The Forbes Travel Guide has included ten top South African hotels in its 2020 Star Award winner list, seven of which are in Cape Town, one in Stellenbosch, and two in Johannesburg. Cape Town also made the Guide’s Top 20;Travel Destination List.

Cape Town rubs shoulders with 19 other Top 20 Forbes Travel Guide Destinations for 2020, including Edinburgh, Tel Aviv, Rome, Jamaica, St Petersburg, and the Maldives. The Guide writes about Cape Town:

’With its photogenic Winelands, ever-evolving art scene and influx of high-end hotels (including Taj Cape Town, The Silo), the Mother City should be high on your bucket list. The upcoming year will provide a prime opportunity to visit as United Airlines begins non-stop service from Newark to the South African capital (sic), promising to shave up to eight hours off travel time’. 

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The top hotels in our country were selected by Forbes Travel Guide after the rigorous testing by undercover hotel inspectors, paying to stay in each hotel as ordinary hotel guests for at least two nights.  A comprehensive list of 900 aspects is evaluated, including room service, the beds, the drinks, the service, dining, housekeeping, interest in their guests, and exceeding expectations, rating for example the state of the room after turn-down, the design of the staff uniforms, and speed of greeting new arrivals at the hotel. Quality of a hotel’s facilities scored only 25% while its service counts for 75% of the total score. 

London is the city with the most 2020 Star Awards, an accolade received by 19 hotels. 

 

The South African Top 10 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award hotels are the following:

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in the city centre in Cape Town

The Cellars-Hohenhort in Constantia in Cape Town

Delaire Graff Lodge in Stellenbosch

Ellerman House in Bantry Bay, Cape Town

MannaBay in Oranjezicht in Cape Town 

One & Only Cape Town in the Waterfront in Cape Town

The Silo Hotel in the Waterfront in Cape Town (Photograph above)

Taj Cape Town in the Cape Town city centre 

Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg

Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa in Johannesburg. 

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide