To finish off our trip we spent three nights in Cape Town. To be honest, I really struggled with where to stay in Cape Town:
Continue reading: Review: The Silo Hotel Cape Town
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
@ Ben -- There isn't a hotel in the world worth $2,300 per night. Maybe next time you could think of the plight of others and give part of that money to charity while slumming it in a different 5-star hotel.
Impressive. What card did you use to pay for this hotel - Sapphire Reserve, Citi Premier or something else?
Lol... I am sorry but while some of the decor works, a lot of it doesn't. The pool area looks depressing! No way this is worth $900 a night, let alone more during peak season! The views are also not great...
Many hotels for far cheaper, with much nicer pools and much better views in CPT.
Great review! Small correction: the toiletries' brand is Penhaligon's, which is a very prominent British perfume house with lots of history behind it. Quercus is just the scent.
So how much commission did Ford get on the deal, assuming you went through him and not some other Virtuoso agent? That rate is a bit ridiculous.
yet you flew comair.... what a complete mismatched disappointment.
Silo is good, and the service phenomenal, but would far rather recommend the one & only.
Well, love it or loathe it, The Silo is full-on Liz Biden - décor wise - that's for sure.
I haven't stayed at The Silo (we're loyal to The Cape Grace), but my husband and I have stayed at the other three Royal Portfolio properties. We absolutely loved Royal Malewane, and I could live forever at The Residence, but weren't won-over by Birkenhead House, which was originally the Biden's Hermanus beach house and where we had the slightly creepy feeling that we were somehow trespassing on private property throughout our stay. We were the small hotel's only guests and felt the staff was monitoring our every move. By day two I wanted to scream "WE'RE NOT STEALING ANYTHING!"
wow I don't know many people who spend USD$ 50,000 on a 9 day trip like this. I wont. Looks like blogging is VERY lucrative..........
@fs- lucky paid $2300 a night as he stated (current conversion from the rand amount). $900 is the starting price. While it’s a cool hotel, South Africa is generally cheap. This hotel literally is for rich white people who want to insulate themselves from “scary” black people on their way to/ from Safari. Who are convinced that they have to pay that much to be safe in a country known for crime. Many great options at a fraction of the cost in better neighborhoods.
That is the worst designed hotel I have ever seen. We visit the Salone in Milan each year and pass by these tacky Halls of furniture being pitched to designers. Now, I know what type of people buy these goods.
And, "trip of a lifetime".... I thought you are about 30 years old. You have about 70 more years for trips of a lifetime.
The hotel certainly looks stunning. I guess at the end of the day, the question for me is whether the beautiful architecture and excellent service is worth the price. Obviously airbnb has changed the equation -- the "royal suite" at a hotel is really just a 2 bedroom on airbnb. Different people will have different answers on whether the convenience and service of a hotel are worth $900/night. To an extent, I think city hotels have a higher burden here, because there are other places to stay, eat, and drink.
One thing though, you blame the water pressure on Cape Town's drought. To be honest, any building that tall should have its own pressurization system. Municipal water is meant to provide adequate pressure for a house, not an 11-story building. The hotel shouldn't get a pass on that.
@Ben....i really appreciate all you flight and plane reviews. But please...dont forget that your blog is about POINTS AND MILES...not dollars. Thanks!
That decor looks like a Palm Springs garage sale. That said, looks like they know what they are doing.
The social justice warriors are already gunning for your accumulated wealth and denouncing how you choose to spend it. That's what you get for even humoring them in the first place. You can't have it both ways.
Why didn't you mention that the hotel is above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA)?
I'll start by saying that I have a lot of respect for Lucky and appreciate that it's not my business telling him how to spend his money. I'll also say that, as someone who spends a fair bit on luxury travel every year and has visited Cape Town fairly frequently, some might say I'm being a hypocite. But a few thoughts:
1. This hotel is one of the ugliest I've ever seen in my life, in my opinion. I say that purely based on the pictures. The design just doesn't work. The view from the room is also fairly bland, some might say ugly. Compared to other hotels in Cape Town, which have nice views of Table Mountain or Constantia, I'd give it a 1/10.
