BlackBrick Hotels, Africa’s leading lifestyle hotel brand, has added a new area code to its growing portfolio with the opening of their Cape Town flagship BlackBrick Gardens, on 20 November 2025. Located on Roodehek Street, the 93-apartment hotel marks a bold new chapter for the group’s global expansion, transforming a former mid-century hat factory into a contemporary hub for staying, working and connecting.
Set at the foot of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain, BlackBrick Gardens represents the next evolution of the brand’s culture-led apartment hotels – a seamless blend of short- and long-term stays tailored for the progressive nomad, contract professional and modern traveller.
Whilst preserving the heritage of its exterior, the building has been designed to balance privacy and connection. A dramatically excavated central atrium, floods the interior with natural light, anchoring the space. Each apartment is compact yet functional with 2 balconies (‘stoeps’), kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and lounge.
The property features 6 food and beverage concepts, including two restaurants, co–working and meeting spaces, a Pilates studio, rooftop terrace and pool, as well as the BB+ Membershipplatform – a curated experiences program giving locals and members access to events, walk and talks, wellness, art, design and architecture. You also have Max’s Mezcal Bar, Lucy’s Juice Bar, a Minimalist Wine tasting lane and a partnership with award winning Rosetta Roastery featuring the very best in artisanal coffee blends at the coffee bar.
“Every space within, above and below has its own story – the design is intentional,” says Jonathan Liebmann, co-founder of BlackBrick Hotels. “Lucy’s and Max’s aren’t just names on a door – they’re part of a personal narrative that runs through the building. Each venue was conceived with purpose, character and connection in mind.”
Food sits at the heart of the BlackBrick experience. F&B partner, Diego Silva has introduced two dining concepts: atrás, a refined, ingredient-driven restaurant in the reception, and arriba, located on the rooftop terrace and pool deck, is built around sharing plates and social energy.
General Manager, Logan Naidoo, leads operations at Gardens: “We’ve created a space that feels human in every sense – where design, service and technology work quietly in the background so people can truly connect. It’s a hotel that moves at the rhythm of our guests – whether they’re here for a night or a month.”
For Jonathan the project is about more than hospitality: “Gardens is the prototype for where we’re headed globally. Our model is about designing spaces that people can stay, work and create in – hotels that feel like homes, but also unlock the possibility of chance encounters and collaboration.
Just as importantly, it’s about upliftment. Roodehek Street is becoming a hub of local partnerships and co-labs, which I’m deeply passionate about given my history in urban regeneration. Cape Town is the right place to set that blueprint.”
With established locations in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Umhlanga on the horizon, BlackBrick’s footprint continues to grow – with expansion to the USA next in line.
