Mount Nellie lands 34th place in a global ranking of the 50 best hotels for this year, and a South African-born hotelier claims a special award.
Cape Town, South Africa (17 September 2026) – Across six continents worldwide, a true Cape Town gem has landed herself on a list of the world’s best.
The Mount Nelson – affectionately called Cape Town’s Pink Lady – has been named No. 34 in the fourth edition of The 50 Best Hotels 2026.
The Nellie is the only South African hotel to make the international list, and one of two African hotels included in the ranking – Marrakech’s Royal Masour scooped 26th place on the list.
The announcement was made at an official awards ceremony held at the Les Salles du Carrousel in Paris.
The 50 Best Hotels is decided by an academy of more than 800 voters from across the hotel and travel industries around the world. Voting panels include hoteliers, travel journalists, educators, business travellers and experienced travellers. Members vote anonymously for hotels they have personally stayed at during the three-year voting period.
The people behind The 50 Best Hotels and its sponsors do not get a say in the results. Voting is kept confidential, and Deloitte independently checks the process to make sure everything is above board.
So, Cape Town’s legendary Pink Lady has earned her place on the list rightly and fairly!
“To be recognised among The 50 Best Hotels means a great deal to us at Mount Nelson,” says General Manager Patrick Fisher. “The Nellie is always moving forward and over the past year we’ve brought to life exciting new projects across culture, design and gastronomy, while staying true to what people have always loved about the hotel. None of it happens without our incredible team, who bring so much care and energy to Mount Nelson every day. To see an institution with more than 125 years of history continue to be curious and relevant is something we’re very proud of. We’re thrilled to be recognised among the world’s best.”
The Nellie wasn’t the only South African name to receive recognition at the awards ceremony.
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