Babylonstoren in Franschhoek has been ranked the 26th-best hotel in the world in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards!
Franschhoek, South Africa (08 October 2026) – A South African hotel has made it onto the list of the best hotels in the world! Babylonstoren has been ranked 26th in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.
The ranking comes from travellers who have actually visited the farm. Condé Nast Traveler’s readers cast 798,867 votes in this year’s awards, now in their 39th year, to share their picks for the best travel experiences on the planet.
On the list, Babylonstoren placed just after The Ben in West Palm Beach, Florida, and just before the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. At the very top, The Peninsula Hong Kong took first place, followed by Passalacqua in Moltrasio, Park Hyatt Chicago, Le Méridien Essex Chicago and The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto.
When it comes to SA’s world-class gem, voters fell for the farm’s mix of gardens, heritage and fabulous food.
Condé Nast Traveler points to the whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings, the gardens with their incredible biodiversity and the farm-to-table dining, all spread across a 1,070-hectare working farm in the Cape Winelands. The formal garden has more than 300 edible or medicinal plants, and the changing harvest shapes what ends up on the menu.
This isn’t the farm hotel’s first time in the spotlight – Babylonstoren has been recognised in the Readers’ Choice Awards in 2018 and every year from 2020 to 2026!
“This recognition belongs to the people who bring Babylonstoren to life every day,” says Dalené Claassens, director of hotel and hospitality. “Our gardeners, farmers, bakers, winemakers and hospitality team all contribute to the guest experience. Luxury here is the freedom to explore, the generosity of what we grow and make, and the care with which it is shared. Every detail should connect guests more closely to the farm. To receive this recognition from our guests is a powerful endorsement of that approach.”
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