About This Property
Abbey Manor is a nine-room luxury guesthouse in Oranjezicht, on the slopes of Table Mountain. The house was built in 1905 for David Edward McConnell, a British director of the Union-Castle shipping line, and named after a manor at Bisham from his youth. It was converted to a guesthouse in 2004.
Go2Africa still sells the restored listed building for its high ceilings, bay windows, ornate fireplace, and views of the city and Table Bay in front and the mountain behind. Official rooms are Grand and Luxury — nine individually decorated rooms in total.
Grand Rooms are spacious suites, each with a unique feature such as a balcony, a private garden or a free-standing bathtub with a view. Luxury Rooms are a smaller, individually styled retreat. Directories agree on air-conditioning, en-suite bathrooms, DStv, minibar, tea and coffee, safe, hairdryer and bathrobes. There is no lift.
Start the day with a cooked breakfast in the breakfast room or on the terrace (included). There is no restaurant for lunch or dinner — Kloof Street is the published walk for that. Sit in the library by the fire, in the upstairs lounge, or on the rooftop terrace.
The swimming pool is sheltered and heated. Go2Africa names a spa bath on the top balcony and a free wireless network, with a laptop on loan if you need one. A night manager lives on the premises.
This is a City Bowl guesthouse, not a Waterfront hotel and not a safari lodge. You come for a quiet street under the mountain, a small house, and Cape Town on a 10-minute drive or a 15-minute walk. Table Mountain National Park is behind the house.
Why We Love It
We like Abbey Manor because it is still a house. Nine rooms in a 1905 manor on Montrose Avenue, Oranjezicht, with Table Mountain behind you and the city and bay in front — and Kloof Street as the restaurant, not a hotel dining room.
Go2Africa still names Judy as hostess, and the guest notes on that page keep coming back to the same thing: someone at the desk who books the table and tells you when the cableway is closed. A night manager lives on the premises, which is why the About page can say check-in is 24 hours even though the terms print 14:00.
We also like the outdoor kit on a small footprint: a sheltered heated pool, a rooftop terrace, a library fire. It is not the V&A. It is a quiet suburb under the mountain, a 10-minute drive to the Waterfront and the beaches, and that is the point.
Rooms & Details
Grand Room
A spacious suite sleeping two. Each Grand Room has its own feature — a balcony, a private garden or a free-standing bath with a view — and an en-suite bathroom with a separate tub and shower. Air-conditioning, DStv, minibar, tea and coffee, a safe, bathrobes and a sitting area are on the directory kit.
Luxury Room
A smaller, individually styled room sleeping two, mixing original 1905 details with contemporary finishes. Views look to Table Mountain or the city. The same in-room kit as the Grand Rooms: air-conditioning, DStv, minibar, tea and coffee, and an en-suite bathroom.
Heated Pool & Garden
The swimming pool is sheltered and heated, set in a small pool garden on the manor grounds. It is the outdoor pause between city outings — not a resort deck.
Library & Lounge
A library with a fireplace and an upstairs lounge sit inside the house. Go2Africa names a bar in the downstairs lounge (guest notes call it an honesty bar). There is no lift.
Breakfast Room
Cooked breakfast is included, served in the breakfast room or on the terrace. There is no restaurant for lunch or dinner — Kloof Street is the published walk for that.
Amenities & Features
Cancellation Policy
Official Abbey Manor terms (December 2021 PDF): more than 10 days from arrival — no cancellation fee; less than 10 days — 50%; 1 day or less / no-shows — 100%. Refunds are subject to rooms being resold. Confirm current terms when you book — the PDF is dated 2021.
Photo Gallery
Rates
Prices start from $100 per night. Final pricing depends on season, room type, and availability. Check current rates on our booking partner's site for the most accurate pricing.
What's Included
- Breakfast (cooked breakfast included; breakfast room or terrace)
- Cooked breakfast in the breakfast room or on the terrace (included on the bed-and-breakfast rate)
- Heated, sheltered swimming pool and pool garden
- Rooftop terrace with Table Mountain and city views; spa bath on the top balcony (Go2Africa)
- Library with fireplace and upstairs lounge
- Bar (Go2Africa facilities; employee notes name an honesty bar in the downstairs lounge)
- Free Wi-Fi throughout; laptop on loan if needed (Go2Africa)
- Host recommendations and restaurant reservations (Go2Africa names Judy as hostess)
- Night manager on the premises for late or early arrivals
Bed and breakfast is the published Go2Africa and official base (cooked breakfast in the breakfast room or on the terrace; 15% VAT on the official terms). Lunch and dinner are not served — the house points guests to nearby restaurants, including Kloof Street. Drinks at the bar, laundry, airport transfers and most tours are extra. Free Wi-Fi throughout; heated pool, rooftop terrace, library and lounge are part of the stay.
