Africa
Mount Nelson
A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town.
Mount Nelson is Cape Town’s pink icon, set in lush gardens at the foot of Table Mountain. Rooms feel classic and breezy, and afternoons revolve around the famous tea, tennis, and a lovely pool. The spa is a calm escape. The vibe is timeless, sociable luxury, close to Kloof Street and the city’s best restaurants. 9.6
Ellerman House
Cape Town.
Ellerman House feels like staying in a private mansion above Bantry Bay, with sweeping Atlantic views and a quietly exceptional art collection. Suites are elegant and personal, service is warm and intuitive, and the terrace is made for sundowners. There’s a small spa, a pool, and serious wine focus. The vibe is intimate, refined, and wonderfully discreet. 9.0
One&Only Cape Town
One & Only Cape Town is a luxurious waterfront resort situated at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, offering stunning views of Table Mountain and a lively, family-friendly atmosphere. Rooms are spacious and modern, and the pool scene feels like a holiday resort within the city. Expect a strong spa and destination dining. The vibe is upbeat luxury, with shopping and harbour strolls on your doorstep. 9.6
Cape Grace
A Fairmont Hotel, Cape Town.
Cape Grace is a classic harbourfront favourite at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, with views of the marina and Table Mountain that never get boring. Rooms are warm and traditional, with genuinely friendly service. There’s a good spa, a pool, and a whisky bar worth lingering in. The vibe is relaxed, elegant, and perfectly placed for boats, boutiques, and the city beyond. 9.8
The Silo Hotel
Cape Town.
The Silo Hotel is Cape Town’s most striking stay, perched above the Zeitz MOCAA in a converted grain silo with sculpted glass windows framing the city and Table Mountain. Interiors are bold and glamorous, with a rooftop pool, spa treatments, and excellent dining. The vibe is art-forward, celebratory luxury, right at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. 9.8
Babylonstoren
Cape Town.
Babylonstoren is a farm stay in the Cape Winelands, about an hour from Cape Town, where immaculate gardens, vineyards, and design-led cottages make slowing down easy. Days are farm-to-table feasts, wine tastings, and cycling between orchards. The spa, set beside bamboo and water, is a highlight. The vibe is wholesome, stylish, and quietly indulgent. 9.8
Saseka Tented Camp
South Africa.
Deep in Thornybush, beside the seasonal Monwana River, Saseka Tented Camp pairs safari romance with sharp contemporary design. Spacious canvas suites open to private decks, plunge pools, and outdoor showers. Between game drives, linger at the spa, bar, and lantern-lit dinners. The vibe is intimate, polished, and wonderfully wild. 9.8
Hopewell Private Game Reserve
South Africa.
In the misty hills outside Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape, Hopewell Private Game Reserve offers a gentle safari with wide views and a soulful calm. Suites feel intimate, with plunge pools, a spa, and farm to table dining. Expect guided drives, walking safaris, and evenings by the fire afterwards. 9.6
The Palace of the Lost City at
Sun City Resort
South Africa.
The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City is gloriously over the top, a fantasy palace wrapped in mosaics, towers, and tropical gardens beside Pilanesberg. Rooms are plush and theatrical, with pools, a spa, and access to Sun City’s golf and waterpark. The vibe is fun, a flamboyant resort escape, ideal for families and big celebrations. 9.5
Singita Safari Lodges
Singita’s lodges are safari’s quiet overachievers, set in private wilderness from Kruger’s cliffs to Tanzania’s Grumeti and Rwanda’s gorilla forests. Suites and villas feel residential, with plunge pools, spas, superb guiding, and deeply considered food. The vibe is truly intimate, conservation-minded luxury, where daily wildlife encounters feel unhurried and personal.
Royal Malewane’s Luxury Lodges
Kruger National Park.
Royal Malewane’s luxury lodges in South Africa’s Greater Kruger feel like a private mansion transplanted into the bush, with exceptional guiding at the core. Suites are lavish, some with private pools, and there’s a serious spa and standout dining. The vibe is classic safari glamour, intimate and expertly run, where every detail is quietly handled. 10
Saxon Hotel
Johannesburg.
The Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa is Johannesburg’s most discreet luxury address, tucked into leafy Sandhurst with a private, residential feel. Suites are spacious and serene, service is impeccable, and the spa is a destination in itself. Expect beautiful gardens, a calm pool, and refined dining. The vibe is quietly powerful, ideal for unwinding between meetings or safari legs. 9.8
Four Seasons Westcliff
Johannesburg.
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff perches above Johannesburg with sweeping treetop views and a resort-like calm that surprises first timers. Rooms are warm and contemporary, many with balconies. Expect a strong spa, multiple pools, and polished dining. The vibe is relaxed, family friendly luxury, close to parks, galleries, and the city’s best restaurants. 9.6
The Houghton Hotel
Johannesburg.
The Houghton Hotel is a sleek, modern stay set beside the Houghton Golf Club, offering a calm bubble within Johannesburg. Rooms are contemporary and light, with views over fairways. There’s a generous spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and solid dining. The vibe is polished and wellness minded, well placed for Rosebank and Sandton. 9.4
The Leonardo
Johannesburg.
