The Mount Nelson in Cape Town was on Tuesday ranked 28th in the global ranking of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024.
In addition, the ‘Nellie’ claimed this year’s award for Best Hotel in Africa.
The final list in the second edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels was revealed at an awards ceremony at the historic Guildhall in London.
Skirted by mountain and metropolis, the Mount Nelson, fuses its 125 years of heritage with 21st-century relevance in the urban heart of the city, surrounded by the country’s leading designer boutiques and buzzing cafés.
Nestled within eight acres of verdant gardens that unfold beneath the gaze of Table Mountain, the hotel plugs guests into the pulse of this iconic Southern African destination, from front-row fashion paired with the Nellie’s legendary afternoon tea; collaborations with modern and contemporary African creatives; exceptional dining with new Executive Chef Luke Lawrence Barry; to expert-led marine biology adventures and journeys into the city’s internationally acclaimed winelands.
The ranking is collated from the votes of 600 anonymous experts.
This voting panel – the 50 Best Hotels Academy – comprises a balanced mix of hoteliers, travel journalists, educators and seasoned luxury travellers, led by a group of industry-leading Academy Chairs.
Best restaurant
Meanwhile, as reported by The South African website in June, La Colombe in Cape Town was voted the Best Restaurant in Africa – and 49th in the world – in a similar The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The highly anticipated list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 was revealed at an awards ceremony held at Wynn Las Vegas.
The event brought together the best chefs, restaurateurs and hospitality industry icons on the planet.
The 22nd edition of the annual ranking features restaurants from 26 territories, five continents and eight new and re-entries.
La Colombe was voted the 49th best restaurant in the world.
The narration on the website read: Taking guests on a gastronomic voyage in an atmospheric, treehouse-like setting atop the Silvermist Wine Estate (following a move from Constantia Uitsig in 2014), La Colombe is the grande dame of Cape Town dining.
In a minimalist space decorated in a muted colour palette, chef James Gaag’s swoon-inducing dishes feature all manner of culinary theatre.
Think smoking Cape Malay snacks, tuna ‘La Colombe’ – a tinned miniature yellowfin tuna creation featuring micro herbs, avocado puree and an umami-rich broth – and the complex, perfectly balanced masterpiece of Karoo lamb.
The eight or 10-course tasting menus are executed with impeccable precision, yet the experience remains playful and approachable, with guests selecting their own canapes as they begin their meal.
As the restaurant is on a wine estate, you’re guaranteed a great glass, although a lot of thought has gone into the low and no ABV options too.
Meanwhile, Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain, scooped the No 1 spot in this year’s list.
That means that the Mother City is home to the best hotel and restaurant on the African continent!
Hotel breakdown
The 2024 list features hotels from dozens of destinations across six continents.
Asia is home to the most hotels on the list with 19 spots, followed by Europe with 13, North America with nine, Africa and Oceania with four each, and South America with one.
The three other hotels in Africa to make the list were La Mamounia (31st) and Royal Mansour (38th), both in Marrakech in Morocco, and Singita (44th) which is situated in the Kruger National Park.
Top-ranked hotel on each continent:
- Asia – Capella Bangkok (No 1)
- Europe – Passalacqua (No 2)
- North America – Chablé Yucatan (No 16)
- South America – Rosewood Sao Paulo (No 24)
- Oceania – The Calile (No 25)
- Africa – Mount Nelson (No 28)
For travelers looking for a city break, Bangkok represents the top urban destination on the list with four hotels; followed by London and Paris, with three each; then Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and New York, with two each.
Here’s the complete Top 50 list:
- Capella Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
- Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Cheval Blanc, Paris, France
- The Upper House, Hong Kong
- Raffles Singapore, Singapore
- Aman Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Soneva Fushi, Maldives
- Atlantis The Royal, Dubai, UAE
- Nihi Sumba, Sumba Island, Indonesia
- Claridge’s, London, UK
- Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Raffles London at The OWO, London, UK
- Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand
- Hôtel de Crillon, Paris, France
- Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
- Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
- Maroma, Riviera Maya, Mexico
- Four Seasons Firenze, Florence, Italy
- Borgo Santandrea, Amalfi, Italy
- Desa Potato Head, Bali, Indonesia
- Bulgari Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Lana, Dubai, UAE
- Rosewood São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Calile, Brisbane, Australia
- The Siam, Bangkok, Thailand
- Park Hyatt Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- Mount Nelson, Cape Town, South Africa
- One&Only Mandarina, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
- The Carlyle, New York, U.S.
- La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
- Four Seasons Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Capella Singapore, Singapore
- Four Seasons at The Surf Club, Surfside, U.S.
- Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, U.S.
- Eden Rock, St. Barths, Caribbean
- Aman New York, New York, U.S.
- Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco
- Amangalla, Galle, Sri Lanka
- Le Bristol, Paris, France
- Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland
- Castello di Reschio, Lisciano Niccone, Italy
- Suján Jawai, Rajasthan, India
- Singita – Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Six Senses Zighy Bay, Zighy, Oman
- The Connaught, London, UK
- The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia
- Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico
- The Tasman, Hobart, Australia
- Kokomo Private Island, Yaukuve Levu Island, Fiji
What’s the best hotel you’ve stayed at and restaurant you’ve eaten at?
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