Best hotels in Africa

Noka Camp

Hotel Lapalala Game Reserve, South Africa

10 /10 Telegraph expert rating

The villas at Noka Camp are in a realm of their own in terms of luxury and setting. They combine state-of-the-art technology and raw nature – you may be able to open your blind at the push of a button but (fortunately) you can’t control the battle between the baboons beside your balcony. Read expert review

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£ 727

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La Clé de Montagnes

Hotel Franschhoek, South Africa

10 /10 Telegraph expert rating

A privately owned five-star complex of four villas in a wine and fruit farm established by French Huguenots in 1692, in the heart of South Africa’s Western Cape winelands. Affordable luxury and privacy at its best in a village with French heritage and ambiance, in one of the loveliest valleys of the Cape. Read expert review

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£ 1,133

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Dorp

Hotel Cape Town, South Africa

10 /10 Telegraph expert rating

High on the slopes of Signal Hill, with unparalleled Table Mountain views, Dorp is a grand yet unpretentious place to stay. The work of a creative maverick, with a fairytale country garden adding to its otherworldly atmosphere, it is both haven and inspiration, and unlike any other hotel I’ve encountered. Read expert review

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£ 195

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Kruger Shalati

Hotel Kruger National Park, South Africa

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

A 109-year-old bridge which has been re-envisioned as the location of one of Africa’s most sublime safari lodges, combining history and all the glitz and nostalgia of 1920s train travel. It's in an area considered to be the best in Kruger for lion sightings. Read expert review

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£ 597

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Polana Serena Hotel

Hotel Maputo, Mozambique

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

The Polana Serena is a historic Maputo landmark built in 1922 by the Portuguese authorities, who were hoping to transform colonial Lourenço Marques into an African Monte Carlo. The notorious hotel is now reliving its heyday when it counted among the finest in the continent. Read expert review

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£ 197

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Royal Mansour Marrakech

Hotel Marrakech, Morocco

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

The magnificent Royal Mansour is the gold standard of luxury hotels in Marrakech, offering impeccable, gracious service and facilities second to none. Designed by King Mohammed VI, it was conceived as a “medina within a medina”, with 53 private riads set within six acres of artfully planted gardens full of roses, honeysuckle and date palms designed by Luis Vallejo. Read expert review

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£ 1,183

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Riad Mena & Beyond

Hotel Marrakech, Morocco

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Redefining luxury in the medina, elegant Riad Mena is one of the finest examples of its kind in Marrakech with soaring classical proportions, six vast suites, a separate pool patio and a serene central garden that truly feels like paradise on earth. Read expert review

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£ 209

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&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge

Hotel Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

This long-established lodge emerged from a complete refresh in 2019, with striking architecture and elegant interiors that take their design cues from the otherworldly desert landscape. Read expert review

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£ 485

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Ngoma Safari Lodge

Hotel Chobe National Park, Botswana

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Zebras and giraffes wander past the panoramic window of your stand-alone luxury suite which overlooks the Chobe River floodplain. Incredible service and excellent food in remarkable surroundings. Read expert review

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£ 1,450

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Mara Expedition Camp

Hotel Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

This remote bush camp, designed by filmmakers, makes an artform of safari with lavish tents and retro styling. Expect state-of-the-art facilities, plenty of wildlife day and night, and first-rate access to the savannahs of the Masai Mara. Read expert review

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£ 1,008

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Babylonstoren

Hotel Simondium, Franschhoek, South Africa

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

One of world’s most stylish farm stays, with contemporary detailing offset against historic Cape Dutch architecture, and considered design touches that delight at every turn. The eight-acre kitchen garden and wine estate are destinations in their own right, but waking up here is pure privilege. Read expert review

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£ 510

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Villa Maroc

Hotel Essaouira, Morocco

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Essaouira’s original, 18th-century riad hotel with 21 shabby-chic rooms, a Carita-endorsed spa and a front-row, ocean-view location in the Unesco-protected medina. There is also now a countryside retreat 12km outside of town, complete with pool, barbecue and a farmhouse with three rooms. Read expert review

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£ 147

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Elsa's Kopje Lodge

Hotel Meru, Kenya

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

This eco-friendly boutique lodge sits on Mughwango Hill overlooking the Meru plains. The elegant rustic cottages offer spectacular views over Meru National Park, and the restaurant serves excellent international dishes with an Italian influence. Activities include river fishing and visits to the park’s rhino sanctuary. Read expert review

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£ 669

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Qorokwe Concession

Hotel Okavango Delta, Botswana

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Overlooking a lagoon in one of the most wildlife-dense areas of the Okavango Delta, the elegant camp of Qorokwe is a perfect base on a concession that encompasses more than 64,000 acres. With excellent guides, you are almost guaranteed to see more game here than anywhere else in Botswana, or indeed the rest of Africa. Read expert review

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£ 832

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The Munro Boutique Hotel

Hotel Johannesburg, South Africa

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

An exquisite hotel full of charm and character perched on a hill. The ornate lobby leads out to an infinity pool and tumbling gardens with a spectacularly verdant view of Johannesburg beyond. Read expert review

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£ 142

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Dar Seffarine

Hotel Fes, Morocco

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

There’s no finer example of Fes’s architectural opulence. The approximately 600-year-old house took seven years to restore, emerging as an impeccable, some might even say improved, version of its glorious former self. One of the first boutique hotels to open in the medina, it has been going strong for over a decade. Read expert review

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£ 69

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Migration Expeditions

Hotel Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Space, peace and quiet can be found in abundance out here in the wilds of Botswana. In a time when disconnecting from all devices is the new luxury, this intimate mobile camp offers the ultimate getaway. Read expert review

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£ 372

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Singita Pamushana Lodge

Hotel Malilangwe Reserve, Zimbabwe

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

This luxurious lodge is set high up amongst dramatic boulders, with spectacular views over the Malilangwe Dam and lush forests beyond, and is surrounded by an astonishing wealth of wildlife. It's fresh from a major refurbishment, and offers nine thatched pool villas whose design draws on the local Shangaan heritage. Read expert review

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£ 1,286

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Kaya Mawa

Hotel Likoma Island, Malawi

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Kaya Mawa is beachside luxury at its best, with plenty of soul and community connection. It's perfect for chilling after a safari or for discovering this remote island for its own sake and is deservedly the winner of various awards for its cuisine, style and romance. Be warned – you won't want to leave. Read expert review

One night from

£ 382

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White Pearl Resort

Hotel Ponta Mamoli, Mozambique

9 /10 Telegraph expert rating

Imagine a picnic breakfast in a white tent overlooking the Indian Ocean, dining on vivacious Mozambican cuisine in a private wine cellar, or prostrating in an outdoor four-poster bed that grips a cliff cloaked in coastal ivy. This resort takes its mission of creating extraordinary memories very seriously indeed. Read expert review

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£ 887

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