Easter is just around the corner, and whether you’re planning a long weekend escape to the coast, a cross-border adventure or a staycation closer to home, there’s one thing you shouldn’t have to worry about: your accommodation looking nothing like the photos.

We’ve all been there. You book something that looks dreamy online, only to check in and find a very different reality. City Lodge Hotels calls it ‘flatfishing’ – and this April, they’re offering travellers across South Africa a reliable escape with their SOS (Save Our Stay) offer: up to 30% off your stay, just go to their website here.

Simply tap the SOS button, find your nearest property, and check in with confidence. No dodgy surprises. Just a clean, comfortable and well-located hotel that looks exactly like the listing.

If you’re heading to Cape Town this Easter long weekend, City Lodge Hotels has six well-placed properties to make it the perfect base. From the stylishly reimagined City Lodge Hotel V&A Waterfront – with canal-facing rooms, an all-South-African wine bar and a sleek co-working space – to the budget-friendly Road Lodge Cape Town International Airport, there’s a hotel to suit every kind of traveller and every budget.

Cape Town in late summer is a dream: warm days, golden evenings and a city buzzing with holiday energy. Spend Good Friday at the Kirstenbosch picnic concert or the V&A Waterfront. On Saturday, head into the winelands – the Spier Light Art exhibition runs until 6 April – or take the Table Mountain cable car for breathtaking views.

Easter Sunday calls for Boulders Penguin Colony, Camps Bay and a browse through the Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay. And before you leave on Monday, hop on a City Sightseeing Red Bus and explore the colour-drenched streets of Bo-Kaap.

City Lodge Hotel GrandWest (Cape Dutch charm meets mountain views), City Lodge Hotel Pinelands (leafy, family-friendly and close to the airport), Town Lodge Bellville (fresh refurb with Tygerberg Valley views) and Road Lodge N1 City (smart, affordable and centrally located) round out the Cape Town portfolio.

Read the full article in Cape Town Etc here.