Nestled between dramatic mountains and a stunning coastline, Cape Town captivates visitors with its breathtaking scenery, vibrant culture, and diverse outdoor experiences. We’ve handpicked the best hotels in Cape Town based on expert recommendations and thousands of genuine guest reviews.
Best cheap hotel in Cape Town: BlackBrick Cape Town
Best boutique hotel in Cape Town: Welgelegen Hotel
Best luxury hotel in Cape Town: Mount Nelson Hotel
Best hostel in Cape Town: 91 Loop
Best eco-friendly hotel in Cape Town: The Treehouse Boutique Hotel
Perched dramatically on the cliffside above Cape Town’s most exclusive coastline, Cape View Clifton is a luxury boutique property that commands breathtaking 180-degree panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean and the Twelve Apostles mountain range. Coverted from a series of run-down, dilapidated self-catering apartments, the property was transformed into a multi-level sanctuary by the mother-and-daughter design duo, Frith and Jessica Latimer.
New York Times + 1 more“The owner and interior designer Jessica Latimer styled Cape View Clifton to resemble a chic but relaxed beach house. With a distinctly South African air, it has crisp white and gray interiors, faux kudu horns doubling as hat hooks, bulbous vases heaped with protea flowers. Set snugly on the cliffs above Clifton Beach, the five rooms and two apartments have sweeping views of the ocean from private balconies.”
Featured in New York Times’ 36 Hours in Cape Town.
The Cape Heritage Hotel is a gorgeous boutique getaway that dates back to the 1780s. Built blending traditional Dutch and Georgian architectural styles, the building originally buzzed with 18th-century commerce, housing everyone from bakers and gunsmiths to coach makers before it was saved from being turned into a parking lot in the 1960s.
New York Times + 1 more“In the heart of the Central Business District, Cape Heritage Hotel is nestled among the popular restaurants, bars and boutiques of Bree Street. Every floorboard of the 1771-built house creaks with history, but the 17 rooms are a thoughtful hybrid of old and new. A pergola in the cobblestoned patio is draped with what is said to be the oldest grapevine in South Africa.”
Featured in New York Times’ 36 Hours in Cape Town.
Tucked away in the lush Constantia Valley against the Steenberg Mountains, the Steenberg Hotel & Spa is actually located on Cape Town’s very first registered farm, dating all the way back to 1682. The historic property has deep roots, originally granted to a fiercely independent German immigrant named Catharina Ras, who famously made her way through five husbands in the wild, early days of the Cape Colony.
CNN + 1 more“Twenty minutes from the central business district (CDB), this relaxed winelands hotel rolls out the vintage welcome mat at rates you’d expect to pay for plonk. The winelands are what to do in Cape Town and this is the place to make home base.”
At the base of Signal Hill in the safe, trendy neighborhood of Green Point, THE BIG Luxury Backpackers completely reimagined the local hostel scene when it opened in 2012. Founded by an avid budget traveler, the property was transformed from a run-down, musty building into a bright, beach-chic hybrid that blends the social warmth of a backpackers with the clean comfort of a boutique guesthouse.
Telegraph“B.I.G. is a wonderful hybrid backpacker and b&b, with 12 en-suite private double/triple/family rooms, six en-suite dorms and the most engaging hosts you could hope for. A fun, vibrant, affordable option that will introduce you to the best the city has to offer.”
If you are looking for an accommodation experience full of character, The Grand Daddy Boutique Hotel on Cape Town's bustling Long Street is a legendary pick. Operating as a hotel since 1895 (originally called the Hotel Metropole), this Victorian-era landmark seamlessly blends historic architecture with playful, modern design. Inside, you can ride what is believed to be the oldest operational elevator in the city.
CNN“The recipe is simple: wade through a mountain of red tape; hoist seven vintage Airstream trailers to a downtown rooftop; tell seven renowned artists to throw rules out the window when designing the interiors; sprinkle with city views.”
Tucked behind wooden gates right in Cape Town’s bustling City Bowl, Guesthouse La Grenadine is a gorgeous escape from the urban rush. It is housed in a restored 19th-century farmstead that once served as old stables and a school. French owners and artists, Mélodie and Maxime, fell in love with the property, saved it from being demolished by developers, and lovingly transformed it themselves.
Lonely Planet“Expat couple Maxime and Mélodie ladle on the Gallic charm at this imaginatively renovated former stables, where the ancient stone walls are a feature of the rooms.”
Recommended by:
New York Times, Telegraph
Recommended by:
New York Times, Telegraph
Recommended by:
CNN, Telegraph
Recommended by:
Telegraph
Recommended by:
CNN
Recommended by:
Lonely Planet
Cape Town is a port city on the southwestern coast of South Africa that is home to natural and architectural wonders including the Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, to name just a few.
Some of the best neighborhoods in Cape Town are:
Bo-Kaap
Bo-Kaap is among the oldest neighborhoods of the port city and is famous for its rows of flat-roofed buildings. The neighborhood is the home to a wide numbers of tourist hotspots including centuries-old mosques, museum, restaurants, hotels, and guest houses. It also has a shopping mall.
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront
Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is among the most popular neighborhoods of Cape Town. The area is home to shopping malls, food market, watershed, design and souvenir stores that offer a wide array of crafts, fashion, and local design. The area also boasts of an aquarium, high-end apartments, and other cultural attractions.
Camps Bay
Camps Bay is a suburban neighborhood in the city that is renowned for its upmarket mansions and palm-tree lined beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The area is home to a wide range of hotels, shops, restaurants, and sea-side bars that transform into nightclubs at the breaking of dusk.
