These are the 10 best hotels in South Africa right now

 ·14 Feb 2020

Forbes Travel Guide has published its 2020 Star Award winners, an elite group of the world’s most luxurious hotels, restaurants and spas.

To uncover the most outstanding properties, Forbes Travel Guide’s incognito inspectors check into a hotel for a minimum of two nights, posing as ordinary guests and paying their own way.

They then test up to 900 objective, exacting standards—including whether a staff member greets them curbside within 30 seconds of arrival, whether clothing left around a room is folded neatly or draped and placed within immediate view after turndown service, and whether the staff uniforms demonstrated exceptional design.

The ratings tabulate 75%  of a hotel’s score based on its service, while the remaining 25% is determined by the quality of its facilities.

For the second year, London boasts the distinction as the city with the most 5-Star hotels, tallying 19. By comparison, South Africa had a total of 10 hotels on the list, with eight of the venues located in the Western Cape.

Below are all the South African hotels that feature on the 2020 list.


Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel – Western Cape


The Cellars-Hohenort – Western Cape


Delaire Graff Lodge – Western Cape


Ellerman House – Western Cape


MannaBay – Western Cape


One&Only Cape Town – Western Cape


The Silo Hotel – Western Cape


Taj Cape Town – Western Cape


Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff – Gauteng


Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa – Gauteng


Read: Business class flights and 5-star hotels – the lifestyles of South Africa’s millionaire ministers

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