I’ve been returning to Cape Town for more than a decade, drawn by its natural beauty, growing creative scene, flourishing Black-owned businesses, and remarkable value for food and wine. Lately, it seems as though the rest of the world has caught on. And if the sight of Table Mountain rising above the city doesn’t win you over, the sherbet-colored sunsets along the Atlantic coastline just might.
“It’s not just a specific kind of tourist coming in,” says local Sindiso Khumalo, the LVMH Prize-winning fashion designer who has collaborated with luxury hospitality brand Belmond. “People have more access to see what Cape Town has to offer, thanks to social media, and the city has a diverse offering for different tastes, age groups, and interests.”
Cape Town’s hotel scene is keeping pace with the city’s rising profile. A new wave of unique, design-led retreats, reimagined heritage properties, and boundary-pushing suites signal a welcome change in Cape Town’s inventory.
From a revived historic coastal boutique in the city’s outskirts to an Afrofuturist suite rewriting the rules within a grande dame, these are some of the most exciting new places to stay in South Africa’s Mother City.
The Cole by Kove Collection
Some guest rooms at The Cole by Kove Collection feature seating areas with views of Lion’s Head, one of Cape Town’s most recognizable peaks.
Courtesy of the Cole by Kove Collection
In the affluent Sea Point neighborhood, filled with art deco buildings, the Cole stands out with its signature sculptural curves. Opened in December 2025, it’s the third hotel from local hospitality juggernaut Kove Collection, responsible for some of the city’s chicest restaurant hangouts.
Each of the 60 minimalist, champagne-colored rooms and suites comes with ocean- or mountain-facing balconies; amenities include a small but serene spa and a rooftop pool. Adjacent to the pool is Figo, an indoor-outdoor restaurant overlooking the ocean that specializes in Italian cuisine and seafood.
The ground floor hosts a well-curated boutique and the hotel’s secret star venue: Script, one of Cape Town’s finest lobby bars, serving imaginative cocktails in an eclectic midcentury modern–style space. From $440
InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town
A suite terrace at InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town offers views across the V&A Waterfront and toward Table Mountain.
Courtesy of InterContinental Table Bay Cape Town
Few South African hotels can match the legacy of The Table Bay Hotel, which was inaugurated by Nelson Mandela in 1997 and quickly became a landmark on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront. Nearly three decades later, the property has entered a new chapter under InterContinental following a multimillion-dollar refurbishment that brings a more contemporary aesthetic to its interiors.
The hotel’s grand lobby remains one of Cape Town’s most dramatic arrivals, with soaring glass walls framing Table Mountain. Its 306 rooms and suites are styled in muted hues with blue carpeting inspired by ocean waves. The hotel is particularly well suited to families, with a kids’ club and room configurations that accommodate multigenerational stays.
The restaurant Solandra brings a touch of Italian Riviera glamour to the pool deck. Le Bistrot de JAN, from South African chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, serves refined French-inspired cuisine within the dining room’s midnight blue-painted walls. From $670
Morea House, Autograph Collection
From Morea House, the Atlantic Ocean stretches out in one direction while the Twelve Apostles rise in the other.
Courtesy of Morea House
On a quieter section of the busy Camps Bay beachfront, the 90-room Morea House, which opened in December 2025, offers guests the best of both worlds: From the back of the property, views of Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles mountains, and in front, courtside-seat proximity to the Atlantic just across the road.
Interiors by Cape Town designer Tristan du Plessis make ample use of natural materials; the wood- and marble-lined lobby features works from top South African artists, including portraits from the painter known as WonderBuhle and ceramist Jan Ernst’s custom double-height chandelier of stone and bronze “wildflowers.”
Also on the ground floor is Omri, an all-day Lebanese restaurant; the second floor offers a beach-facing pool lined with bouclé loungers and Morea Pool Restaurant, with uninterrupted ocean vistas. From $900
Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel
Every detail in the Thebe Magugu Suite was personally selected by the designer, from furnishings and lighting to works by contemporary South African artists.
Photo by Inge Prins
Cape Town’s British-inspired grande dame has welcomed the world’s elite through its palm-lined promenade since 1899. But thanks to South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu—who counts model Tyra Banks and singer Tyla among his fans—Mount Nelson has also become a canvas for Afro-modernist luxury and storytelling.
In March, the property debuted an outpost of Magugu House, the Johannesburg-based concept store and gallery space championing Black African artists. Next door is the Thebe Magugu Suite, a two-story, townhouse-style accommodation that embodies Magugu’s aesthetic blend of heritage and futurism.
The designer hand-picked everything inside, from the pendant light in the dining room—inspired by the traditional hat of the region’s Sotho ethnic group—to pieces by contemporary South African artists, including Zandile Tshabalala and Lorenzo Plaatjies. From $1,200, suite price upon request
The sunny Citron Room at Tintswalo Summer House reflects the playful, colorful approach that defines this reimagined seaside retreat south of Cape Town.
Courtesy of Tintswalo Collection
Tintswalo Summer House
Navigating the sedate coastal suburb of Glencairn, about a 45-minute drive south of the city center, it’s hard not to notice the stately bright-pink facade of this landmark early-1900s hotel.
Eleven years ago, Tintswalo, an esteemed family-run South African hospitality brand, acquired the former Glencairn Southern Right Hotel and has since transformed it into the colorful Tintswalo Summer House—a 12-room seaside property envisioned by in-house designer Camlyn Johnston that opened in April.
No two rooms are alike, distinguished by chromatic themes: The Azure Room has cerulean bathroom tiles; the Noir Room is done up in subdued hues of black, white, and burgundy with a muted floral-print headboard. The hotel also has a seafood-leaning restaurant, Summer House Eatery, and an outdoor pool. From $215
