16 Best Hotels in Cape Town

"No matter what design wizardry unfolds inside Cape Town hotels, the superlative views of Table Mountain always end up stealing the show. But this quirky stay in the heart of the still-rough-around-the-edges Central Business District, gives visitors a fresh perspective. Thanks to its vantage point above the richly textured architecture of the city bowl, the windows look out over neoclassical landmarks, observing gabled Cape Dutch rooftops in conversation with Art Deco towers. It took six years for the owners to seamlessly renovate an Art Deco structure and its Edwardian neighbor, and given this mishmash of influences, the result is a hotel that could exist nowhere in the world but in the heart of the Mother City. Designer Tristan du Plessis imbued the interiors with a strong “local is lekker” sensibility, to borrow a popular South African catchphrase, which prizes things made close to home. In the lobby this means blue-and-white Delft tiles by Capetonian ceramist Lucie de Moyencourt that map out the neighborhood and South African brands like the plush leather sofas from Artifact (cushiness quotient: high). Gorgeous George lives up to its name— it’s just the kind of clever, design-centric hideaway that the area sorely lacked. —Sarah Khan Insider Tip: Ace mixologist Leighton Rathbone carries the local vibes through to the cocktail menu, with drinks using South African brands such as 4th Rabbit agave and fynbos-infused Inverroche gin. Doubles from $150" - Jane Broughton