Hout Bay
Hout Bay is a neighborhood with natural beauty, heritage, and unique location that give the area the charm and spectacular views. The area is also home to Mariner’s Wharf, Bay Harbour Market, Chapman’s Peak, among other tourist attractions. The neighborhood is replete with curio shops, seafood restaurants where local goods, food, and live music can be found under one place.
Gardens
Gardens is a suburban neighborhood that offers a plenty of art galleries, shops, pubs, and restaurants. The neighborhood is home to the Labia Theatre that is located on Orange Street.
Also check out our travel guide about the best areas to stay in Cape Town.
For a 3-star hotel in Cape Town you pay $85 per night on average. If you're looking for a 4-star hotel then you would need to spend around $120 per night, or if you're after a luxury 5-star hotel then you would have to spend approximately $250 per night.
If you're looking for a cheap hotel in Cape Town, then try BlackBrick Cape Town. It's an excellent budget hotel offering great value for money. It's in a good location, it's been recommended by travel experts and the hotel has excellent customer reviews. Also check out our list of the best cheap hotels in Cape Town.
Not a fan of big chain hotels? No problem. If you want to stay in a boutique hotel in Cape Town, then you should book Welgelegen Hotel. The hotel has been rated highly by previous guests for its boutique style. It has also been recommended by influential travel journalists.
Also check out our list of the best boutique hotels in Cape Town, it's a manually curated list of the most unique and romantic hotels in the city.
If money isn't a problem and you're looking for a luxury hotel in Cape Town, then go for Mount Nelson Hotel. The hotel offers excellent service, it's in a top location, it has been rated very highly by previous guests and renowned travel critics have recommended it. Also check out our list of the best luxury hotels in Cape Town, it's a manually curated list of the most exclusive 5-star hotels in the city.
If you're looking for a great hostel in Cape Town, then you should check out 91 Loop. The hostel has magnificent reviews by backpackers, it has been recommended by well-known travel experts and it's in a good location. Also check out our list of the best hostels in Cape Town.
If you're looking for hotels with great views of Cape Town, then try the Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa, Cape View Clifton Hotel or the One&Only Hotel. All those hotels have excellent customer review ratings for their amazing views.
Looking for a hotel that offers a good start to the day? Try the Cape Heritage Hotel, it has some excellent customer review ratings for their breakfast buffet. Hostel The Backpack also offers nice breakfast.
If you're looking for a hotel with an excellent rooftop bar, then try Hotel The Grand Daddy Airstream Trailer Park. It's also a very funky place to stay.
Table Mountain Cable Car Ticket & Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Combo. See the best of Cape Town with this combined Table Mountain return cable car ticket, Cape Town hop-on hop-off bus ticket and, free walking tour. Use the bus to be dropped at the door of the Cableway station. Price: $41.
Full-Day Cape Point & Cape Peninsula Sightseeing Tour from Cape Town. Visit Boulders Beach, Cape Fur, and Cape Point Nature Reserve, and see a penguin colony as well as other wildlife. Price: $62.
Robben Island: Ferry Ticket and Tour. Secure a ticket for the ferry to Robben Island and visit the prison where Nelson Mandela was kept during Apartheid. Learn about the dramatic history of South Africa through the voice of one of the former prisoners. Price: $65.
More things to do in Cape Town
Affectionately known as the Mother City, Cape Town occupies a dramatic landscape where the Atlantic Ocean meets the towering, flat-topped silhouette of Table Mountain. Long before European sails broke the horizon, the region was home to the indigenous Khoisan people, who knew the mountain as *Hoerikwaggo*, or the mountain in the sea. The city’s colonial narrative began in 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company established a maritime refreshment station to supply ships traveling along the spice routes. Over the centuries, control shifted to the British Empire, transforming Cape Town into a strategic geopolitical gateway. Yet, its history is also marked by profound pain, serving as a focal point for the transatlantic slave trade and later enduring the systemic segregation of the apartheid era, during which political prisoners like Nelson Mandela were famously incarcerated on nearby Robben Island.
Today, Cape Town stands as a vibrant global symbol of reconciliation, creative reinvention, and multicultural unity. As the legislative capital of South Africa, it embodies the spirit of the “Rainbow Nation,” celebrating its diverse African, European, and Cape Malay roots. It has evolved into a thriving hub for technology, sustainability, and world-class design, seamlessly blending its complex urban energy with a deep commitment to environmental preservation.
Beneath its famous postcard views lie fascinating, lesser-known narratives. While Table Mountain defines the skyline, it is geologically remarkable for being one of the oldest mountains in the world, with its iconic flat summit having once sat entirely at sea level as an ancient ocean bed millions of years ago. On the city’s streets, the historic noon gun—a pair of Dutch naval cannons on Signal Hill—has fired precisely at midday since 1806, making it a timekeeping ritual older than the Eiffel Tower. Furthermore, the city made medical history on December 3, 1967, at Groote Schuur Hospital, where Dr. Christiaan Barnard successfully performed the world’s very first human-to-human heart transplant, cementing Cape Town’s legacy as a place of world-altering breakthroughs.
Want to get to know the city a bit better? Check out our guide about where to stay in Cape Town, it includes recommendations about the best areas, museums, attractions and other things to do.
If you like our list of the best hotels and hostels in Cape Town, then you should also check out our selection of recommended hotels in Marrakech or the best hotels in Johannesburg.