2. I don't think I'd ever spend $2,300 per night on a hotel, but I wouldn't even consider it in Cape Town. The city has dozens of really nice hotels that rarely exceed $700/night. Ellerman House, One and Only, Mount Nelson are the big names, but smaller hotels like the Twelve Apostles and boutique hotels in Constantia also come to mind. I also have a moral objection to it. As I say, it's not my business, but I think at a certain point one has to question the moral validity of one's actions. South Africa is still recovering from the effects of Apartheid, and there continues to be lots of poverty in the country. One has to think, if I spend $700, or even $1000 per night, and give enough money for a kid to get an education for a year, is that worth it? The answer to me would be yes.
No judgement, but this isn't really consistent with Lucky otherwise, he usually has good judgement about what to spend and where, but in this case has really missed the mark.
Why is everyone shitting on Lucky here? This is his blog and he can go where he wants, and spend how ever much he wants to get there! It sounds like this was a special trip with his elderly father - worth doing something special.
Really nice. Crazy expensive, but nice.
The exterior is not new - the building a converted 1920's grain elevator. There is a Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in the same building that absolutely worth a visit if you are in Cape Town.
V&A waterfront is a great area. As has been mentioned, there are other hotels there (One and Only, Cape Grace, ...). There are also really nice serviced apartments next door to One and Only, for a more budget-friendly stay if you are traveling as a group.
"I’d say the massage was good but not great, and it also wasn’t the most beautiful spa I’ve seen."
Would be interested if there are any standout spa's you remember (hotel linked or otherwise).
I almost stayed there also at the end of a safari earlier this year, but opted against it because 1/ I just couldn't understand how it could be so much more expensive than virtually any other hotel in town and 2/ the waterfront area is really terrible in my opinion (just packed with tourists and souvenir shops). We opted for an AirBNB in Seapoint instead, which was wonderful. There is a surprising amount of inventory for luxury airbnbs in Cape Town, and they're mostly super affordable compared to other cities. It was great to see that review nonetheless, I'd still love to try this property one day.
@MarkG
Let’s not forget the plane trip was also paid for in $$$ not points.
Unfortunately we still don’t know how the $4200 price tag came from because Lucky is being secretive about how he booked the tickets.
It’s almost more fun to read the comments than the article as usual with a blog post like this... I’m surprised you didn’t get drag through the mud with Singita reviews!
Hotel service in Cape Town, when staying at top hotels, are generally quite good not just at Silo. One thing odd about Cape Town is luxury hotel prices are high but everything else is quite cheap especially great food. Hope you enjoyed Robben island. To me the tour was very educational. Did you guys get to go to Test Kitchen or La Colombe? I thought both were quite good and cheap for NYC/SF standard. Hopefully you went to Franschhoek. It’s definitely prettier than Napa Valley hands down. Look forward to read your Namibia trip next year!
Just to pile on with all the SJW. How dare you work hard, make money and spend your money the way you please. Most of that money should have been taxed to ensure you are paying your fair share. Think about all the poor minorities who could have benefited from all that extra tax money you wasted on poluting airplanes and the exploitation of animals
You spent time in South Africa, yet you still call it “cocktails at sunset”. Those are sundowners!
Telling Ben not to waste his own money is definitely ridiculous. I think more people are mad that he wasted it on an ugly hotel, but "De gustibus non est disputandum."
Ok Ben, now that you’ve splurged on a $2,000+ per night hotel, its time to tighten the budget and stay at a random Holiday Inn Express like the old days.
I quite like the decor of the hotel tbh. It reminds of the design of Firmdale hotels, which run a couple of hotels in New York and a bunch in London. Bold colors, mismatched furniture styles.
Ok maybe the blue closet in the bathroom is out of place, but everything else looks fine.
When does "quirky" become tacky? The Silo, Cape Town.
$2300 USD for a bizarre looking room in a bizarre looking hotel? Hell no. Yeah, I get that the people at the hotel were all nice. Sorry, not for that price.
The travel reviews here used to involve maximizing value on points at nicer hotels and in premium cabins. From my perspective, they are now simply a wealthy man wasting large sums of money at exorbitantly overpriced hotels & resorts, of which it appears his spouse gets a commission on.
$2300 was spent on a suite not a standard room...albeit one with questionable decor.
That said to continue with the pile-on,
for someone who raves about places like Aman, Singita, Park Hyatt, etc, it seems like this place comes nowhere near that.
It looks like you bought into the hype of the “best Cape Town hotel” and booked it simply for that reason.
For once I’d like to see a blogger express some buyer’s remorse instead of trying to rationalize spending all that money on a mediocre property.
