Babylonstoren has been named South Africa’s number one hotel in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, taking the top spot in the country for the fifth consecutive year.
Image: Babylonstoren
Located at the foot of Simonsberg Mountain, less than an hour from Cape Town International Airport, the working Cape Dutch farm combines accommodation with gardens, wellness, heritage and farm-to-fork dining.
The farm’s formal garden, which features more than 300 varieties of edible and medicinal plants, plays a central role in the guest experience, with seasonal harvests influencing the menus and daily activities.
Guests can cycle through the vineyards and orchards, take part in the morning harvest, visit the farm’s water buffalo or swim in a secluded mountain pool. The property also includes the Garden Spa and Soetmelksvlei, a recreation of farm life in 1897 where traditional skills are still practised by hand.
Image: Babylonsteron
Accommodation ranges from family houses and Farmhouse Suites to Garden Cottages beside the formal garden and Fynbos Cottages surrounded by indigenous vegetation, vineyards and orchards.
“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.”
More than 798,000 survey responses contributed to this year’s Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, which recognise the hotels and destinations travellers most want to revisit. The awards are published online and in the magazine’s November issue.
Special stay to celebrate the award
To mark the recognition, Babylonstoren is offering an Award-Winning Stay from 7 October to 30 November 2026. You can book your stay here.
The two-night package includes daily breakfast, farm activities and a complimentary drive to the property’s secluded mountain pool, where guests can spend three hours swimming and enjoying the surrounding scenery. A Babylonstoren picnic can also be arranged at an additional cost.
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