The Look

If you’re going to paint your hotel pink, you better be ready to deliver in the style department. Luckily, the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel — or the Nellie, as it’s affectionately known — has been packing more than enough panache to go around since 1899, and it’s the place to stay in the Mother City (the guest registry includes Oprah, Kate Moss and Colin Farrell). Old World glamour reigns supreme here, from the high tea served daily on the hotel’s veranda to the two tennis courts, on which everyone wears Wimbledon whites. Spread over nine garden-filled acres in the shadow of Table Mountain, the buildings that make up the complex are filled with fresh-cut flowers and antiques.

Bed and Bath

In keeping with the overall style of the hotel, the 198 guestrooms are elegantly decked out with period details, floral fabrics and antiques. They’re all individually styled; some are done in pastel shades and bright white furniture, while others have sturdy dark wood furnishings and deeper hues. The higher room categories (Deluxe Rooms and above) are located in the original part of the hotel, and many of the Suites have grand four-poster beds.

Beyond

The spa is all about bringing traditional healing techniques and treatments rooted in Africana into a modern context. Hydrotherapy baths use pouches filled with indigenous plants and herbs, including rooibos and African potato, along with herbal oil blends, and the yoga studio offers regular classes. The Nellie’s bars and restaurants are favorites among locals. At the fine dining outlet, Planet Restaurant, guests can try a selection of unfamiliar tastes, like cured springbok. After your meal, tap into the city’s nightlife scene by grabbing a flute of champagne at the Planet Bar, where Cape Town’s well-heeled pretty young things mingle well into the night.

In the Area

The Cape Town dining scene is on fire, with chefs (including the Nellie’s Rudi Liebenberg at Planet Restaurant) putting innovative spins on distinctly African ingredients. Ask the concierge for recommendations. Journey out to the Cape’s wine region to sample the region’s famous Pinotage. It’s an easy daytrip; in fact, it’s only a 45-minute drive to the charming town of Franschhoek, where tasting rooms, top-notch restaurants, art galleries and gourmet food shops provide plenty of diversions. Visit the Old Biscuit Mill, a restored factory in the formerly gritty and now hipster-filled industrial neighborhood of Woodstock, to check out the city’s best fashion and furniture designers. The surrounding region has plenty of sandy options — after all, you can see the confluence of two oceans from the Cape. Be sure to visit different spots to see and feel the variations in water temperature and color between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sides.