Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town

This hundred-year-old British Colonial hotel is by most accounts the place to stay in Cape Town; at the foot of Table Mountain, surrounded by nine acres of lush gardens, the Belmond Mount Nelson was already the grande dame of the South African hotel scene when a young Winston Churchill came to stay while covering the Boer War as a correspondent for the Morning Post.

That was in 1899 — we’ve seen top hotels go wrong almost overnight, and it’s a select few that maintain excellence for an entire century. But what’s remarkable about the Belmond Mount Nelson is that it’s in quite possibly the best shape of its life. Interiors, though antique, are in top form, their lush fabrics and delicate furnishings looking every bit as elegant as some of London’s fashionable Georgian townhouse hotels. Guest rooms have been updated with a few nods to modernity — high-speed internet access has finally made an appearance — but it’s the traditional luxuries that make an impression, like the antique canopy beds and the spacious and well-stocked bathrooms.

The facilities list is comprehensive, offering everything a top resort should, from tennis and squash to spa treatments and personal trainers. The signature Cape Colony restaurant serves modern South African cuisine, and afternoon tea in the lounge is one of many Anglophile traditions; it seems that dreadful business of the 1890s has been largely forgiven and forgotten.

How to get there: The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel is about a 20-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport. Heavy traffic occurs in the morning from 7:00 to 8:30 and in the afternoon from 16:00 to 18:00. There is generally a 30-minute delay to and from the airport around these times.