Escape to luxury

Think you can't possibly afford a stay at a five star hotel? Think again. Cape Town on Sale has a great package where you can spend two nights at the luxurious Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel in Cape Town for just R4 200 for two nights per couple!

I was lucky enough to test this package, and it was an experience I won't easily forget.

Not only do you get to stay at the hotel for two blissful nights, but you get full breakfast at Thirty7 Restaurant, a R200 meal voucher for Paulaner Brauhaus, a three course dinner at the Towers Restaurant, two cable car tickets for Table Mountain, a picnic at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate and complimentary unlimited access to the hotel's AltiraSPA facilities.

Staying in the hotel was an exciting experience. And if you're from Cape Town, there's nothing stopping you from spending a weekend in style. The staff at the Arabella were great. I felt very welcome, and nothing went unnoticed.

From the personal butler, to the waiter, to the housekeeping service, every single staff member was helpful and quick with their service. The Arabella obviously prides itself on their five star rating and great service is the order of the day.

I checked in on a Friday afternoon and was shown to my gorgeous room overlooking the V&A Waterfront. I was then taken through my itinerary and all my restaurant and spa bookings were finalised. Rest assured that all your needs will be taken care of, and all staff members are eager to help.

It takes a bit of adjusting to let someone else do everything for you, but once you get used to it, it's hard to imagine life without it. Once I got back to normal life after my weekend away, I kept on wondering why people weren't waiting on me hand and foot. Going back to real life was hard, and every day when I drive past the hotel on my way home, I feel a little pang of longing.

A great feature at the hotel is the shuttle between the Waterfront and the hotel. We hopped on, did a bit of shopping and caught it back to the hotel without any hassles and it's always right on time.

The package comes with a complimentary transfer to the Waterfront as well, and trust me, you'll want to take them up on their offer. My partner and I were chauffeur driven to the waterfront in a snazzy BMW. I felt like I was royalty at that point, and a special thanks to the driver for taking the long route.

The spa at the hotel is heaven in a room. There are loads of treatments to choose from, and the therapists are great. If you want a serious day of pampering, get yourself a booking. You'll be able to access their heated lap pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Pure bliss is what it is. And don't forget to try the water beds!

Lunch at Paulaner Brauhaus was delicious and fun. Unfortunately, the Cape Town weather wasn't all that great, and our Saturday was rainy and cold. But the tasty beer at Paulaner Brauhaus made us feel a whole lot better about the weather. Read the review here.

The three-course meal at the Towers was superb. We enjoyed the fab food, great wine, and a knowledgeable waiter. Even though the restaurant is very formal, it was very comfortable and cosy. Read the review here.

Sunday was luckily a much better day weather wise, and we could have our picnic at Blaauwklippen wine farm in the garden, next to the duck pond. It was lovely, the food was tasty and homely and the service was great. Read the review here.

The weekend was packed with activities, and unfortunately, we didn't make it to the cable car on Table Mountain because of the weather. But you don't have to worry about this if it happens to you. The hotel provides you with vouchers for the cable car, so you still have at least three months after your stay to enjoy a trip up the mountain.

I got back to work the Monday, and a colleague asked me to tell her in one sentence what the experience was like, I told her that there's an ad on TV, where a guy goes to a hotel and suddenly he feels like a celeb... well, that was me. I was pampered and treated like someone famous.

If you've got some cash to spare this winter, I suggest you take advantage of this great offer. It's pure luxury at it's best.