Local heroes

Mannabay, Vredehoek, Cape Town

On the slopes of Table Mountain, in Vredehoek, this boutique guest house with seven spacious rooms is a welcome addition to the city's hotel offerings, with good personal service (there's a 24-hour butler), magnificent views, excellent facilities and instant accessibility to the city. The decor is plush and OTT, with comfortable, king-sized beds and marble bathrooms to match. Although there's no in-house restaurant, your butler can order in anything for you and a delicious high tea is also served from 4pm. Don't miss out on a swim in the lap pool and a generous helping of its home-made muesli for breakfast. Great for women business travellers and couples. Doubles from R1000, www.mannabay.com - National Geographic Traveller's Luanne Toms

Coopmanhuijs Boutique Hotel & Spa, Stellenbosch

Lovingly restored to reflect the elegance of a bygone era, this five-star hotel in an 18th-century National Monument seems even more intimate than its 16 double rooms would suggest. The rooms, all air-conditioned, are spread over two floors and overlook a heated pool and walled courtyard that houses the spa. While our room wasn't as spacious as we'd have liked, it had all we needed, from a bar fridge to a flat-screen TV and a Victorian bathroom. Service was unsurpassed and meals a pure indulgence as we watched the world go by from our table on the old homestead's tree-lined veranda overlooking Church Street. Doubles from R1990, www.coopmanhuijs.co.za - National Geographic Traveller's Lara Black

Dutch Manor Antique Hotel, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town

South Africa's first registered antique hotel in the Bo-Kaap is a beautifully restored National Monument whose six rooms are decorated with authentic Cape Dutch antiques. So your bed may be a lacy four-poster and you may read your email at a half-moon table made of yellowwood, and check your make-up in a gilded mirror by the light of an embossed lamp. At check-in, the resident chef will have asked what you'd like for dinner and you could enhance your cultural adventure by requesting a traditional Malay dish. Much later, you can drift off between 500-thread-count Egyptian sheets while the heavy, brocaded drapes and shutters drown out the sounds of the bustling city. Besides the extras you'd expect from a top-range hotel (WiFi, flat-screen TV, electronic safe), you'll find modern bathrooms with one novel quirk: no bath, just a shower. This is because the old, original flooring could not bear the weight of tubs. Despite its charming setting the hotel doesn't offer any views. An outdoor area will be added soon, but for now the only option is a guided walking tour through the Bo-Kaap, with its cobbled streets and brightly painted houses. With staff members who are passionate about personal service and the slice of history they are preserving, it offers an enticing alternative to standard hotels for a short stay in the city. Doubles from R950, www.dutchmanor.co.za - National Geographic Traveller's Pieter van der Lugt

Da Vinci Hotel, Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton

Location, location, location, makes this Sandton hotel an excellent choice for business travellers or those travelling to Joburg for a weekend of shopping and pampering. The spacious monochromatic interiors designed by award-winning SA decorator Stephen Falcke are impressive and certainly make the rooms feel more special than most hotel rooms. The vibrant lounge and breakfast area is also a great place for business meetings or for those who are travelling on their own. With free Internet access, a gym, spa and infinity-edge pool, the hotel is a good option for those who need the convenience of Sandton's business district and shops as well as the facilities and services of a great hotel. Doubles from R3190, http://davinci.legacyhotels.co.za - National Geographic Traveller'sKerryn Fischer

Cape Royale, Green Point, Cape Town

Given its location on one of Cape Town's busy main roads, Cape Royale's rooms are surprisingly quiet. Our two-bedroomed suite with big beds (great linen), an equally big bath and separate shower, and a self-catering kitchen (with a fridge stocked with wine, beer and soft drinks), not to mention a good selection of novels and coffee-table books, means you could make yourself very comfortable here for much longer than a night. You can add to that the luxury of room service from the hotel's 1800 restaurant, a rooftop pool with spectacular views of Table Mountain and a fully equipped gym and spa. The fact that it's within walking distance of the V&A Waterfront makes it my first choice for an inner-city bolt hole for out-of-town visitors or anyone wanting a change of scene. Doubles from R2270, www.caperoyale.co.za - National Geographic Traveller's Ruth Bosenberg

Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse, near Riebeeck-Kasteel

With just five bedrooms, this charming Victorian farmstead on a wheat and sheep farm about 75 minutes' drive from Cape Town is the closest thing to a genuine farm stay you're likely to find. Although the bedrooms are at somewhat close quarters, there's plenty of space to roam outdoors as the farmhouse is set on 10 000 acres of private nature reserve. Whether you decide to feast on the sumptuous high tea (with proper home-baked fare), doze on the veranda, mountain bike, bird watch, canoe on the lake, trout fish or go for a game drive, the tranquillity of this genteel establishment is truly captivating - as are the drinks in the drawing room before a delectable three-course dinner. From R1665 per person per night, www.bartholomeusklip.com - National Geographic Traveller's Kerryn Fischer

Nambiti Hills, near Ladysmith

Nestled deep in the bushveld of Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Nambiti Hills is perfectly situated midway between Joburg and Durban, making it the perfect pit stop for any weary traveller. But make no mistake, this is no roadside stop-off. Nambiti Hills is an indulgent hideaway that is as secluded as it is sophisticated - each of the eight exquisitely appointed suites opens onto its own slice of Africa, offering you tranquil views of the unique birdlife whilst you sip on rooibos tea and nibble on home-made rusks. All the Big Five are on view during the dusk and dawn guided game drives, but a highlight will include a quiet drink under the stars around the lodge's sunken conversation pit as warthogs sniff ever closer. Nambiti Hills is renowned for its intimate, themed getaways that include an artists' retreat, tours of the nearby battlefields or a foodie-centric weekend of wildlife, fine wine and dining. From R3500 per person per night,
www.nambitihills.com - National Geographic Traveller's Brad Armitage