City Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa
9.2
The Silo Hotel
A 1920s grain silo reborn above the Zeitz MOCAA museum, its pillowed glass windows framing Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront.
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South Africa
Cape Town
Cape Town holds a claim, argued with some justice, to being the world's most beautiful city. Table Mountain's flat summit anchors a peninsula of white beaches, vineyard valleys and two oceans' worth of coastline, all within an hour of a creative, complicated, irresistibly alive urban centre.
Luxury travellers find remarkable range here: Atlantic-view hotels in Camps Bay and the V&A Waterfront, wine estates with grand manor houses in Constantia and the Winelands, and safari lodges a short flight away. Add a dining scene of serious ambition and pricing that flatters most currencies, and Cape Town over-delivers on every front.
The best hotels in Cape Town
City Hotel
Cape Town, South Africa
9.1
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel
Cape Town's blush-pink grande dame of 1899, set in nine acres of gardens beneath Table Mountain and famous for its extravagant afternoon tea.
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Resort
Cape Town, South Africa
8.9
The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa
A cliff-side retreat on the Atlantic coast road beyond Camps Bay, wedged between the Twelve Apostles mountain range and the open ocean.
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Best areas to stay
V&A Waterfront
The working-harbour precinct blends premier hotels, the Zeitz MOCAA museum and boat trips, all within a secure, walkable enclave.
Camps Bay & the Atlantic Seaboard
Palm-lined beachfront beneath the Twelve Apostles, with sunset-facing hotels and the city's most glamorous strip of sand.
Constantia
The oldest wine valley in the southern hemisphere offers manor-house hotels, vineyard walks and a genteel, green retreat from the city.
Dining & nightlife
Cape Town's kitchens rank with the world's best-value fine dining, pairing Cape produce and seafood with wines from an hour's drive away. Bree Street and Kloof Street carry the bar scene, while the Winelands host destination restaurants worth planning a day around.
Travelling as a family
Families have penguins at Boulders Beach, the cable car up Table Mountain, the Two Oceans Aquarium and beach picnics on the warmer False Bay side. Many hotels and wine estates welcome children with real enthusiasm and plenty of lawn.
Travelling as a couple
Couples can watch sunset from Signal Hill with a picnic, ride the cableway at golden hour and spend a slow day tasting through Constantia or Franschhoek. A helicopter loop over the peninsula and dinner on the Atlantic seaboard complete a superlative romantic itinerary.
Cultural highlights
- Table Mountain's summit trails and cableway
- Robben Island's UNESCO-listed history
- The Zeitz MOCAA museum of contemporary African art
- The Bo-Kaap's painted houses and Cape Malay heritage
The Browntravels Edit
Exceptional hotels, delivered beautifully.
Exceptional hotels, new openings and destination inspiration, delivered beautifully. Once a week, never more.