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Travel + Leisure Readers' 10 Favorite Hotels in Africa of 2025
The Giraffe Manor dining room.
Brian Siambi/Giraffe Manor
Once again, Cape Town hotels dominated T+L readers' picks of African city hotels, with four of the top five based in the South African 'Mother City.' Perhaps that's not surprising: A popular destination in its own right, as well as an arrival point for safaris, Cape Town has a slew of incredible luxury hotels. This year, T+L readers show their love for waterside properties, with Ellerman House (No. 2), One&Only Cape Town (No. 3), and Cape Grace, a Fairmont Managed Hotel (No. 5) having ocean or harbor views. Service was also a focal point—one reader noted the 'friendly staff' at Cape Grace, while another praised the 'over-the-top' service at Ellerman House.
Giraffe Manor: Nairobi, Kenya Giraffes patrol the exterior of Giraffe Manor, in Kenya.
The only top five property not based in Cape Town, Giraffe Manor (No. 1) heads the list of African city hotels, up from fifth place last year. The hotel is in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, and is named (and famed) after the herd of Rothschild's giraffes that live on its leafy grounds and 'visit' guests for breakfast, poking their heads through the windows for a handful of dried grass pellets. 'A delightful experience to spend time with the giraffes,' wrote one T+L reader. Another wrote it was 'one of the best stays of my life.'
1. Giraffe Manor: Nairobi, Kenya
Reader Score: 97.33
2. Ellerman House: Cape Town
Reader Score: 96.80
3. One&Only Cape Town
Reader Score: 96.57
4. Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, Cape Town
Reader Score: 96.14
5. Cape Grace: Cape Town
WBA Super Hall of Fame honoree. Reader Score: 93.80
T+L readers' favorite African resort hotels are from all over the continent this year, including a wine farm in South Africa and a beach resort in the Seychelles. Only Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe features twice. Scenery is clearly key to why readers chose these five resorts: 'Paradise!' wrote one former guest about Four Seasons Resort Seychelles (No. 4). And the word 'beautiful' crops up repeatedly in comments about The Victoria Falls Hotel (No. 5): 'a beautiful hotel on a beautiful property,' wrote one reader.
Kilindi Zanzibar: Tanzania A plunge pool on the deck of a villa at Kilindi Zanzibar.
A new entry on the 'World's Best Awards' list, Kilindi Zanzibar (No. 1) has debuted as 2025's favorite African resort hotel, as chosen by T+L readers. The beach resort is based on the island of Zanzibar, off the Indian Ocean coast of mainland Tanzania. Although readers commented on a range of aspects—including the location ('paradise') and its suitability for honeymooners—service, including management, was mentioned the most. 'Staff are so attentive to fulfill guests needs,' wrote one T+L reader, while another described the villa hosts as 'attentive, smart, and hardworking.'
1. Kilindi Zanzibar: Tanzania
Reader Score: 99.50
2. Matetsi Victoria Falls: Matetsi Private Game Reserve, Zimbabwe
Reader Score: 97.47
3. Babylonstoren: Simondium, South Africa
Reader Score: 95.41
4. Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
Reader Score: 94.75
5. The Victoria Falls Hotel: Zimbabwe
Reader Score: 86.55
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