Escape the crowds and end up here, virtually beyond the city's limits, yet an easy (and rather breathtaking) drive to the Cape Town action (five minutes from Camps Bay, in fact). Guests can watch seals and whales from the terrace, explore the eponymous Twelve Apostles mountains rising behind the property, or simply feel the constant, effortless embrace of luxury at every turn. Everyone is well looked after: Children's matinees are screened in the private cinema (with popcorn and treats), walks through the fynbos-filled nature reserve start from the doorstep, and there are spa gazebos in the bush. All 70 rooms are a celebration of flamboyant excess—plenty of glitz and glam, and no skiving on fantasy. Avoid the "classic" rooms—they're elegant and spruce with plenty of classic touches, but also quite compact. Aim instead either for a mountain-facing unit, or, better still, a sea-facing "superior" room. The latter are done out in colors and décor inspired by the sea, tinged with lots of shiny surfaces—polished chrome, shimmering silver, and mirrors. They're also filled with luxury furnishings and trimmings, and have foldaway wooden shutters opening onto private balconies facing the Atlantic in all its glory.