Where to stay in Cape Town South Africa: all the best hotels

Cape Town is the jewel of South Africa. There are a lot of sites to discover in this city, starting with these very varied districts: Bo-Kaap, Camps Bay, Sea Point, Green point or even Waterfront. Of course there are also must-see attractions like Table Mountain, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden or the Robben Island Prison. And once all of this is visited, you can still enjoy the many activities in town: hiking at Lions Head, sunset at Signal Hill, District 6 museum, shopping at the Waterfront, diving with seals or sharks, relaxing on the beach. Clifton beach or Camps Bay, etc… There is something for all tastes and for all ages. To make the most of the city and all it has to offer, we recommend that you sleep in one of the best hotels in Cape Town listed below.

NB: We recommend booking your activities and tours in Cape Town in advance to avoid queuing there (especially for the Table Mountain Funicular). But also, to be sure to have a ticket! (In particular for the visit to Robben Island which is often full in summer.)

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NB : Cape Town is very popular with tourists so we advise you to book well in advance if you want to be sure of having the room of your choice (especially from December to the end of February).

The best B & Bs to sleep in Cape Town, South Africa

These four B&Bs are all in the same price range and offer a similar quality of service. They are the rare pearls of Cape Town which combine central location, inexpensive cheap price and comfort.

For further : Discover the accommodations with the best value for money in South Africa

1. The Villa Rosa: the best Sea Point Guest House in Cape Town

Located on the heights of Sea Point in Cape Town, The Villa Rosa is a super charming guest house. The building is very pretty and the interior elegantly decorated. You are 5 minutes from the main road in this area of ​​Cape Town where you will find many bars, cafes and restaurants. We recommend the Mojo Market for a good evening atmosphere. They have many restaurant stalls, often live music, and a huge beer bar.

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For further : Discover the best guesthouses and B & Bs for accommodation in South Africa

2. The Blue House Guest house: a B&B near Kloof Street, Cape Town's busiest street

The Blue House Guesthouse is a very well run B&B in the quiet and affluent district of Tamboerskloof. You are a stone's throw from the Beleza café for good breakfasts or just opposite there is the trendy Power and Glory bar where you will always find a good atmosphere. Plus, you're a 5-minute walk from Kloof Street, Cape Town's busiest street.

most : they have a small swimming pool to refresh you in summer.

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For further : Discover the best hotels with swimming pools to stay in South Africa 

3. Villa Zeezicht: the best guesthouse in Gardens and Oranjezicht in Cape Town

Villa Zeezicht is a guest house built in a pretty traditional Cape building. It is located between Gardens and Oranjezicht which are the safest residential areas in the city center. You are less than a 5 minute drive from all major attractions. From the villa, you have a superb panoramic view of Cape Town below and Table Mountain above.

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For further : Discover the best accommodation for each type of hotel in South Africa

4. Bergzicht Guest house: the B&B with the most beautiful view of Table Mountain in Cape Town

Bergzicht Guesthouse is located at the foot of Signal Hill, at the top of the hill in the quiet and affluent Tamboerskloof district. Its location offers spectacular views of Table Mountain from its large deck and pool. This B&B is ideally located to be both 5 minutes from downtown Cape Town as well as Clifton Beach via the Kloof Neck Pass (by car). The Guest House is very well kept with attention to every detail. We felt right at home in South Africa!

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For further : Discover the best areas to stay in Cape Town in South Africa

Best Cape Town hostels in South Africa

We have selected both best hostels in Cape Town each with a very different profile. One for those who want to party and another for those who want to be quiet!

You have been warned! : We do not recommend all hostels located on Long Street. Often known for its bars, the street is not famous at night. Pickpockets (or worse) await tourists (but also locals) drunk at the exit of bars and clubs. During the day you can shop there (very nice) but we advise you to avoid the place at night. If you really want to go there, we recommend that you be dropped off by taxi in front of the bar and left by taxi from the bar. In short, avoid walking on this street at night.

1. Once in Cape Town: Cape Town's best party hostel

Once in Cape Town is the best hostel in Cape Town if you want to party. It is located right in the heart of Kloof Street, the busiest street in downtown Cape Town. But that's not all… She's upstairs at Cape Town's most popular bar. Noise level, choose the rooms that face the other side of the street to spend crazy nights while being able to sleep peacefully! The atmosphere is just great and you meet lots of people. No need to take a taxi to get out, you're right in the middle. The rooms are modern and well maintained. You have the choice between dormitories at unbeatable prices or double rooms. If you are a couple and want to meet new people, we recommend their double rooms. They are clean and comfortable. In addition, the rooms have a view of Table Mountain. For a price similar to other hostels, their dorms are better, they are better placed and the atmosphere is better. We also highly recommend their establishment in Johannesburg: the Once in Joburg.

Most : Once in Cape Town is served by the Baz bus and if you have rented a car in South Africa they have secure parking.

