Villa Zest is 'Trendiest Hotel in the World'.

Local Cape Town boutique hotel Villa Zest recently beat out hundreds of thousands of hotels worldwide to win the coveted 2012 TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award for Trendiest Hotel in the World. VISI went to check it out.

Owner Kevin Gerlach was naturally overwhelmed by the prestigious accolade, “There are a lot of preconceived ideas about what Cape Town has to offer. The World Cup helped to break those barriers, then winning the World Design Capital for 2014 and now we can boast that we also have the Trendiest Hotel in the World.”

The Villa Zest, a 7-room full-service boutique hotel tucked away in Green Point, topped competition from New York, Paris, Miami, Berlin, Barcelona, Prague, Amsterdam, Bueunes Aires, Chicago to be voted the trendiest hotel for 2012.

The win can at least in part be attributed to the Bauhaus-inspired architecture fused with the modern twist on a 70s themed interior. The owner, Kevin Gerlach (who is originally from California) says the challenge was taking a minimalistic interior and giving it warmth. The 70’s inspired wallpaper, fabrics, and colours help to create a welcoming and relaxed environment.

The entrance hall represents an object art gallery displaying the hottest consumer electronics from the 70s. This includes Polaroid cameras with sonar, funky 8-track players, an early Pong video game console and brightly coloured AM radios that were the IPods of the era. All are originals which took Gerlach a year to source via eBay. His pride is the quirky Toot-A-Loop AM wrist radio that is also on permanent display at the New York Museum of Modern Art 

Each suite is unique and named for an iconic reminder of the era including Studio 54, Bullit, and American Graffiti. The tribute wouldn’t be complete without a room named after one of the most influential figures in contemporary art and culture, Andy Warhol.

Another ingredient to the appeal of the Villa Zest Boutique Hotel is that it was conceived from the viewpoint of the traveller. After Gerlach spent years living out of a suitcase as a business executive prior to opening hotel in November 2008 he purposely built fewer rooms to increase the public area, creating a more exclusive and airy space.

“I was inspired by the original boutique hotels which began to appear in the early 1980s in London and New York. Unique and interesting in their style and design, these hotels generally have fewer than 15 rooms and combine the intimacy and personal service of a bed and breakfast with the full service of a hotel.”

Although a stone’s throw from the V&A Waterfront, Cape Quarter and Main Road Green Point you would be forgiven for believing you were in the country as the trickling stream, shaded by a Frangipani tree in full bloom, and impeccable lawn literally drowns out the sights and sounds of the Mother City. Whether ordering from the 24-hour menu while sitting by the pool, relaxing by the fire in the outside chill lounge or enjoying the spectacular views from the rooftop overlooking the city, it feels like home – only better. TripAdvisor selects the winners based on more than 60 million reviews and opinions of more than 520 000 hotels as well as category ratings for budget, luxury, etc. The data is analysed using an algorithm that takes into account quality, timeliness of reviews and other criteria.

 

For more information visit www.villazest.co.za/

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