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The hottest new hotels in Cape Town

Labotessa is a new boutique hotel on Church Square which balances old-world charm and on-point style
Labotessa is a new boutique hotel on Church Square which balances old-world charm and on-point style

Cape Town has had a splendid year of boutique hotel openings, each new hotspot making the city's social scene sizzle that little bit more. Here, our South Africa expert has picked her five surefire favourites, including a beachfront bolthole in Camp's Bay, a suburban refuge on the slopes of Table Mountain, and a supremely cool urban hangout at the heart of the city centre bustle.

The Marly, Cape Town, South Africa
The Marly, Cape Town, South Africa

The Marly

Cape Town, South Africa

8Telegraph expert rating

Camps Bay’s glamorous beachfront hotel has gone next level, expanding to 38 rooms, with a new rooftop pool-bar that offers the best sea view in the city, encompassing the palm-lined beach, Lion’s Head and looming Twelve Apostles. It’s glossy as ever, but the two new floors have added gravitas to what has always been Camp’s Bay’s funkiest boutique hotel. The update has been kept crisp and cool, the all-white interiors perfectly offset by the blue or green views framed through floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests enjoy easy access to six surrounding restaurants, all owned by the Kove Collection, and can put the bill on their room tab. With the beach-butler service, loungers, towels and water are all set up for you under the shade of an umbrella. Read expert review From £146 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

An insider guide to Cape Town

Camissa House
Camissa House

Camissa House

Cape Town, South Africa

9Telegraph expert rating

One of the highest spots in Oranjezicht, the sought-after suburb that takes centre stage on the slopes of Table Mountain, Camissa offers unobstructed views from almost every room: looming Table Mountain to the south and sweeping views to the north and west of Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, the city and harbour. It has a relaxing atmosphere; the kind that invites padding about barefoot, and helping yourself at the fridge. There’s an adequately sized pool and deck with great views of the city, a cosy lounge-bar, dining room/kitchen-library space, as well as a rooftop deck and bar with more of those full-on views. Read expert review From £311 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

The best things to do in Cape Town

Dorp
Dorp

Dorp

Cape Town, South Africa

9Telegraph expert rating

Cape Town is a city of views, but Dorp’s location – perched above Bo-Kaap, high on the slopes of Signal Hill – is truly magnificent. A compound of Georgian-inspired buildings, edged by a wild garden, with glimpses of rooms through arbours, balconies and terraces, Dorp, meaning “village” in Afrikaans, defies categorisation. It’s quirky and personal, with a bizarrely historic, nostalgic atmosphere: a shower built into a conservatory; twin mirrored staircases. Every room is unique. Some wings have small private pools, and every room has piles of interesting books from hotelier Gail Behr’s personal library. Services are mostly concentrated in the spectacular lounge/dining room. Read expert review From £195 per night

The best restaurants in Cape Town

Labotessa
Labotessa

Labotessa

Cape Town, South Africa

9Telegraph expert rating

If God is in the detail, those who appreciate bespoke, tasteful interiors will consider a spell in this sensitively restored and reimagined 17th-century address to be a religious experience. Hoteliers Johan du Plessis and Jan Fourie have honoured the heritage of this high-ceilinged building by ensuring every piece of furniture and fitting is bespoke. The six luxury Signature suites and three- bedroom Grand Penthouse feel like private apartments as the lift opens straight into each suite, with only two per floor. The hotel has teamed up with Starlings Café to recreate their celebrated breakfast and lunch menu favourites. Read expert review From £273 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

The best nightlife in Cape Town

Gorgeous George, Cape Town, South Africa
Gorgeous George, Cape Town, South Africa

Gorgeous George

Cape Town, South Africa

8Telegraph expert rating

This new urban hipster hotspot celebrates great design and offers a fresh angle on the inner-city streetscape of Cape Town. The interlinking public spaces on the sixth-floor rooftop are richly textured with Moroccan cushions, different shades of leather, warm wood panelling, brass detailing and lamps, ceilings in raw exposed concrete, plenty of books and plants, and large works of art. The pool – on its own raised deck just beyond the restaurant-lounge – is part-covered to create a semi-private hideaway, with porthole windows that provide picture-frame views of the city below. Read expert review From £193 per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com

Contributions by Juliet Kinsman