Must-see hotels in Cape Town

  • Ellerman House

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Imagine you’ve been invited to stay with an immensely rich, art-collecting Capetonian friend – that's what the vibe is like at the Ellerman House, an…

  • Tintswalo Atlantic

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    The only hotel in Table Mountain National Park has been rebuilt with its secluded seaside charm intact following a disastrous fire in March 2015…

  • Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

    Cape Town

    A world apart from the rest of the city, sitting in three hectares of gardens, the sugar-pink-painted ‘Nellie’ is a colonial charmer with its chintz decor…

  • Camps Bay Retreat

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Based in the grand Earl’s Dyke Manor (dating from 1929), this splendid place is set in a secluded nature reserve a short walk from the Camps Bay strip…

  • Hotel Verde

    Cape Town

    It's easy to see why the self-proclaimed 'greenest hotel' in Africa has won sustainability awards. Rooms are comfy, with creative design, and local arts…

  • One&Only Cape Town

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    Little expense seems to have been spared creating this luxury resort. Choose between enormous, plush rooms in the main building (with panoramic views of…

  • Winchester Mansions Hotel

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Offering a waterfront location (you’ll pay extra for sea-view rooms), this elegant Sea Point institution dates to the 1920s, but adds contemporary appeal…

  • Villa Zest

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    This Bauhaus–style villa has been converted into a quirkily decorated boutique hotel. The seven guest rooms have bold, retro-design papered walls and…

  • Taj Cape Town

    Cape Town

    India’s luxury hotel group has breathed new life into the old Board of Executors building. There’s plenty of heritage here, but a new tower also houses…

  • Vineyard Hotel & Spa

    Cape Town

    This delightful hotel's rooms have a contemporary look and are decorated in soothing natural tones. Built around the 1799 home of Lady Anne Barnard, it’s…

  • Orange Kloof Tented Camp

    Cape Town

    Perhaps the best of the Table Mountain National Park tented camps, Orange Kloof is tucked away in a beautiful area near Constantia Nek and provides direct…

  • Wish U Were Here

    Cape Town

    The designers clearly had a lot of fun with this place, just a short stroll from the Old Biscuit Mill. One dorm is Barbie-doll pink; a romantic double has…

  • Mannabay

    Cape Town

    Nothing seems too much bother for the staff at this knockout property, decorated with stunning pieces of contemporary art by local artists. The eight…

  • La Grenadine

    Cape Town

    Expat couple Maxime and Mélodie ladle on the Gallic charm at this imaginatively renovated former stables, where the ancient stone walls are a feature of…

  • Cape Heritage Hotel

    Cape Town

    Each of the 19 rooms at this elegant boutique hotel, part of the Heritage Sq redevelopment of 18th-century buildings, has its own character. Some have…

  • Ocean View House

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    It's all about location at this family-run guesthouse, set in a fynbos (literally ‘fine bush') garden between the Twelve Apostles range and the rocky…

  • Glen Boutique Hotel

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    This gorgeous, gay-friendly boutique hotel occupies an elegant old house and a newer block behind. Spacious rooms are decorated in natural tones of stone…

  • Cape Grace

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    One of the Waterfront’s most appealing hotels, Cape Grace sports an arty combination of antiques and crafts decoration – including hand-painted bed covers…

  • Bella Ev

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    This charming guesthouse, with a delightful courtyard garden, could be the setting for an Agatha Christie mystery, one in which the home’s owner has a…

  • 91 Loop

    Cape Town

    Jo'burg investors are behind this new and buzzing place offering a good range of rooms, including pods – essentially a dorm bed but instead of a bunk you…

  • Kopanong

    Cape Town

    Thope Lekau, also called ‘Mama Africa’, runs this excellent B&B with her equally ebullient daughter, Mpho. Her substantial brick home offers three…

  • Cloud 9

    Cape Town

    This arty new boutique hotel and spa has been created from combining several formerly separate properties. Rooms differ depending on what part of the…

  • B.I.G. Backpackers

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    Tucked away on the slopes of Green Point, this backpackers has a fun, laid-back atmosphere with decently decorated rooms, chill areas and a big kitchen …

  • Liziwe Guest House

    Cape Town

    Liziwe has made her home into a palace, with seven delightful en-suite rooms all sporting TVs and African-themed decor. She was featured on a BBC cooking…

  • Grand Daddy Hotel

    Cape Town

    The Grand Daddy’s star attraction is its rooftop 'trailer park' of penthouse suites, made from seven vintage, artistically renovated Airstream trailers…

  • Rouge on Rose

    Cape Town

    This great Bo-Kaap option offers nine rustic-chic suites with kitchenettes, lounges and lots of workspace. The fun wall paintings are by a resident artist…

  • Ashanti Gardens

    Cape Town

    This is one of Cape Town’s slickest backpackers, with much of the action focused on the lively bar and deck that overlook Table Mountain. The beautiful…

  • Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa

    Sea Point to Hout Bay

    Silky wallpaper, piles of pillows and the owner's art collection bring a refined atmosphere to this seaside option, which, having happily survived a veld…

  • Smitswinkel Tented Camp

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    Smitswinkel's six bright and spacious permanent tents, each sleeping two in single beds, are the only ones within Table Mountain National Park with en…

  • Backpack

    Cape Town

    This Fair Trade in Tourism–accredited operation offers affordable style, a buzzing vibe and fantastic staff. Its dorms may not be Cape Town’s cheapest but…

  • Once in Cape Town

    Cape Town

    Once has a great vibe and location, and every room has its own bathroom. While the rooms are pretty compact, they are all pleasantly decorated. There's a…

  • Purple Rayn

    Cape Town

    The huge rooms here all have patios or balconies with magnificent views of forest, mountain or the sprawling suburbs stretching all the way to False Bay…

  • Olifantsbos Guest House

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    Escape from it all at this pretty whitewashed cottage, with an isolated position just steps from the beach and the pounding waves of the Atlantic. The…

  • Silo Hotel

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    In counterpoint to its former industrial surroundings, and the clean lines of Thomas Heatherwick's redesign of the grain silo, Silo Hotel opts for eye…

  • Andros Boutique Hotel

    Cape Town

    Set in expansive gardens, this handsome Cape Dutch Revival homestead dating from 1908 was designed by Sir Herbert Baker. The rooms and suites are spacious…

  • Daddy Long Legs Hotel

    Cape Town

    A stay at this boutique hotel-cum-art installation is anything but boring. Thirteen artists were given free rein to design the boudoirs of their dreams;…

  • Alphen

    Cape Town

    A glitzy makeover has transformed this historic estate into a bling-tastic property with 19 suites offering features such as 'his and her' bathrooms…

  • SunSquare Cape Town City Bowl

    Cape Town

    Perfectly located in the middle of the city's restaurant and bar action, SunSquare offers stylish if compact rooms, some with excellent views of Table…

  • Eco Wave Lodge

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    Just 100m from the beach – perfect for surfers – this spacious suburban house has a large dining room (complete with chandelier), lounge with pool table,…

  • Dock House

    Green Point & ­Waterfront

    Butlers dressed in white kurta-style pyjamas greet you at this super-elegant six-bedroom property crafted out of the former harbour master’s house. The…