‘Monstrosity’: R1bn V&A Waterfront hotel sparks backlash
· The South African
Cape Town residents have expressed their disapproval of the development, particularly the design, of a new R1 billion hotel at the V&A Waterfront.
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R1 BILLION V&A WATERFRONT HOTEL CLOSE TO COMPLETION
Late last year, hospitality conglomerate Marriott International and the V&A Waterfront announced plans to build an ultra-luxury R1 billion hotel, known as the Cape Town EDITION, the first of its kind on the African continent.
It forms part of the Quay 7 development, on the eastern side of the V&A Waterfront, and is part of the much larger expansion of the Waterfront and Granger Bay area.
It is not to be confused with the R1 billion refurbishment at the Table Bay Hotel, also at the Waterfront, which has recently reopened.
According to Time Out, the EDITION Hotel will feature
- 142 hotel rooms and suites
- 6 serviced private residences
- A rooftop bar and pool
- A luxury spa
- Destination restaurants and dining
- High-end event and lifestyle spaces
- Extensive views towards the harbour, ocean and Table Mountain
It is expected to open in October 2026.
ATTRACTION OR EYE-SORE
On the X app, many South Africans, particularly Cape Town residents, reacted to pictures of the EDITION Hotel, which is still under construction.
Investor Sean Ashton tweeted from his account: “The architect responsible for this monstrosity going up at the V&A Waterfront should be charged with a crime.
Podcaster Gareth Cliff added, “Why is almost everything built since 1920 so purposefully designed to be ugly? Why did the postmodernists influence architects so easily? The match of form and function is such a glorious thing when achieved with beauty as a virtue for its own sake”.
Here’s how others described it…
@waltman11: “Soviet style architecture”.
@africanbison: “Looks like a prison”
@UnityInSA: “Looks like a university building. The ones that were built 50-60 years ago”
@nomsaSkhanyile: “Looks like an inverted Noah’s Ark 😣”
@oliverrc_za: “For such a beautiful location, it is a truly hideous building”
Why is almost everything built since 1920 so purposefully designed to be ugly? Why did the postmodernists influence architects so easily. The match of form and function is such a glorious thing when achieved with beauty as a virtue for its own sake… https://t.co/N3qJsD6Efp
— Gareth Cliff (@GarethCliff) August 9, 2026