One&Only Cape Town is a luxury resort located on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa.

Comfortably nestled on the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in South Africa’s Cape Town, One&Only Cape Town is an ultra-luxury resort with sweeping views of Table Mountain, the city’s largest hotel swimming pool and only Nobu restaurant, and a luxury spa located on its own private man-made island at the center of the expansive property.

Surrounded by lush palm trees and gardens, One&Only Spa is a tranquil oasis that offers the ultimate setting for island-style relaxation. Decorated in soothing shades of blue and grey with ethereal textures, the spa is inspired by the vast southern skies and reflects the natural beauty and calming energy of Cape Town.

Spa amenities include thermal suites, relaxation areas, outdoor gardens, curated refreshments, and more. The spa menu features bespoke treatments that are designed to rejuvenate and rebalance by combining indigenous ingredients and holistic wellness practices, and every month during the full moon the spa also offers special full moon rituals and experiences.

We chatted with Anwin Marlow-Roux, Spa & Fitness Manager at One&Only Cape Town, who shared more about treatments to try, insider tips, and more.

One&Only Spa is located on its own private island and takes its inspiration from the southern skies.

Why You’ll Love It: What makes our guests love the Spa at One&Only Cape Town is our serene island setting, deeply personalized wellness experiences, and the way we blend an exceptional guest experience with authentic Cape Town-inspired healing rituals.

Our guests are especially drawn to our bespoke Signature treatments inspired by local ingredients and traditions such as rooibos, baobab oil, kelp, indigenous herbs, and African massage techniques.

Overall, our guests appreciate that the spa feels both restorative and destination-driven — offering world-class wellness in a setting that reflects the natural beauty and calming energy of Cape Town.

The spa has several relaxation lounges where guests can spend time in-between their treatments.

Key Features: Our spa offers a tranquil island-inspired wellness sanctuary designed for complete relaxation and rejuvenation. Guests are encouraged to arrive ahead of treatments, and linger long after, to enjoy the spa’s idyllic wellness facilities and serene atmosphere. Amenities and features include:

Thermal Suites and relaxation areas (saunas, vitality pools and steam rooms — these hydrothermal facilities are accessible to guests over 16 years old).
2x dedicated couple’s suites for shared spa experiences and rituals.
Signature treatments for massages, facials, body therapies, maternity treatments, and holistic rituals.
Advanced aesthetic treatment offerings featuring Biologique Recherche technology and diagnostics, combining cutting-edge skin analysis with highly personalized protocols tailored to each guest’s unique skin condition, concerns, and long-term skincare goals.
Luxury manicure and pedicure studio by Bastien Gonzalez, internationally celebrated for elevating hand and foot care into a refined wellness ritual that blends impeccable grooming, therapeutic expertise, and understated looks.
Healthy spa dining is included with select half- and full-day indulgence packages thoughtfully curated to complement the wellness journey with nourishing, beautifully prepared cuisine designed to leave guests feeling restored, balanced, and energised.

The overall spa experience is inspired by Cape Town’s natural surroundings, combining indigenous ingredients, holistic wellness practices, sound therapy, and modern skincare innovation in a calm setting.

The refreshment area is fully stocked with a selection of healthy foods, beverages, and the spa’s famous carrot cake.

Snacks Served: At the spa, guests are invited to indulge in a thoughtfully curated collection of artisanal refreshments designed to complement the wellness journey and elevate the overall experience. Each selection has been carefully crafted to nourish the body while creating moments of comfort, balance, and quiet indulgence. Our bespoke wellness menu features five signature pillars:

Sleep: Soothing selections created to encourage deep relaxation and restorative rest, featuring calming chamomile tea, premium almonds, and delicate kiwi jelly cups.
Balance: Nutrient-rich offerings designed to support harmony and overall well-being, including mineral-infused electrolyte water, crisp sweet potato chips, and wasabi-coated walnuts.
Energy: Naturally revitalizing refreshments that provide sustained energy and nourishment, such as freshly prepared peanut butter and banana smoothies, pumpkin seed bark, and handcrafted date balls.
Comfort: Indulgent treats curated for celebration and self-care, including chilled mimosas, decadent carrot cake, and elegant dark chocolate macarons.
Probiotic: Gut-friendly selections rich in beneficial probiotics to support digestive wellness, featuring small-batch kombucha, chai blueberry pots, and salted oat bars.

Every refreshment has been selected to reflect the spa’s philosophy of holistic well-being, offering guests a nutritious balance of nourishment, indulgence, and mindful enjoyment.

The spa also has an outdoor garden where guests can relax in a peaceful setting.

Insider’s Tip: Do. Not. Skip. The. Carrot Cake! It has become something of an insider favorite among our guests. Perfectly spiced, indulgently moist, and paired beautifully with a post-treatment tea or mimosa, it is the kind of unexpected little treat that guests continue talking about long after their visit. Many come for the treatments but return craving the carrot cake just as much.

The spa blends soothing shades of blue and grey with ethereal textures, cloudy marbles, and galaxy-inspired lighting to honor the Southern skies.

Bonus: One of the special touches guests are often delighted to discover is our curated wellness refreshment experience, offered complimentary throughout their spa journey.

