Luxury Hotels In Cape Town - Which One Is Right For You?

Trying to find the best luxury hotels in Cape Town? Today I’m sharing our experience at the top three Cape Town hotels!

Have you heard – South Africa is open for travel! We were in South Africa this February and it’s a beautiful country with so much to see and do. A highlight for us was exploring Cape Town and all that is has to offer.

During our time in Cape Town, we stayed at three different hotels and today I’m sharing the pros and cons of each one! Whether you’re planning a trip or just daydreaming about a journey to South Africa, today’s post is for you.

Luxury Hotels In Cape Town – Which One Is Right For You?

On our trip from Honolulu, we flew into Cape Town, so our very first stop was 12 Apostles. It’s a beautiful hotel and spa right on the coast and the views leave NOTHING to be desired. It’s magical for sunrise and sunset! It’s also a great jumping off point for doing the drive down to Boulders Beach and Chapman’s Peak Drive. The food is excellent, service is top notch, and definitely make a sunset reservation at the Leopard Bar!

12 Apostles Hotel + Spa

If you plan to spend the majority of your at the Cape Town Waterfront or in the heart of Cape Town, this might not be the best hotel for you. It’s a bit of a haul into town + definitely requires a vehicle of hired driver!

After a couple days at 12 Apostles, we headed over to the Cape Grace, located at the V&A Waterfront. It’s safe to say Cape Grace is in the heart of the ‘action’ in Cape Town! It’s a beautiful property full of charm and history, but I’ll be candid -we didn’t have a great experience here.

Cape Grace

We booked a three night stay at this property, not realizing the hotel was also hosting a mining conference at overlapping times. It was made clear from check-in that the businessmen taking part in this conference held precedence over other guests and the attitude of the general staff was severely lacking. When we finally got to our room, it was in a back corner of the hotel and when we opened the door, a swarm of flies buzzed out. Needless to say, we asked for a different room, only to be told “well that was an upgrade!” The entire stay went exactly as check in — mishap after mishap. The bottom line is that this property has potential (and it’s in a great location!) but for the price, I wouldn’t stay again.

After we had been on safari, we had a full day and night in Cape Town before getting on our flight back to the U.S., so we booked a night at the Belmond Mount Nelson.

Belmond Mount Nelson

Belmond Mount Nelson sits on top of a hill overlooking the city and is about a 15 minute walk to V&A Waterfront. I’ll come right out and say it – this was by far our favorite Cape Town hotel. The property itself if sprawling and filled with history. Everything from check-in to service, the rooms (NEXT LEVEL BEDS AND ROOM SERVICE) and amenities, and food were spectacular. We will definitely be back again one day in the future!