The Mount Pleasant guest wing is everything it says on its Airbnb page and a whole lot more. We thought we’d spoil ourselves with an overnight stay at Mount Pleasant, which is a beautiful property situated within easy walking distance of Newlands Forest and the Table Mountain walks, the famous Foresters Arms pub, SACS school, and the University of Cape Town. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and could happily have spent a week there.
The guest wing and the original architectural features of the entire house have been superbly restored and refreshed and they are delightfully luxurious, so that we really did feel as though we’d been transported back in time to be honoured guests in a Victorian mansion.
Everything that one might want or need has been provided, with style and quality: the bed is huge and comfortable and we slept well; the shower worked beautifully (it has both a grand overhead ‘rainforest’ showerhead and a second hand-held option, which I like); and the log fire in its authentic fireplace looked lovely and warmed the big room quickly, so that even with the impressively high Victorian ceilings the guest wing was cosily warm in minutes.
We didn’t take up the option of using the massive dining-room, which is truly ‘baronial’ as described, but we did get the breakfast basket, which I heartily recommend for its variety, quality and quantity of food. Having the breakfast basket meant that we could enjoy a leisurely and self-indulgently Victorian start to the day, topping up on coffee until we were ready to shower and dress and head out.
Our experience was that the guest wing is perfectly private, including the big courtyard area around the long lap-pool. The pool courtyard has a magnificent view of Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain itself, and I loved the shrubs and vines and blossom that keep the pool area tucked away, and the birdsong that began at dawn. One highlight of the brief stay was seeing a big buzzard, which must have come down from the mountain, sitting for around fifteen or twenty minutes at the top of a tree in the main garden – quite unworried at our human activity. Another highlight for me was the choice and range of the original art displayed throughout the guest wing.

Claire and Mike were excellent and thoughtful hosts without being at all intrusive, and they kindly showed us around the property and the main house, which is absolutely spectacular.
I would highly recommend Mount Pleasant if you’re visiting Cape Town. We shall ourselves definitely be back as soon as we can.