World's Best

Travel + Leisure Readers’ 5 Favorite City Hotels in Africa of 2023

From historic touchpoints to awe-inspiring wildlife, these urban destinations in our “World’s Best Awards” survey in 2023 welcome guests with long-lasting memories.

By

Heather Richardson

Published on July 11, 2023

Once again, Cape Town proves to be Travel + Leisure readers’ favorite destination for urban hotels in Africa. Three of the top five hotels are based in the picturesque Mother City, where the iconic Table Mountain takes center stage, fringed by the Atlantic Ocean.

How Voting Works

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Nearly 165,000 T+L readers completed the 2023 survey, an increase of nearly 25 percent over pre-pandemic voting levels. A total of more than 685,000 votes were cast across over 8,500 unique properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).

Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:

Rooms/facilities
Location
Service
Food
Value

For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.

A woman walks through the spa at the Saxon Hotel, Villas, Spa in Johannesburg — Courtesy of Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa

What Readers Loved

In South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, the Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa (No. 3) was described by one reader as an “extraordinary hotel, one of the best I have ever visited,” with “huge, well-appointed rooms and amazing grounds.” Another reader also complimented the beautiful estate, adding that the service was “five-star,” the wine collection “amazing,” and the history “fascinating.” (When the property was still the private home of a wealthy businessman, Nelson Mandela stayed on the second floor and finished his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom).

A sense of history appeals to T+L readers. Claiming the top spot this year is Mount Nelson Hotel, a Belmond Hotel, a pastel pink property within lush grounds in the aptly named Gardens neighborhood of Cape Town. The hotel is one of the oldest in the country, having opened in 1899. “A great classic luxury hotel,” said one reader. Another claimed, “It’s the best hotel in South Africa.”

The only hotel outside South Africa to make the top five is Giraffe Manor (No. 2) in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. It’s famed for the Rothschild’s giraffes that visit the hotel from the neighboring sanctuary. At breakfast, guests can hand-feed the lofty animals through dining room windows. One reader exclaimed, “Everyone should experience the Giraffe Manor and its giraffes at least once in their lives!”

The Winner

Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town: Cape Town, South Africa

Balcony with a table set for breakfast, at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town — Courtesy of Belmond

This South African grand dame has been a fixture in Cape Town for more than 120 years. One advantage of its large size, which spans 198 rooms and suites, is the hotel's range of facilities — there are two heated outdoor pools in the leafy gardens, a children’s club, a spa, several dining spaces, and plenty of fitness activities, from outdoor yoga and tennis to gym sessions or bootcamp classes.