“ @ Ben — There isn’t a hotel in the world worth $2,300 per night.”
What another person pays for anything is none of your business. Sure, shake your head And wonder why he did it but you don’t have the right to tell him how to spend his money. I stayed at a hostel called Once In Capetown. I doubt I raised anyone out of poverty by doing so. I’m fairly certain Ben helped pay some pretty decent salaries at the Silo.
Do you mind my asking how much of the expense Ben asked to to help with?
As for you asking why he didn’t give some amount of what he spent to charity, that’s a slippery slope. Lots of charities end up actually giving a fairly small amount of the original contribution to the intended recipient or recipient group but I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what Ben does in this regard, do you?
Why on earth would anyone stay at a dirt expensive hotel in Cape Town? CT has so many fantastic and affordable boutique hotels and guesthouses where you get the real deal.
Loved your pictures of the property which is also part of the Signature Travel Network.
Such a smart idea to spend some time in Cape Town at the end of your safari.
I train at the Virgin active opposite the Silo Hotel. I have eaten there but cannot imagine paying those prices to stay. By the way your stays included ‘game drives’ not Safaris.
A safari involves crossing Botswana in a Land Cruiser and tents. Not eating cooked food or else every carnivore for twenty miles will visit you. Chasing baboons and sometimes elephants from your camp by banging pots together and cursing. No longer but 30 years ago you could visit areas where the animals had not seen humans. When a game park starts naming its animals like they do in Kenya and Kruger it’s game over. Botswana is the last great eden but we will have Leo the lion there too before long I fear.
I thought the room was quite lovely, but that's when I was thinking $500 max. Holy crap at how much you spent, you deserve the pile on.
Please bring back Tiffany and her trips which happen in the real world.
The room is lovely, very Lily Pulitzer-ish. The building is hideous from the outside, could they not have done something to all that concrete?
Life is short - spend your money as you wish, Ben.
Lucky, I enjoyed so much reading your latest trip report! There were definitely some things for me to consider for my next trip to South Africa.
Regarding Cape Town: I spent at least 6 weeks every year during the past 10 years, in different luxury hotels. Sadly, by now the Mount Nelson Hotel (Belmond) is a joke, with a terrible re-design, and ridiculously bad service. The GM is Xavier Lablaude, and even though I spent about 60.000 dollars in past years through my Amex Centurion Service, I never met the guy... Service is a joke, nothing works. Definitely not a luxury hotel anymore. As sadly can be said about other hotels in SA (Coach House Hotel, anyone?!?).
In my mind, the best way to spend nights in Cape Town is either the Westin or the Taj. Sadly, there are no real luxury hotels (well, Ellerman House, but not a hotel connected to a points systems), and other hotels at the Waterfront ask for ridiculous prices.
I have to say, comparing the general level of prices in South Africa, the Silo is definitely part of the "ridiculous" price point, even though you apparently enjoyed your stay (good for you). However, in a city where you feel unsafe most of the time walking down normal streets, paying these prices feels wrong, period. It is a certain "Disneyland" feel, completely disconnected from reality around you.
Now, I am very happy for you that you had a fantastic trip. But honestly, Cape Town, though truly a wonderful spot, has become so unsafe and unstable, it is simply not something recommended to visit anymore. I will stay away after many years of wonderful memories. It's a shame.
@ Ben/Lucky -
When having breakfast at The Granary Cafe were you presented with menus without prices (you wrote that breakfast is included in the nightly rate)?
Was there a small buffet section or was this covered by the “Harvest Table” on the al la carte menu?
Cheers.
Oh dear! From reading these comments it appears to be a mortal sin to spend money on an extraordinary hotel. I think people often forget that you are paying for the total experience, the 'occasion' if you will, and that level of attention in a small hotel doesn't come cheap. Questions of 'worth' perhaps should be reserved for material objects, not experiences.
I recently stayed in Quito, Ecuador in a small hotel: Casa Gangotena. The cost was in my terms extortionate and was only made possible by some hotels.com credits.
However, at roughly 30 rooms, it was extraordinary, with staffing and levels of service that made us feel something more than comfortable. Would I suggest you beg, borrow and steal to stay there - no. But if you can afford it - its a very good choice.
On the interior style - Diana Vreeland knew how to carry off a jumbled eclectic style. Liz Biden is not Diana Vreeland - let's just leave it there.
