Queen Victoria Hotel

To enter the piazza-like foyer is to enter a palace of spiral staircases, high-backed chairs upholstered in royal purple, and elegant tapering chandeliers. It sounds over-the-top – it isn't. It's a tranquil retreat, with staff who treat you as if this were your home. Dash offers a classy, modern dining room for all meals, but becomes especially sophisticated in the evenings. The lounge is furnished with velvet chaise seating and ample counter space – settle back with something suitably sparkling.

With 32 rooms and three suites, QV is big enough to be considered a hotel but small enough to maintain boutique status. Both deluxe and premium rooms are spacious, with fine fixtures and modish decor. (The royal theme persists but with a light touch – silver-grey velvets, blush- and plum-coloured sofas and chairs). All rooms have king-sized beds, sumptuous en-suite bathrooms with tubs and showers. Treat yourself to a premium room – they're larger and face that unmistakable mountain.

Cape Town, spread beneath the mother of all mesas, Table Mountain, is an eclectic, naturally endowed city that rivals the best in the world. There's a density of restaurants and theatres, gorgeous botanical gardens, beaches and green areas. Delve into the country's tumultuous past on a visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Chuckle at the penguins at Boulders Beach; visit weekend markets (try the nearby Oranjezicht Market on a Saturday); and explore the mountain and easy-to-reach winelands.