Location
How to Get There
From Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
Go2Africa names Cape Town International as the nearest airport. Agoda lists about 17.7 km. Official site: the area is Uber-serviced. Directory directions (places.co.za): take the N2 towards Cape Town, join De Waal Drive as you approach the mountain, take the Gardens / Cableway fork, at the second traffic light turn left into Upper Orange Street, then right into Montrose Avenue at Carlucci’s deli; Abbey Manor is the third house on the left. Airport transfers are listed as available on SA-Venues (extra — confirm with the house).
From Cape Town CBD and Kloof Street
Go2Africa: a 15-minute walk or a two-minute drive from the city centre. Official site: easy walking distance to Cape Town’s restaurant mile on Kloof Street; V&A Waterfront and Clifton / Camps Bay beaches about a 10-minute drive. CTICC is named among nearby landmarks on the contact page.
On the mountain side
The house sits in Oranjezicht on the slopes of Table Mountain. The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway is the usual outing from this suburb; the house can advise on weather and tickets. There is no lift in the building (MapQuest / directory copy — confirm if mobility is a concern).
Nearby Attractions
Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Kloof Street restaurants, Company’s Garden, Cape Town CBD, V&A Waterfront, Clifton and Camps Bay beaches, Cape Town International Convention Centre, First Thursdays art walk, Old Biscuit Mill (official local-events notes)
Things to Do
At the property
Eat the cooked breakfast in the breakfast room or on the terrace. Swim in the heated, sheltered pool. Sit in the library by the fire or in the upstairs lounge.
Take in Table Mountain and the city from the rooftop terrace; Go2Africa also names a spa bath on the top balcony. The downstairs lounge holds the bar. The house is small: nine rooms, no restaurant at night, no spa building, no gym.
In the area
Kloof Street is the published restaurant walk. Table Mountain National Park is behind the house (cableway weather permitting). Company’s Garden and the CBD are a short hop; Go2Africa puts the centre 15 minutes on foot or two minutes by car.
Official site: V&A Waterfront and Clifton / Camps Bay about a 10-minute drive. First Thursdays and the Old Biscuit Mill are the local-events notes on the official homepage. Other City Bowl stays on our site include Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel and More Quarters Neighbourhood Hotel.
Day trips
Go2Africa lists day tours and restaurants within walking distance. Cape Point, Robben Island, the Winelands and the Atlantic beaches are the usual Cape Town outings from this address — the host desk books them. Uber is the official transport note. Transfers extra.
Good to Know
Check-in / out: Official terms: check-in after 14:00, check-out by 11:00. The About page also prints “Check in 24 hrs” because a night manager lives on the premises and can assist with late or early arrivals. Early-bird continental breakfast, or a breakfast starter left in the room the night before, is offered on the official FAQ if you leave early. SA-Venues still prints check-out 10:00 — official terms and About page say 11:00.
Children: Go2Africa: children under 12 welcome. Official terms: under 5 sharing with an adult free of charge; ages 6–17 charged 50% of the difference between the double and single rate; 18 and older no discount. SA-Venues also has “children over 5 welcome” — use the official PDF when you book.
Rooms: Official About page: 9 individually decorated rooms. Go2Africa lists Grand Rooms and Luxury Rooms only. SA-Venues splits 2 Grande + 6 Luxury + 1 Cottage; places.co.za’s body copy still says 5 Grande and 4 Luxury.
A Go2Africa guest review mentions a stand-alone cottage. Confirm the current split — we have not invented a cottage as a listed room type.
Pool: Sheltered, heated swimming pool (Go2Africa). Spa bath on the top balcony.
Parking: Off-street parking is listed on SA-Venues (free on that directory). Not described on the official homepage.
Smoking: Non-smoking establishment (official terms).
Payments: Cash, EFT or most major credit cards; Amex or Diners Club add a 4% surcharge (official terms).
Pets: No pets (places.co.za).
What3Words: No published address found.
Who It's For
Travellers who want a small, restored manor in Oranjezicht rather than a Waterfront hotel: couples in Grand or Luxury rooms, and families who can work with the child-sharing terms (under 12 on Go2Africa; official PDF sets the age bands). Not a restaurant hotel — breakfast is included, dinner is on Kloof Street. Not a safari lodge. There is no lift.
Best Time to Visit
Open year-round. Cape Town summers (roughly December–March) are warm and can be windy; winters are typically rainy, when the fireplace in the library earns its keep. The rooftop terrace and heated pool are the published outdoor draw. Table Mountain is on the doorstep in every season, subject to cableway weather closures.