The Leonardo in Sandton is Johannesburg’s sky-high statement, with apartment-style suites and sweeping city views. Interiors are sleek and contemporary, and the outdoor pool feels like a rooftop escape after a day of meetings. Expect attentive service, a spa and gym, and easy access to Sandton City and the Gautrain. The vibe is glossy, urban luxury with space to spread out. 9.2
Fairlawns Boutique Hotel
Johannesburg.
Fairlawns Boutique Hotel feels like a secret garden in Sandton, where suites are individually styled and service is warmly personal. The spa is a serious draw, and the pool and courtyard areas invite slow afternoons. Dining is relaxed yet polished. The vibe is intimate, quietly glamorous, and ideal for travellers who want a softer, boutique alternative to the big city hotels. 9.6
The Residence Boutique Hotel
Johannesburg.
The Residence Boutique Hotel is a romantic hideaway in Houghton, where opulent suites open onto lush gardens and an old world sense of ease. Service is genuinely attentive, and days drift between the pool, small spa, and elegant lounges. The vibe is intimate and indulgent, ideal for couples or anyone wanting a quieter Johannesburg base near Rosebank and Sandton. 9.8
Mahali Mzuri
Maasai Mara Kenya.
Sir Richard Branson’s polished safari camp in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, near the Maasai Mara. Luxury tents feel cocooning, with big views and surprisingly chic interiors. Expect excellent guiding, a lively bar and dining tent, and a small spa. The vibe is sociable, high comfort safari, with front row wildlife action. 9.8
The Charming Lonno Lodge
Kenya.
The Charming Lonno Lodge in Watamu is a fort-like, oceanfront hideaway where Swahili craft meets Italian warmth. Expect just a handful of suites, a sea-view pool, quiet massages, and guest-only dining with local seafood and pasta. The vibe is private and romantic, close to Watamu’s beaches and Gede Ruins nearby. 9.6
Glee Nairobi
Glee Nairobi is a modern oasis in leafy Runda, near Karura Forest, blending city access with a resort-like atmosphere. Expect spacious rooms, a heated pool, a full-service spa, plus a serene skywalk, and a rooftop bar for skyline sunsets. Dining is varied and lively. The vibe is upbeat, polished, and social. 9.6
JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge
JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge sits on the Talek River edge, a sleek and large tented retreat with front row wildlife views. Tented suites feel generous, many with plunge pools. Expect good guiding, a spa, and evenings around the fire with food. The vibe is contemporary safari comfort, close to the Mara’s action. 9.6
&Beyond Bateleur Camp
Masai Mara, Kenya.
andBeyond Bateleur Camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara brings classic safari romance to a private concession bordering the reserve. Tented suites feel elegant and old school, with butler service and hot water bottles at night. Expect excellent guiding, a small spa, and fireside dinners. The vibe is refined, intimate, and quietly adventurous. 9.6
Giraffe Manor Hotel
Nairobi, Kenya.
Giraffe Manor in Nairobi’s leafy Langata feels like a storybook house, where resident Rothschild giraffes politely lean in at breakfast. Rooms are charming and old world, with attentive hosts, gardens, and easy access to the Giraffe Centre. The vibe is whimsical, intimate, and wonderfully unforgettable for a short, special stay.
Victoria Falls Hotel
Zimbabwe.
The Victoria Falls Hotel is a storied colonial landmark, set within walking distance of the falls and framed by manicured lawns. Rooms feel classic and comfortable, and evenings belong to the terrace for gin and tonics as spray drifts in the air. Expect a pool, polished service, and easy access to river cruises and adventure. The vibe is timeless safari glamour, with the roar always nearby. 9.2
Kisawa Sanctuary
Mozambique.
Kisawa Sanctuary is a rare kind of island escape, set on Benguerra in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, where forest, dunes, and a turquoise cove meet. Vast residence-style villas come with private pools and beach access, plus a serene wellness centre and reef adventures. The vibe is barefoot luxury and design-led calm. 9.6
Virunga Lodge
Rwanda.
Virunga Lodge perches high above Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, with sweeping views of the Virunga peaks and twin lakes below. Stone-and-timber bandas feel cosy, with fireplaces and private terraces. Expect warm hospitality, local farm-to-table cooking, massages, and easy gorilla-trekking logistics. The vibe is intimate, quietly adventurous, and deeply restorative here. 9.2
Four Seasons Safari Lodge
Serengeti, Tanzania.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti is a polished retreat in the heart of the park, with an infinity pool that overlooks a busy watering hole. Rooms and suites are spacious and contemporary, with terraces for wildlife watching. Expect a good spa, strong dining, and excellent guiding. The vibe is family friendly safari luxury, with nature always close. 9.8
Eagle Island Lodge
A Belmond Safari in Botswana.
Eagle Island Lodge is a water-bound retreat in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where reed-fringed channels and open skies set the pace. Suites are sleek and airy, with plunge pools and decks for watching birds drift past. Expect mokoro trips, boating, and a soothing spa. The vibe is contemporary safari calm, with wildlife unfolding quietly around you. 9.8
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