Varenuku

Twenty-six years on, Ellerman House is still everybody’s fantasy bolthole in Cape Town: minutes from the best beaches and the Table Mountain cableway, but close enough to the city and its dynamic food, art, and design scene. Sandwiched between Lion’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Edwardian mansion looks like a private residence from the road and that’s exactly what keeps guests coming back. Owner Paul Harris takes enormous pride in his country—his impressive collection of South African art spans original works from the turn of the last century to current contemporary art. An informal tour of the collection with one of the in-house art experts is a fascinating lesson in the country’s socio-political history. Then there are the 7,500 bottles of rare and vintage South African wines in the cellar, and the indigenous plants sourced from Kirstenbosch (Cape Town’s botanical garden) in the 1.5-acre terraced gardens. Besides the main house, there are two modern, minimalist private villas built into the granite mountainside, as well as a wine gallery, and an excellent little spa.

All things cozy and Austrian meet in this legendary inn, which first welcomed guests in the 15th century and now lists Prince Charles among its loyal fans. The hotel is in the heart of the medieval old town, surrounded by shops displaying wrought-iron guild signs. You can walk to pretty much anything, including Mozart’s birthplace, just down the street. Because driving can be a hassle—pedestrian-only areas, inscrutable road signs—you’re better off taking the train from Vienna or Munich. If it wasn’t so authentic, you’d swear a set designer had orchestrated the vaulted ceilings, antique farmers’ furniture, stag heads, and staff in lederhosen and dirndls.

There is nothing that does not dazzle at the Santa Caterina, hewn from a cliffside off the staggeringly stunning Amalfi Coast—and even on looks alone, we’d have to agree. Terraces cleaved from natural rock formations and sprinkled with citrus groves and assorted gardens appear with astonishing regularity around every turn, ready to lend themselves to a quiet moment. The interiors are vaguely reminiscent of one of the island’s little Catholic churches—white walls, white linens, vaulted ceilings, gold-hued curtains, little baroque wooden chairs, and tiled floors decked out in primary colors—pretty angelic, really, and not a bad vibe to gravitate toward when you're seeking a peaceful stay away (you could also try the spa!). Some rooms feature ceramic accents and charming family heirlooms, and all bathrooms benefit from Bvlgari toiletries.

For our 34th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey, registered voters weighed in on their favorite hotels around the globe. As the world has begun to reopen, the results reflect the kinds of properties you longed to visit when you couldn’t travel and the ones you returned to first once you could. Over 800,000 of you filled out our survey, and while we’re always curious about where you’ve been and where you’re going, we’re especially excited to learn about the truly memorable places that sparked your imagination and stayed with you when your next trip seemed out of reach. Here are the 50 hotels you loved most this year.

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Varenuku updated their business hours.

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