Cape Town, South Africa is one of the best cities in the world, without a doubt. I have been to Cape Town at least 10 times. There are hundreds of places to stay, if not thousands and I have stayed at a fair amount of them over the years. So I have decided to mentioned 9 of my favorite places to stay in Cape Town. This goes back to my first trip in January 2004 when I would still occasionally stay in hostels to my most recent stays in luxury hotels and accommodation throughout the city. In no particular order here you go!

The Alphen Hotel

The Alphen is a beautiful 5 star spread in the stunning Constantia area just on the outskirts of Cape Town. The rooms are immaculate and they offer a trio of places to eat and drink: la Belle Bistro & Bakery for breakfast, The Rose Bar outdoor garden lounge for cocktails and the 5 Rooms Restaurant for dinner. All 3 are excellent. The Alphen is a great spot for luxury and I highly recommend it.

Double Tree by Hilton Cape Town Upper Eastside Hotel

The Upper Eastside Hotel was recently taken over by the Double Tree by Hilton brand and it has definitely made its mark. This hotel is located out of town in an up and coming but formerly avoided area of town called Woodstock. It is big with meeting space and the suites are fantastic. Also try Liberty’s restaurant which is quite good! This hotel is good value and you get a lot of space in a bright renovated hotel but you will need a car to get around or to take a lot of taxis as it’s not very convenient to the city.

The Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront

The Radisson Blu’s are some of my favorite new hotels all over the world. However, of the ones I’ve seen, Cape Town is by far the best. It is situated right on the ocean and the views are stellar. The pool area is excellent and the hotel is easy walking distance to the V&A Waterfront and to a ton of good restaurants. I stayed here right before my failed attempt to reach the South Pole last November and my only regret was I only had one night there. I hope to stay there again this December for my next attempt! I highly recommend this hotel.

Lawhill Luxury Appartments

The Lawhill Luxury Apartments are a great example of a new type of luxury accommodation I see popping up in major cities around the world. Beautiful apartments that are rented like a hotel room. You just get a lot more value and they are generally meant for longer stays. Lawhill itself is in a great location in Cape Town and is very comfortable. It also shares grounds with the One & Only so you have access to that property as well. For a long stay In Cape Town, this is a good luxury option.

Sea Five Boutique Hotel

The Sea Five may be my favorite place I’ve stayed in Cape Town thus far. It is located in my favorite area of Camps Bay. However, it is small and off the main strip that it is really quiet. It is also up on a hill so you get a great sea view and it’s only a 3 minute walk to the strip in Camps Bay where all the bars and restaurants are located. The decor and rooms are fantastic. If you’re looking for something quiet but in Camps Bay, you can’t go wrong with the Sea Five.

Victoria and Alfred Hotel

The Victoria and Alfred Hotel is one of the old favorites of Cape Town. It is cool for that reason and because of the location literally in the center of the waterfront area. Other than that the rooms are really old and in desperate need of renovations. However, some people do like that old stuffy feel, similar to the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The breakfast buffet is excellent and if you want to be in the waterfront with great views of Table Mountain, this is the hotel for you. Just don’t expect new.

Ashanti Lodge Gardens

I spent a week in the Ashanti back in 2004 with my two buddies I was traveling with and we had an amazing stay. It is a guest house that operates basically as a hostel. As I said, it’s been ten years but I felt it worth a mention for the views of Table Mountain and the fun community atmosphere and great bar.

The Westin Cape Town

The Westin is basically a fancy convention hotel in Cape Town. It is actually attached to the convention center and is usually pretty crowded. I like it for two reasons. First, the suites are excellent and very big and second it is a good place to take long walks from. I like to walk and see all aspects of a city and the Westin makes me feel like I have a good base to do that from. It’s not the most intimate hotel at all and is always busy but you know what you’re getting, the rooms are nice and so is the view of the Waterfront as you can see.

One & Only Cape Town

If you don’t know the One & Only hotel chain then you should. They have some of the best hotels in the world-literally. The Cape Town version is very nice and the suites are off the charts nice and massive! The views and location are also very good and my personal favorite thing about the hotel is they have a Nobu Restaurant in house. They had me at Nobu…the rest is just details!

So there you have 9 varied and cool places to stay in Cape Town. You really can’t go wrong with any of them and they will all give you a different experience or feel of Cape Town for location and vibe. Try a few! Cape Town is big and spread out with lots of different cool areas so spread yourself out a bit and enjoy an amazing city!

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