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THE TWELVE APOSTLES HOTEL AND SPA  NO. 1 IN CAPE TOWN - UNVEILS ITS NEW LOOK

The five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Cape Town, consistently wins more than its fair share of awards but was recently voted the No. 1 City Hotel and No. 1 Hotel Spa in Africa and the Middle East in Travel+Leisure's 2009 World's Best Awards, and placed an impressive Number 6 in the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine 2009 Readers' Choice Awards, category Africa. This fine hotel has now been further enhanced with an extensive multi-million Rand structural and interior design refurbishment.

President and Founder Beatrice Tollman and her daughter Toni, inspired by the panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and towering peaks of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range, have created a fresh and calming design scheme that artfully combines sophistication with simplicity and comfort with elegance.

The glorious seclusion of the surroundings has been used to great effect with the natural feel and character of the environment being echoed throughout the individually-designed bedrooms, lobby, corridors, the 24-hour Café and the one of a kind Presidential Suite. The ambiance has been achieved with light yet warm fabrics, natural wooden shutters in the bedrooms, plus various designs and colours of Bodrum marble and Thassos beige and white marble to create a delightfully decadent feeling in all the custom-built bathrooms - for convenience a pale blue LED night light provides subtle illumination.

Each en suite bedroom has been carefully decorated to suit every taste, using luxurious fabrics and soothing colour hues, beautiful antiques and custom furniture. White hardwood plantation shutters adorn the windows, which lead out to private balconies overlooking the Atlantic Ocean or to the famous fynbos vegetation nestling below the magnificent Twelve Apostles Mountain Range. The beds are the ultimate in luxury, complete with 400 thread count sheets allowing guests the most perfect night's sleep.

Skilled craftsmen from the local area, and further afield, provide a number of the more unusual items, such as chandeliers made from recycled clay and candy stripe wool carpets to emphasise the relaxed beach feel of Cape Town. A host of other thoughtful details have been added to meet every conceivable need and desire with the latest technology flat screen TVs in all rooms, iPod docking stations and WiFi for sheer business convenience, all discreetly in evidence, while the walls are adorned with impressive art purchased from local artists and from antique houses round the world. The extensive grounds, already boasting a superb selection of sculptures, have become a showcase for the work of the most talented local artists.

Clive Bennett, Managing Director of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection in South Africa, comments that, "Excellence is the result of constant innovation and we are keen to take our already luxurious offering to an entirely new level. Discerning guests are constantly looking for a once in a lifetime experience with fresh pleasures and we're confident that this stunning refurbishment will launch an entirely new era in the hotel's illustrious history. Our staff pride themselves on providing the ultimate in customer service and can't wait to perform on what they see as a magnificent new stage."

The pièce de résistance is the magnificent Presidential Suite, which has undergone a complete transformation, finished with perfect architectural details and the utmost attention to detail. Taking up almost the entire top floor of the hotel at approximately 170 square meters, the layout is immensely flexible with a large lounge, wood panelled study and dining area. The suite easily transforms to provide one, two or three bedrooms en suite as required. The principal bathroom and bedroom have been significantly extended, affording sweeping uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean, Lions Head and the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range.

A freestanding, antique marble bath allows guests to relax and unwind while taking in the breathtaking views and the immensity of the blue ocean. The superb seclusion of the private terrace offers the most perfect setting for an intimate cocktail at sunset, or private dinner for two. The decor of brilliant white silks, taffeta and lush custom fabrics in ice blues offers a fresh and vibrant feel of lightness and soothing tranquillity. Chests of drawers have custom crystal knobs and the principal bedroom's custom-made headboard is upholstered in ice blue silk and tufted with over 600 clear crystal buttons.

The floors are cool white marble throughout with under floor heating, white chandeliers from Capri, Italy and walls adorned with antique mirrors; some clad with a specially designed sculptural effect and exquisite mosaics. The dining area seats ten and allows our Executive Chef to prepare for you and your guests a private dinner according to your personal selections and while these are prepared, you can enjoy a specially mixed cocktail of your choice at your private bar while sitting on Italian designed barstools covered in pale blue leather.

The hotel's already excellent green credentials have been further enhanced with a redesigned kitchen. Under the direction of Executive Chef, Roberto Carvalho, the kitchen has been transformed to create an efficient and eco-friendly environment that goes hand in hand with world class cuisine.

These improvements include a customised air extraction system. Installed by WSP consulting engineers, it uses a UV filtering system to remove all odours and turn all grease not caught by the filters into ozone for an environmentally friendly waste product. The new Capturejet Halton canopy, locally manufactured by AMMS, is a first for South Africa. It provides a healthy, fresh environment and ensures comfortable working temperatures throughout the year.

The level of investment and the sheer attention to detail clearly demonstrates why Red Carnation Hotels is so respected the world over. Nothing stands in the way of their passionate commitment to offer guests an experience unmatched throughout the entire hospitality industry.

For more information and/or reservations, contact The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa on (27) (21) 437 9000, email bookta@rchmail.co.za or visit www.12apostleshotel.co.za .

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2009 and 2008: Azure Restaurant wine list awarded Diners Club South Africa's

highest award - the Diamond Award

2009: Voted "Number One Hotel Spa in Africa and the Middle East" in

Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards Readers' Survey

2009: Voted within the "Top 15 Best Hotels in the World" in

Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards Readers' Survey

2009: Number Six in the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine 2009

Readers' Choice Awards, category Africa

2009: Voted to the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List: 95.8 ranking for rooms

and 96.0 ranking for food making it first in the whole of Africa and the Middle East

.