Rather than traditional refreshments alone, guests are invited to enjoy a selection of thoughtfully crafted beverages and artisanal snacks tailored to different wellness intentions, from calming sleep-supporting teas and probiotic elixirs to energizing smoothies and indulgent celebratory treats such as mimosas, handcrafted macarons, and our very popular carrot cake.

In addition, guests are encouraged to spend time unwinding in our relaxation spaces before and after treatments, allowing the experience to extend beyond the treatment room into a complete ritual of restoration, nourishment, and escape.

The spa’s hydrothermal facilities include saunas, vitality pools, and steam rooms.

Splurge Treatment: For a truly indulgent spa experience at One&Only Cape Town, the standout splurge treatment is the Essence of Cape Town signature ritual.

This 120-minute full-body journey is designed to completely immerse guests in relaxation while showcasing the healing elements of Cape Town’s ocean and botanical surroundings. The treatment includes a sea-salt and oil exfoliation, a heated cocooning kelp wrap, a balancing scalp and facial massage, A bespoke full-body massage, and detoxifying green tea served in the relaxation lounge afterward

What makes it especially luxurious is the layered experience, completely combining exfoliation, body wrap, massage, skincare, aromatherapy, and post-treatment relaxation into one extended ritual. The treatment is deeply sensory, restorative, and uniquely rooted in local ingredients and wellness traditions.

The spa’s treatment menu features exclusive rituals that are designed to revitalize and rebalance.

Favorite Treatment: If I had to choose one standout treatment at One&Only Cape Town, it would be the African Journey experience. What makes it especially memorable is how authentically South African the experience feels.

The treatment combines uplifting sweet orange and baobab oil aromas with a rooibos and rock salt exfoliation, followed by a massage using the traditional African Rungu stick to release tension. The ritual concludes with a calming rooibos tea ceremony, leaving guests feeling restored both physically and mentally. It captures everything that makes the spa unique:

Locally-inspired ingredients
Holistic wellness
Sensory relaxation
A strong connection to Cape Town’s natural and cultural heritage

For guests looking for an experience that feels grounding and distinctly destination-inspired, this is a beautiful choice.

The spa’s treatments are inspired by the soothing energies of the southern skies and natural healing traditions.

Unique Treatment: The most unique treatment at One&Only Cape Town is arguably the Nature’s Resonance by ESPA experience. It stands out because it was created exclusively for One&Only Resorts and combines wellness technology, sound therapy, and nature-inspired healing into one immersive ritual.

The treatments use binaural audio, the Solfeggio frequency scale, and rhythms of nature to promote emotional and physical balance.
It also includes noise-cancelling headphones with locally-inspired soundscapes and music.
Blends sound therapy with a full-body massage for a deeply sensory experience.

Inspired by the calming energies of nature, it is strongly connected to Cape Town’s environment and identity.

Every month during the full moon, One&Only Spa offers special full moon rituals that are complemented by twilight sound bowl ceremonies and Zen meditations.

Featured Products: One&Only Spa offers a deliberately curated selection of only a small handful of exceptional wellness and skincare brands, chosen for their efficacy, craftsmanship, and alignment with the resort’s holistic approach to well-being. These brands are thoughtfully integrated throughout the spa experience, both within treatments and across the retail offering, allowing guests to continue their wellness journey beyond the treatment room.

ESPA: Internationally regarded for its holistic approach to well-being, seamlessly blending advanced skincare science with aromatherapy, mindfulness, and restorative spa rituals. Rooted in the belief that true beauty begins with inner balance, ESPA is particularly celebrated for its sensorial treatments, therapeutic essential oil blends, and deeply relaxing massage experiences that nurture both physical and emotional well-being.

Biologique Recherche: Featured in the aesthetic and advanced facial treatment section, including Skin Instant Lab, Remodeling Face®, and Micro Puncture Lab therapies. The brand is globally respected for its uncompromising, clinical approach to skincare, combining advanced formulations, meticulous treatment methodologies, and highly personalized skin diagnostics. Renowned for its exceptionally high concentration of active ingredients and bespoke treatment protocols, the brand is particularly sought after for transformative results in skin health, texture, hydration, and age management. With a philosophy centred around treating each skin condition individually rather than following trends, Biologique Recherche has earned a devoted following among skincare professionals, aestheticians, and discerning wellness guests worldwide. One&Only Spa, being one of only two Biologique Recherche destinations on the continent, this one is a winner.

Bastien Gonzalez: One&Only Spa offers Bastien Gonzalez’s globally recognized pedicure, manicure, and foot wellness treatments. Internationally renowned for redefining hand and foot care through a uniquely therapeutic and beauty-led approach, Bastien’s methodology combines podiatry-inspired techniques with meticulous grooming and wellness rituals, his treatments are celebrated for delivering both aesthetic refinement and genuine restorative care. Favoured the world’s leading hotels and spas, the Bastien Gonzalez philosophy elevates manicures and pedicures beyond traditional services into highly specialized experiences focused on comfort, precision, and understated elegance.

One&Only Cape Town is also home to the city’s largest hotel swimming pool surrounded by lush trees with private cabanas and loungers.

For more information about One&Only Spa and One&Only Cape Town, visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @oocapetown

[Photos courtesy of One&Only Cape Town]

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