I have to be honest and say there are some things I did well at my wedding and some things that I’d wish I’d done better. Nothing major but, unfortunately, only experience will teach you the things you wish you could improve after the day. One thing that I did NAIL, hands down, was the idea of having a hotel room all to myself the night before the wedding. BEST IDEA EVER.
Because of our honeymoon plans, I had no leave last year other than the odd sick day. My company did give us the week between Christmas and New Year’s off, thank goodness! But it was still tough working for a whole year, right up until mid-March, in order to save as much leave as possible. This meant I really needed a place where I could have some ‘me time’, get my head in the wedding game and come to terms with what was really happening.
Last year I had visited the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside (DoubleTree) for their burger and beer special. While visiting, we were given a tour and IMMEDIATELY I thought their suites would be perfect for wedding preparations. Our Cape Town city bowl wedding meant staying somewhere close by with good amenities was important to us. Booking a suite at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside hotel was one of the BEST things I could have done to prepare for my wedding.
Top 10 Reasons to Stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside Before Your Wedding Day
1. PERFECT LOCATION
I live in the Southern Suburbs and my wedding was in town. I was looking to stay somewhere close to the venue, that was also easily accessible for my ‘glam’ team and bridesmaids. Enter the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside (let’s just call it the DoubleTree from here on out!)! Located on the slopes of Devil’s Peak in Salt River, the hotel was perfect; providing beautiful views and a central location; easy and convenient for my friends to reach (who Ubered there), the makeup team could find it easily and my Dad, who was chauffeuring me to the wedding. He could drive in, I could jump in and away we went. It was awesome. They also have ramps so wheeling things in and out (like your luggage) was super easy.
2. ME TIME
I realize this sounds stupid but TRUST ME, when you’re tired, have been stressed out, it’s good to have alone time before the big day. Having worked until 5pm the day before my wedding, I really hadn’t had any time to think about what was happening. Having the hotel room to myself, with no one to distract me or talk to, allowed me to have some time to reflect and consider life going forward. I really needed that down time to realise what was happening and to get my mind in a good ‘headspace’. I’m SO happy that I had a night to myself; one last night as a single girl!
3. BREAKFAST
Let’s keep it real, hotel breakfasts are a God send. I LOVED not having to worry about what I was going to eat the day of my wedding. I popped down to the buffet and had whatever my heart desired. Waffles, eggs, toast, yoghurt, so many options and all fresh and well cooked. The morning after our wedding, same story. We popped down for a breakfast and happily ate something delicious after a wonderful day.
4. SPACE
There’s no point staying in a hotel room that’s smaller than your home. The point is for it to facilitate a number of people, not squash them. The lounge, ‘office’ and kitchen area at the hotel was PERFECT. Couches for my bridesmaids to sit on, a chair for me to move and ‘face the light’ while having my makeup done and an upstairs bedroom so you feel you have some privacy. Not that I really need that from my bridesmaids, but it was better to sleep upstairs than where everyone was organizing all their things. In total I had 4 bridesmaids, hairdresser, makeup artist, Mom, Aunt, photographer and myself – 10. There is MORE than enough space at the DoubleTree suites for your bridal party.
5. FACILITIES
Again, any area you hire needs to have as many conveniences as your home does. The suites at the DoubleTree certainly do, including: a fridge for us to keep bubbly in for the morning of, a desk, pen and paper for me to write a thank you note for my friend that I needed to do, hangers in the cupboard for my dress, etc. and I had to store my wedding cake in the mini bar as we ended up taking a layer of it home! They hotel’s luggage trolleys also helped immensely when we had to pack everything up to take home the next day.
6. SAFETY & SECURITY
Sounds stupid, but you will be sleeping alone the night before your wedding. I loved that I felt secure in the hotel and that if I did need help in anyway (for whatever random reason that could have come up!), then help would be on hand. We also parked in the hotel’s underground parking and knew our vehicle would be safe over the weekend.
7. CLEANLINESS
Who do you think will do all the cleaning up after you’ve had a troupe of people trawling through your house? Yip! YOU! But at a hotel? Nuh uh. I LOVED that I didn’t have to worry about cleaning up after the big day. I had enough things to carry out without cleaning up too. Having said that, the hotel kitchenette does have a sink so if you do need to wash things, you are able to do so. I really didn’t want to return to a messy home and have to clean up, what a pain. At the hotel, you cut half of that out because you won’t have to make your bed (at least!). LOL!
8. MAKING IT AN OCCASION
It’s your one and only wedding day. I know LOTS of people who went home after the big day and that’s totally fine! Obviously…we like our homes! But I do think that going back to the hotel and making an occasion of the day was lovely, especially since we got married in the city bowl (and not some glamorous location out of town). I enjoyed my alone time the night before and I enjoyed waking up in the hotel the day after. Plus, the hotel does a honeymoon turndown which is so sweet!
9. BATHROOM HEAVEN
One of my favourite parts about staying at the DoubleTree, was pouring myself a DEEP bath and just relaxing. I changed job roles at the start of the year; my predecessor had moved on so I had spent weekends trying to catch up on technology and developments I had missed. I LOVE my job, but it was really stressful wanting to prove myself, plan a wedding, work on weekends and plan a honeymoon. So having a long, hot bath all to myself with no interruptions was a joy! My friend gave me a beautiful Charlotte Rhys box set and it was the perfect gift to use to relax.
https://vine.co/v/idJWUqP3Ta0
10. STAFF ON HAND
The DoubleTree staff were SUPER amazing. From offering us their signature warm cookies upon arrival, to providing bubbly and fruit platters the day of the wedding so that we had something to eat, was just wonderful. They were really helpful, professional (I hate working with people who I have to tell how to do their jobs!) and made me feel really welcome. It was great knowing I didn’t have to worry about anything from the hotel point of view. I felt they supported the day, making it better, I really appreciated that.
I loved staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside. They hands down made my wedding prep a really special experience, everyone felt super welcome and special. It was great having snacks and not having to worry about whether I locked the house properly while trying to focus on my wedding! It was quite there, everything was easy to use, I felt relaxed, the location was perfect, it was wonderful.
If you’re considering staying in a hotel, REALLY consider the DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside. I would happily stay there again ANY time and the suites are well worth it. They also have a number of seasonal specials so take a look at what they offer on their website: Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside.
THANK YOU TO THE DOUBLETREE BY HILTON CAPE TOWN, UPPER EASTSIDE FOR HAVING US!
This is not a sponsored post, however, the DoubleTree and I did decide to work together, on this occasion, in the interest of both parties.