I've never felt moved to comment on a review, despite many years of reading Lucky's blog on a near daily basis. As a South African who has lived abroad for some time now, but regularly returns to visit family, I can confirm that the Silo hotel's pricing is asinine and an insult to the intelligence of international visitors. As far as waterfront properties are concerned, the Cape Grace and the One & Only are world-class luxury properties, which charge less than half the rates of the Silo. Even the most expensive wineland properties such as Delaire Graff come in at ~40% less in peak season.
My objection has very little to do with dictating how Lucky spends the well-deserved proceeds from his successful blog, which has helped many people (including myself) derive better value from their travel. It's more a question of this trip and particularly the inordinate amount of money spent undermining the fundamental raison d'etre of the blog, which was to show how luxury travel lies within the reach of moderately affluent people who otherwise wouldn't be able to stay at aspirational properties around the world.
Now Lucky clearly enjoys a financial position that affords him effectively unlimited freedom with respect to paid travel and though I find it heartwarming that he chooses to spend his fortune on experiences with loved ones, I can't help but feeling that he is edging into the territory of conspicuous consumption. This review left a bad taste in my mouth, and while I highly doubt it was Lucky's intention to flaunt his supercharged spending power, I do hope he at least considers the feedback in the comments without taking offence or feeling attacked.
We need to remember this was a once in a lifetime trip for his dad. This hotel is also somewhat popular with other bloggers instagram and YouTube to why not stay there. While it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it worked for this trip. The suite price matches those prices in the Maldives for the over water villas and some Dubai hotels were many people actually do pay that. While it might not be his usual, he tried something for us to see and different than his usual. Thanks lucky! Allows me to make an informed decision, as I was considering this hotel next year. After seeing the pictures I will shy away because I believe I can do better views and decor as it is not my style. Hope your dad had an amazing birthday! I know my dad would have enjoyed this, and hope to do something similar for him on his 65th in 6 years.
It should have been noted that the Silo is in the same building as the Zeitz MOCAA, a super interesting modern art museum. The decor which so many commenters have objected to closely mirrors the art in the museum. It's different, loud, and obviously not for everyone. If you prefer beige walls and Renoirs, then more power to you, but it's nice to see properties actually take a chance once in a while.
On that note, anyone with even a passing interest in art should set aside an hour or two to check out the MOCAA while in Cape Town. With the focus on African artists (both those living in Africa and international artists with African heritage), it's a refreshing mix-up from the typical modern art museum roster of Warhol, Haring, Calder, etc.
It is a lovely hotel. Lucky has every right to spend his money the way he sees fit and it is no one else’s business but maybe Ford’s. He was on an incredible lifetime experience with his two favorite men in his life and he should be applauded and not reprimanded for that.
Do you want others to tell you how to spend your money? You act like you are his parents and acting all self-righteous. It’s his blog, so y’all need to respect it.
It is mainly points and miles, but I do not believe he ever said it has to be only points and miles. Sometimes, it is more worthwhile to buy it outright with cash and to get the extra bonus points or miles. Other times, Lucky can only use cash.
Maybe, it is one of these times. It is probably not associated with any loyalty brands that Lucky is a part of and so, Ford would book it through Virtuoso to get something in return for the hard-earned money. Lucky has worked hard to bring you reviews and such, so please show him and his family the due respect and courtesy.
Of course Lucky has every right to spend his money where and when he sees fit, and to write the reviews he sees fit. I don't think anybody questions that.
When the travel reviews presented on this blog have been, up until recently, primarily a resource in terms of maximizing value on points, and now have pivoted in another direction (i.e. travel to hotels & resorts which are clearly *not* a good value, and a number of examples could be cited - here, various Amans, etc.), it would be helpful if management were to state that the blog's perspective has shifted, and why. My suspicion is because Ford receives some remuneration from booking these types of properties.
PEOPLE CAN SPEND THEIR OWN MONEY HOWEVER THEY PLEASE! How is that so hard to understand?
Most people bashing Ben are jealous he can afford these experiences and they can't. Y'all have no right to dictate what he should do with his money. If you're this worked up over him splurging on a special trip, then that means there's something wrong WITH YOU. There's no need to put someone down just so you feel superior.
