl, without any attempt to make them look attractive, but were excellent value at R40, the best-tasting pub food on my World Cup journey to date.

The prices of the drinks are not printed on the bar menu, so the waiter had to write them down for me. One has no idea of what is available to order, as the bar seems to be hidden around a wall in the room. Amstel, Castle Lite, Castle, Hansa and Black Lable all cost R19, while Heineken and Peroni cost R22, prices which were on a par with the other pubs I have visited, a surprise, given one’s expectation that it would be far more expensive at the hotel.

For the Mount Nelson Hotel being a 5-star hotel, and having guests attending the TIME, Fortune, and CNN Global Forum possibly in the Lord Nelson Room watching the soccer, it seemed terribly amateurish – the waiter was desperate for business (the room never filled up completely), and begged guests to sit down, and saying that the sweets and snacks on the table were free; the lack of presentation of the food other than in a functional container; the complete lack of proactive service; lukewarm beer served, as it had not cooled down enough as it comes warm from somewhere else and was put on ice just before the match started. No Manager ever came into the Room to check on how things were going, except for the score! I definitely would not return for the World Cup viewing, but am tempted to try Chef Rudi’s special winter menu after the World Cup.

Mount Nelson Hotel, Orange Street, Tel 021 483-1000. www.mountnelson.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

South Africa is one of 31 destinations recommended for travel in 2010 by the New York Times on its site www.nytimes.com. The top five destinations are Sri Lanka, Patagonia Wine Country (San Patricio del Chavar), Seoul, Mysore in India, and Copenhagen.

“Waiting in the wings”, according to the article, as places to go to in 2010 are countries/cities which include Damascus, Antarctica, Leipzig, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Minorca, Costa Rica, Marrakesh, Bahia in Brazil, Kitzbuehl in Austria, Norway and South Africa.

South Africa made 22nd place on the list, and its selection is motivated by the Soccer World Cup taking place this year, and Cape Town is highlighted as the best city in the country. The full text motivating the selection of South Africa on the list follows:

“As host of the 2010 World Cup this summer, South Africa has gotten its game on with a flurry of new stadiums, new hotels and safari lodges. While soccer is being played across nine cities, much of the action off the field is taking place in Cape Town. Already known for its stunning beaches, mouthwatering cuisine and sophisticated night life, the city is welcoming high-end hotels, including the recently opened One & Only Cape Town and the forthcoming Taj Cape Town (www.tajhotels.com/capetown). Set to open this month, the Taj will have 166 rooms, many with views of Table Mountain. Also scheduled to open in Cape Town this year â€” but not in time for the World Cup â€” is the second branch of the nascent Missoni Hotels group (the first property opened in Edinburghlast year, with future outposts planned for Kuwait, Brazil and Oman). Between matches, there’s plenty of time to go on a safari. If money is no object, check out the Ulusaba (www.ulusaba.virgin.com), a private game reserve that’s part of Richard Branson‘s collection of luxury vacation properties. It has opened the new Cliff Lodge, with private swimming pools and spectacular views of the bush. Prices start at 13,800 South African rand (around $1,878 at 7.35 rand to the dollar) a night for two.”