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For further : Discover the best hostels to stay in South Africa

2. The BIG Backpackers at Green Point: Cape Town's best hostel

Quality-wise, no hostel in Cape Town comes close to The BIG Backpackers. Indeed, this accommodation is a hybrid between youth hostel and B&B with a big penchant for the quality and comfort of a Guest House! Here, you are not in a noisy party atmosphere but in a very well-kept, calm and friendly place. We don't feel like being in a backpacker but rather like at home. Not having many rooms, the owners have time to take care of you in person and make sure you have a great stay in South Africa. Dormitory rooms are a little more expensive than other Cape Town establishments, but the quality is much higher here. Double rooms are very well priced and family rooms for 3 or 4 are certainly the best value in Cape Town. The hostel is located in Green Point which is an extremely peaceful downtown area close to the Waterfront and the ferry to Robben Island. Many bars and restaurants are around such as Giovanni's (the best delicatessen in Cape Town) or El Burro (famous Mexican bar and restaurant). In addition, they have a swimming pool which is very rare for a backpacker in town (we think it is the only one but we did not check from everywhere). In short, big crush.

most : The BIG Backpackers is served by the Baz bus.

Consulting : there are only a few rooms available so booking in advance is essential.

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For further : Discover the best hotels for families in South Africa

Cape Town's best boutique hotels in South Africa

Cape Town has many overpriced boutique hotels. But there are some excellent boutique hotels at reasonable prices. We recommend six that are for us Cape Town's Best Value Hotels.

1. Welgelegen: Cape Town's prettiest Gardens boutique hotel

This Victorian-style hotel offers well-decorated rooms with views of Table Mountain and a beautiful terrace with swimming pool. well-located is located on a street perpendicular to Kloof Street which is the busiest street in Cape Town. The hotel is therefore very central and close to all activities. We recommend you go for a drink at the Bombay Bicycle club just up the street and book a table at The Black Sheep restaurant (2min walk) which is one of the best addresses in Cape Town.

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For further : Discover the best boutique hotels to stay in South Africa

2. Ocean View House: the charming Camps Bay hotel with the most beautiful sea view

If you prefer to sleep facing the ocean, in a haven of peace, at the foot of Table Mountain, then the charming hotel Ocean View House is made for you. Located in Bakoven just outside Camps Bay, you are only a 10 minute drive from Cape Town city center. In addition, you have many beaches nearby: Llandudno, Camps Bay or even Clifton. And you can walk to the Camps Bay waterfront bars and restaurants. It's perfect for a drink at sunset.

most : The hotel rooms and swimming pool have a magnificent view of the sea.

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For further : Discover the best seaside hotels to stay in South Africa

3. La Grenadine: the most peaceful boutique hotel in downtown Cape Town

Located in a cul de sac in the city center and 50m from Kloof Street (the liveliest street in Cape Town), the boutique hotel The Grenadine surprises as soon as you pass through its doors. You don't expect to enter a beautiful garden which gives access to a completely renovated 19th century farm. The hotel is an island of calm in the middle of the city. It is quite extraordinary. The owners are very friendly French artists who will give you the best advice to fully enjoy Cape Town. They have tastefully furnished and decorated the building and the rooms are really top notch.

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For further : Discover the best 3-star hotels for accommodation in South Africa

4. Stock Exchange: the best hotel in Woodstock but also the most trendy in Cape Town

The best place to sleep in the Woodstock area of ​​Cape Town is without a doubt the Stock Exchange. The adjacent downtown district is the territory of artists. It was a popular place with low rents that attracted a lot of painting studios, craft beer factories and young independent designers, but today gentrification is in full swing. Everyone wants to live in this trendy neighborhood whose graffiti you can explore. The Stock Exchange is the typical example of this gentrification. The hotel itself is modern decorated and the rooms are top notch. A few years ago tourists did not come to this area. Today it is the coolest in Cape Town and it is impossible to park on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 13 p.m. Indeed, it is the opening day of the famous market of The Old Biscuit Mill (we highly recommend it to you, however, have your breakfast there or you will regret it!). Woodstock is also the district of the Test Kitchen, the best restaurant in South Africa and one of the 50 best restaurants in the world (reservations open 3 months in advance and leave in 5 minutes…).

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5. Rouge on Rose: Bo Kaap's chic boutique hotel in Cape Town

If you want to sleep in the Bo Kaap area, then we recommend Red on Pink. Its rooms are larger and more opulent. Located on the same street as our best value for money B & B / Guest House, Hotel Rouge on Rose therefore offers the same geographical advantages: close to the center, in the most colorful part of Cape Town, next to many bars and restaurants and 5min from De Waterkant.