I am VERY thankful and glad that Ben splurges on special occasions in luxury hotels and experiences, it INSPIRES me to be able to one day have the opportunity to do these things as well. I am happy this blog covers EVERYTHING- credit card points, airline miles, luxury hotels & experiences, budget friendly options, etc.
IF you don't like reading about things that have no value to you, SKIP THE ARTICLE. No one is forcing you to read about a non point hotel. Some people really have issues with others enjoying their life, my goodness. Go wash some dishes if you're this upset over Ben enjoying a luxury trip.
Keep up the good work Ben! 🙂
I completely agree. People should spend their money however they want. A few points though:
a) this blog is about miles and points, rather than spending thousands of dollars a night on uber expensive hotels
b) readers aren't stupid. While this blog is highly successful I doubt he's in a position to shell $2300 a night after all the other expenditures of this trip. Clearly Ford is getting a *very* high commission on this rate
c) things are becoming rather secretive. We have no clue how he bought AF first class. He says the rate was $4,200 out of Canada (connecting in JFK) but I can't price anything close to that from my end.
d) As someone who is an experienced safari-goer, Singita properties are quite a ripoff. There are much more authentic (and smaller) lodges that give a feeling of being 'in the bush'. Singita is more of a household name and one pays through the nose for it.
To each their own, I accept. But it's just important to point out how far Lucky has been moving away from the original premise of the blog.
The exterior of the building looks awesome, as did the room's bathrooms...but what happened to the decor? Did they run out of money and have to go to the thrift store to furnish the rooms?
I'm all for quirky things (there's a lava lamp and a pink leather couch in my living room), but the room decor just has no cohesiveness to it. At least it has color, which is more than I can say for Marriott's gray on gray interiors these days.
@Alistair
I see where you're coming from, but:
1) While the main theme of this blog is airline miles and credit card points, it is not only valuable but important to also feature other things related to the travel world, whether that'd be breaking news, viral videos, information on destinations, new hotels & products that aren't in the miles/points world, etc, otherwise content would grow stale and there would be no reader expansion. A wise man will always appreciate more information and getting exposed to a broader range of topics than to just stay in a little bubble. If Ben chooses to post an article about his family, or about a cool non points hotel he stayed at, he most definitely can and should, since it's his blog, and you have all the freedom in the world to skip through that article. I skip through allllllllllll the credit card articles since it doesn't interest me, and yet you don't see me complaining on those articles "enough with CCs, gimme more trip reports!!!!"
2) Do you pay his bills? Do you have access to his credit card statement?? If not, you can assume all you want but you have no idea how much money someone has in their bank account or not, AND it's none of anyone's business. This might come as a shock to you but bloggers/youtubers/influencers make SO much money. Plus, Ford seems like he comes from a wealthy family. But still, it's none of our business. 2300/night might be a lot for you but it might be a drop in a bucket to someone else. It shouldn't matter to you, and it shouldn't be a problem for them.
3)I agree he's being secretive about the AF rate, but then again what am I gonna do? He will reveal if he wants to, if not so be it. I'm still grateful I had TWO AF First Class reviews to read 🙂
4) Again, for you it might be a ripoff, for someone else it might be a good deal and if they enjoyed it, who cares? Price/worth is allllll subjective. Some people find value in a $1000 Rimowa, others think that's a ripoff and stick to their $400 Aways, and yet others STILL find THAT a ripoff and won't spend more than $100 on a Costco brand luggage. See? It's all subjective.
Just saying...at the end of the day, you have your opinion, which is valid, and I have mine, and Lucky has his, and his autonomy over his blog, so that's life.
There is nothing, but nothing, to justify the price of The Silo. I’ve had a walk around and also to a function there and I am yet to be won over. It seems to attract online bloggers and the somewhat vulgar DYKWIA types. It’s decor is borderline random acid trip and the views; who wants to pay that much for a view of a port ?
No thanks. I’ll save myself a fortune, stay at the Mount Nelson and luxuriate in the understated fineries, the grounds and the attention to detail if affords.
Hi Lucky. Mind sharing what restaurants and activities you did in Cape Town? I’ll be there in a couple of months, so trying to plan my trip.
Hi Lucky,
Please don't get me wrong!
I love your blog and its your money which you are entitled to spend how you wish. But...
Are you aware of the appalling poverty in which the majority of the citizens of CT live? In fact, some of them cleaned your room with a smile
I would like to believe that you donated some small change to a charity that supports those economically deprived citizens