Abbey Manor Luxury Guesthouse Cape Town

Table Mountain Cablecar Winter Special

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 06:50:48 +0000

The special is valid on weekends and public holidays, as well as on every day of the June/July and September/October school holidays. As a paying adult passenger (R160 return on the Cableway), you can take two kids under 18 years up the mountain for free!

SA Cheese festival

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:02:38 +0000

Date: 24 April – 27 April 2010
Time: Saturday to Monday 10:00 to 18:00, Tuesday 10:00 to 17:00
Venue: Bien Donné, Simondium
Cost: R110 pp for Saturday and Sunday and R90 pp for Monday and Tuesday. This entitles you to a shopping bag, festival programme, tastings and inspirational demonstrations by some of South Africa’s top food icons.
Ticket sales: Computicket – Please ask Judi to help

Website

Note: No tickets will be sold at the gates.

Exhibitors are cheese and wine makers from the region. Lots of free tastes, but expect crowds. Use your elbows to get ahead, and you will see the best of the Cape.

Volcano ash reaches Cape Town

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 10:23:46 +0000

The disruption of flights in Europe is having a very significant impact on the tourism industry throughout the world.

Even here in Cape Town we are feeling the impact. At Abbey Manor we have had eight rooms cancelled as travellers are unable to reach us. We have a number of travellers still stuck here, unable to get seats.

It seems that travel insurance will not cover the cost of this, as it is regarded as an Act of God. So we have decided that we will not enforce any of our cancellation conditions, and have returned deposits to all concerned.

Below is a cartoon by Zapiro, which made us smile.

Wildlife Photographer of The Year Exhibition Extended

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 06:35:37 +0000

Until 25 July

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is an international showcase for the very best photography featuring natural subjects. The competition is owned by two UK institutions that pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth – the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine – and is brought to South Africa by NHU AFRICA.

Being placed in this competition is something that wildlife photographers, worldwide, aspire to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but amateurs succeed too. And that’s because achieving the perfect picture combines skill, vision, originality, knowledge of nature, and luck.

Each year thousands of entries are received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition offers an extraordinary insight into the beauty, drama and diversity of the natural world.

Link

Cape Town Philharmonic Autumn Season

admin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:51:07 +0000

Date: Thursdays from 1 April – 13 May 2010
Time: 8 pm
Venue: City Hall, Cape Town
Cost: R60 – R165

Booking – Please ask Abbey Manor to help.

Website

The Cape Town Philharmonic will be playing 7 concerts

Thursday 15 April
City Hall, 20:00
Conductor: Martin Panteleev
Soloist: Simone Lamsma (violin)

Mozart: Idomeneo Overture K 366
Khachaturian: Violin Concerto
Berlioz: “Symphonie Fantastique”

Thursday 22 April
City Hall, 20:00
Conductor: Martin Panteleev
Soloist: Heleen du Plessis (cello)

Rimsky Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Mussorgsky: “Pictures at an Exhibition”

Thursday 29 April
City Hall, 20:00
Conductor: Joolz Gale
Soloist: Katja Apekisheva (piano)

Cherubini: “Les Abencérages” Overture
Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish” )

Thursday 06 May

City Hall, 20:00
Conductor: Joolz Gale
Soloists: Farida Bacharova (violin)
François du Toit (piano)

Kodaly: “Dances of Galanta”
Mendelssohn: Double Concerto for Violin & Piano
Mahler: Symphony No. 4

Thursday 13 May
City Hall, 20:00
Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing
Soloist: Grigory Alumyan (cello)

Weber: Overture to Der Freischütz
R. Strauss: Romanze for cello
Bruch: Kol Nidrei
Tchaikovsky: Pezzo capriccioso
Schumann: Symphony No.2

FIFA realism

admin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:18:04 +0000

There seems to be a growing unhappiness (even anger) amongst South Africa’s travel and hospitality sector towards FIFA and the upcoming World Cup.

Part of this comes across as sour grapes. Do some people believe that they were promised 100% bookings at whatever price they chose to charge? Another part of this is anger at the wild over estimation of the number, and the wealth, of soccer fans expected to arrive.

Fuelling this are a number of recent events:

• SAA releases of 45,000 flights tickets previously reserved for MATCH.
• 500,000 stadium tickets go on sale in a desperate bid to ensure that the people watching some matches
• accommodation providers (many of which have contacted to MATCH) standing empty, or lower occupancy.

There has been a valiant attempt to spin these events as positive. But there is no way to change the fact that they prove the case that wild over estimation wasn’t the norm.

My view is that forecasting is the responsibility of each and every business, and anyone who was swept away by the enthusiasm of the moment has no one but themselves to blame.

Now we wait to see: will they be a last-minute rush for bookings?

Acknowledgement - we at Abbey Manor are presently at an occupancy of 76%, and expects to close at 85 to 90%.

New York Times rates Cape Town

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:51:32 +0000

The Paper of Record has published its list of places to go in 2010.

Of course Cape Town is on the list. Click Here

“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.”

Soccer World Cup pricing facts

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:50:49 +0000

The Department of Tourism has released the results of a study undertaken by Grant Thornton to determine accommodation rates during the World Cup and compare these to regular accommodation rates.

The study gives the lie to reports of widespread price-gouging, especially in the Cape Town. 78% of Western Cape establishments have a premium of 25% or less over high season 2010 rates. The report is available here

At Abbey Manor – we did respond to this survey – we are charging high season rates, with no premium. Our rationale is that we are in business for the long-haul, and price-gouging will only damage our reputation.

But the joke is that the department thinks it is because “The efforts of Cape Town Tourism to promote ethical pricing during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and the signing of a 2010 FIFA World Cup™ “pricing code-of-conduct”. What a load of nonsense.

June/July is mid-winter – and in case you don’t know – that means rain, wind and cold. We love it, as it means good food, fires, and great wine and friendships – but tourists don’t. Cape Town is largely empty at that time. Each summer Cape Town manages far more visitors than will be coming for the soccer.

It’s simple supply and demand.

Our prediction is that those establishments that change too much will stand empty.

For the record, Abbey Manor is at present 76% booked for the period. We expect to close at about 90%.

Limoncello

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:51:47 +0000

This is our local Italian. Luca and his wife Celia opened this little treasure some years ago and have never looked back. Tiny, but packed with great things, here you will find risottos to die for, fabulous lamb and pasta dishes and a comfortable down-home real Italian family ambience which money cannot buy. Obviously, the homemade limoncello liqueur is part of their signature and not to be missed, on cake, iced in a shot glass, or even better, take a bottle home. Wine list small but adequate.

8 Breda Street, Gardens tel: 021 461-5100

Bizerca Bistro

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:35:15 +0000

This is one of our favourites. Hidden in a back street downtown near the convention centre – the interior is cool and light. Award-winning Australian chef Laurent Deslandes applies his classical French training to create some truly dramatic food.

Wife Cyrillia keep front of house running perfectly, with well-trained staff. Excellent wine list to compliment.

Our favourites are the Beef fillet tartare, and the Salmon Salad.

Booking a must.

Jetty Street Freshore
tel 021-4180001