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6. Winchester Mansions: the most emblematic hotel on the promenade from Sea Point to Cape Town

Winchester Mansions is a little more expensive than our other recommendations but it is the essential hotel on the promenade from Sea Point to Cape Town. Whether you stay there or not, we recommend that you have a drink on their terrace to watch the sunset over the ocean. The location of this hotel is just perfect: it combines wonderful sea views, quick access to Clifton and Camps Bay beaches while being a 5 minute drive from the town center. You will find many bars, cafes and restaurants in the main axis of this part of Cape Town which is just behind the hotel. The Sea Point promenade directly opposite runs along the sea to the municipal swimming pool. We recommend that you do your morning jog there with the locals and like them end up with a jump in the pool at the end of the track. The hotel also offers a superb swimming pool and an open-air patio always full of flowers where you can have your breakfast (if you are there on a Sunday, breakfast turns into brunch with live jazz: we highly recommend it!). The rooms are comfortable and those facing the sea have a fantastic view.

most : The red tourist buses that go around Cape Town have a stop right in front of the hotel.

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Best Cape Town luxury hotels in South Africa

Cape Town is filled with luxury hotels. We have listed the most essential and those considered to be the best. They are all extremely well placed and offer very high-end services.

1. Camps Bay Retreat: a Cape Town hotel in the heart of the jungle

If the title is confused, this is normal. The hotel Camps Bay Retreat is very special because it is a luxurious mansion surrounded by a huge garden that looks a lot like a jungle. All located between Cape Town and Camps Bay, therefore in an urban area! The places are very relaxing, facing the ocean and surrounded by lush vegetation. A real contrast to the buzz of Cape Town. You can walk to the beach in 2 minutes and you are in Cape Town city center in less than 5 minutes by car. Camps Bay's lively restaurants and bars are also within walking distance in just a few minutes.

most : They have an elevated massage room in a safari tent in the middle of their "jungle". Just wonderful.

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For further : Discover the best luxury hotels to stay in South Africa

2. Pod: Cape Town's most design hotel in South Africa

Under is also located in Camps Bay near the beach and less than 5 minutes by car from Cape Town. The luxury hotel is very contemporary with minimalist decoration. It is very beautiful and very exclusive. If you like architecture magazines, you will like to sleep here.

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3. Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel: Cape Town's most iconic luxury hotel

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is Cape Town's most iconic hotel. It has been welcoming the greats of this world since 1899 (John Lennon, Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, etc…) and it was painted pink to celebrate the end of the First World War. Since then, this British colonial hotel has always kept its luxury and panache. This Cape Town institution is located in the heart of the city with a pedestrian access overlooking the Company Garden (a park that joins a lot of museums and whose restaurant in its center is worth the trip) and direct access to Kloof Street (the main street liveliest in Cape Town with many bars and restaurants). But once you pass its gate, you enter a green oasis right in the city center! Its swimming pool is certainly the best in Cape Town with a beautiful view of Table Mountain and absolute calm. In short, the best of the best. We advise you, even if you are not a resident, to enjoy their famous high tea (the English snack) at the end of the afternoon. It is absolutely delicious.

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For further : Discover the best dream hotels for accommodation in South Africa

4. Cape Grace: the best waterfront hotel in Cape Town

Located in the Waterfront, the hotel Cape Grace is the ideal place if you are looking for luxury, magnificent views of Table Mountain, security and pedestrian access to the best shops in Cape Town. It is surrounded by a port of sailboats and yachts but also by a dry dock for repairing ships. You can walk safely in the ultra-guarded Waterfront complex and take advantage of all its shops, bars, restaurants and attractions (Ferris wheel, cruises, Springboks museum, Cape Peninsula helicopter tour, etc.) .

most : The hotel has the best whiskey bar in Cape Town on the ground floor.

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5. Ellerman House in Bantry Bay: the crème de la crème of Cape Town hotels

Without surprise, Ellerman House is the most expensive hotel in Cape Town. It is also the most exclusive. Everything is perfect here. Located in Bantry Bay (the last district of Cape Town before Camps Bay), it certainly has the most beautiful view of the Cape Sea. The rooms have a large terrace and even a private swimming pool. Paradise in South Africa.

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The best unusual Cape Town hotels in South Africa

The Cape region offers magnificent landscapes. If you don't mind being a bit far from the city center, then we advise you to take a serious look this unusual hotel.

Aquila Private Game Reserve: the only game reserve to go on a safari in Cape Town

If you don't have the time, money, or the inclination to go to Kruger National Park or Addo Elephant Park, there is only one option left for you to go on a safari in South Africa. South:  Aquila Private Game Reserve. Located 2 hours' drive from Cape Town, it is the easiest private reserve to access for tourists in the region. We advise you to sleep on site to make the most of the animals rather than going back and forth during the day (it's tiring). In the evening, elephants, giraffes, zebras and gazelles come to drink at a water point near the lodge. You can watch them while sipping a mojito from your patio! During the day you have the choice between excursions in 4 × 4, quads or on horseback. At the end of the afternoon, you can relax in their infinity pool with a view of the savannah.

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For further : Discover the best hotels to stay on reserves in South Africa

To find out more about South Africa:

• Discover the most beautiful areas of Cape Town in South Africa
• Cape Town's must-see excursions in South Africa
• Best things to do in cape town
• Where to sleep in South Africa?
• The best routes to visit South Africa