The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa

Retreat from the city to the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa; the ultimate luxury escape nestled in the foothills of the Table Mountain National Park. It's lavishly decorated with monogrammed towels and orchids in guest rooms, and there's exceptional personalised service where nothing is too much trouble. It's the kind of hotel that locals make a special effort to visit, whether it's for the exceptional spa or the live music at the popular Leopard Bar. And while you'll feel serenely away-from-it-all thanks to the wide sea views, there's a complimentary shuttle that means you can be at the V&A Waterfront in around 15 minutes.

You're ideally positioned to explore the wine routes, the Western Cape and Cape Floral Kingdom with nature trails leading off into the reserve and up into the mountains that are dotted with wonderful picnic spots. For blissful relaxation, we highly recommend booking a sunset massage in one of the hotel's outdoor mountain gazebos. At the hotel's renowned Azure Restaurant, the breakfast spread is incredible with oysters and Champagne set to ocean views with à la carte options available. At dinner, a memorable evening awaits where you can enjoy an outstanding original menu of contemporary international and African-fusion cuisine while overlooking a fantastic expanse of the Atlantic Ocean and a protected marine reserve. For a relaxing pre-dinner drink, we also love the Leopard Bar Terrace for excellent cocktails and one of the locals' favourite spots to watch sunsets over the ocean.

The views are the key feature of the rooms, where each has a balcony or terrace which overlooks sprawling panoramas of either the nearby mountain range, ocean or wild fynbos gardens. Light and airy, the rooms are individually designed with different printed and fabric wallpaper. Classic Rooms are set on the ground floor looking out to the gardens.

For a luxury break, we recommend combining some time here with the five-star Mont Rochelle Hotel in the beautiful wineland valley of Franschhoek.