Cape Town boasts such a wide variety of accommodation.  You can choose to stay at the familiar bed and breakfast right up to a 5 star hotel, or there are plenty of unusual places to stay on offer, such as private game reserves and guest farms.  Below is how accommodation is defined in South Africa, which may help find the right accommodation for you.

Hotels. A Hotel provides accommodation to the travelling public, has a reception area and offers at least a ‘breakfast room’ or communal eating area. In general a hotel makes food and beverage services available to guests, these may be outsourced or provided by the hotel.

Guest houses.  A guest house is a converted house, manor etc adapted to accommodate overnight guests or it may be a purpose-built facility.  A guest house is run as a commercial operation and is often owner-managed.  A guest house has public areas for the exclusive use of the guest.  The owner/manager either lives offsite, or  in a separate area within the property.

Bed and Breakfast.  Bed and breakfast accommodation is usually provided in a family (private) home and the owner/manager lives in the house or on the property.  Breakfast is usually served.  Bathroom facilities may or may not be en-suite and/or private.  In general, the guest shares the public areas with the host family.

Lodge Accommodation.  A lodge is an accommodation facility located in natural surroundings.  The rates charged are usually inclusive of an experience offered at the lodge, e.g. Game drives, battlefield tours, etc.  In general, food and beverage services are provided for all meals. 

Self-Catering.  A house, cottage, chalet, bungalow, flat, studio, apartment, villa, houseboat, tents or similar accommodation where facilities and equipment are provided for guests to cater for themselves. The facilities should be adequate to cater for the maximum advertised number of residents the facility can accommodate.