“Heritage Square, City Centre. A boutique built into an 18th-century building on one of Cape Town's oldest squares. Rooms combine European and African design elements, each one different. Rooftop jacuzzi and six restaurants opening onto the square below.”

“Skukuza, outside Kruger's Paul Kruger Gate. The positioning is the entire point: you're at the park entrance without the logistics of an in-park rest camp. Pool, an amazing buffet breakfast and dinner, and a location that lets you be inside the park at dawn.”

“Sandhurst. The hotel where Mandela edited Long Walk to Freedom after his release. Suites with private gardens, a Balinese-inspired spa, and farm-to-table dining. The most storied hotel in the city, and it operates at a level that justifies the comparison.”

“Houghton. A newer five-star with an 18-hole golf course, spa, and rooftop bar. The modern luxury option in Joburg for people who find the Saxon too formal and the Four Seasons too spread out.”

“City Centre, near the Company's Garden. Housed in two heritage buildings, including the former Reserve Bank. 176 rooms. The five-star that blends colonial architecture with Indian hospitality, and both sides of that equation work.”

“St James, False Bay coast. Owned by Rovos Rail and run with the same attention to detail. A small guesthouse in a quiet seaside village south of the city, with views of the Muizenberg mountains and the Indian Ocean.”

“Gardens, central Cape Town. The "Nellie" has been here since 1899 and the pink facade is recognizable from across the city. Gardens, a pool, a spa, and afternoon tea that functions as a civic institution. The heritage hotel in Cape Town, and the one with the longest memory.”

“Kloof Street, Gardens. A converted Victorian townhouse on Cape Town's best restaurant and bar street. Boutique-sized, well-designed, and walkable to everything in the City Bowl. The mid-range pick that benefits most from its address.”

“Camps Bay. A small design hotel with Atlantic Ocean views and a minimalist aesthetic. You're paying for the Camps Bay position and the sunset, and both deliver. Not a full-service hotel, but Camps Bay doesn't require one.”

“Westcliff, Jan Smuts Avenue. Nine hillside villas connected by courtyards and gardens, with a 240-degree view over the Johannesburg treetops. Two pools, a spa, and the Flames restaurant for traditional braai. Feels more like a village than a tower hotel.”

“Rosebank. The lifestyle brand pitched at a younger market, with a rooftop bar and proximity to the Rosebank Mall and Sunday market. Mid-range pricing and a neighborhood that feels walkable by Joburg standards.”