Top Hotels in South Africa
Safari Lodges at Phinda Private Game Reserve
This camp on rehabilitated land formerly used to grow pineapple, cotton, and sisal, near the Ubombo Mountains, earns four perfect scores. Guests experience “all the comforts, but get them in the wilderness,” where zebras, impalas, and wildebeests roam. Six different lodges, ranging in design from avant-garde to pueblo-influenced, are set on a cliff face, in a dry sand forest, or by an extinct volcano. Some have high-gloss wood floors, rich fabric…
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Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger Nat'l Park
A former game farm adjacent to Kruger National Park, this “truly amazing” two-lodge camp and private villa is surrounded by groves of acacia, thornveld, and marula trees on the Sand River. “It’s spectacular through and through.” Ebony Lodge celebrates Africa with stone, thatch, and splashes of tribal colors, while contemporary Boulders Lodge has earth tones, glass walls, and private pool decks. South African wines complement dishes such as chermo…
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Londolozi, Sabi Sand, Kruger Nat'l Park
Securing numerous perfect scores, this five-camp preserve in a riverine forest offers “the vacation of a lifetime. Everything is fabulous.” In a perfect-scoring location on the Sand River, perfect-scoring accommodations include Pioneer Camp, with three private suites decorated in Ralph Lauren style, and Varty Camp’s chalets with earth tones and private pools. Enjoy freshly baked muffins on the deck at sunrise while watching elephants below—“an ab…
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Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Kruger Nat'l Park
Don’t let the remote location fool you: “I’m very picky when it comes to eating, and the staff always made sure there was food that I liked. They made the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had!” There are four lodges on this reserve: Selati Camp has a colonial feel, while at Earth Lodge, the furniture is made from trees uprooted in floods, and all the suites have plunge pools. “It’s absolutely amazing luxury in the middle of the bush.” Expect…
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Steenberg Hotel, Cape Town
Located on Cape Town's oldest wine farm, which has buildings dating to 1682, this newcomer is a 20-minute drive from the city center. Set against the slopes of Steenberg Mountain with "gorgeous, grand views" over False Bay, the buildings have been restored and declared a national monument. "Lovely themed farmhouse suites," with period antiques and exposed wooden beams, afford views of the vineyard, the golf course, or the bay; the 1,700-square-fo…
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MalaMala Game Reserve, Sabi Sand, Kruger Nat'l Park
Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in 2012, this reserve has three camps on the banks of the Sand River, built in rondavel-style abodes and airy buildings with white-paneled ceilings. Thanks to the reserve's water hole location, "it's the best place to see all the animals"—the Big Five, serval cats, side-striped jackals, blue wildebeests, and six different species of mongoose. Traditional decor includes South African artwork and handwoven rugs.…
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Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa, Franschhoek
Gaze at the Franschhoek Mountains, vineyards, or orchards from this white-on-white Cape Dutch property that scores perfectly in design. Its 63 rooms are in soft tones of beige and white, with simple gilt-framed paintings, single orchids on coffee tables, and white canopied beds. Perfect-scoring "mind-blowing food" includes Le Verger's African-, Asian-, and European-influenced menu; at Dish, order the beef fillet stuffed with wild mushrooms and Ca…
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The Saxon, Johannesburg
"Everything is over the top" at this former private home of an insurance magnate, where Nelson Mandela worked on his book Long Walk to Freedom. The grounds comprise six acres of gardens with a koi pond, while the reception area has a central glass dome. "Exceptionally comfortable rooms" are characterized by contemporary African art, brown-latticed shutters, large bay windows, and shams with local motifs. Minibars are stocked with regional wines.…
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Cape Grace, Cape Town
This sandstone-shaded mainstay on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront has a backdrop of Table Mountain and is "one of the most beautiful hotels in the world." Signal Restaurant serves "extraordinary food with amazing service" in dishes like cumin-crusted ostrich and Malay-spiced springbok loin. Bascule Bar claims it stocks the Southern Hemisphere's largest selection of whiskeys. "Every part of the hotel, from rooms to restaurants, was welcoming an…
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Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Cape Town
At this Cape Dutch hotel on former farmland in Camps Bay, you have "the ocean at your doorstep and the Twelve Apostles mountain range as a backdrop." The all-white landmark has pastel rooms with baroque interiors, some with canopy beds, and ocean and mountain views. "Excellent and very accommodating staff" scatter rose petals on room floors and light candles in the bathrooms for guests. The spa has glass-enclosed thatched gazebos and treatment ro…
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