Gorgeous George Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

Uniting a stunning blend of 18th-century grandeur with the raw industrial edge of central Cape Town, Gorgeous George is a bold testament to both South African and international design, with an unapologetically urban style and attitude in a destination known for its seaside hotels. Formed from two buildings that were connected in the 1940s—one Art Deco, the other New Edwardian—the 20-room, 12-suite hotel unifies the two styles through an exquisite use of concrete and steel, as well as through Victorian elements, contemporary design, and African influences. One enters the hotel through historic brass doors and is immediately immersed in a world of hand-painted, 1800 Delft-inspired ceramic tiles portraying a map of Cape Town. In the guestrooms, a color palette of blues, whites, and mountainside greens serve in stark contrast to the hotel’s industrial undertones. The rooftop, meanwhile, with its welcoming terrace and pool, is a green oasis where one is surrounded by the sounds of the city. Taken together, two heritage buildings form a one-of-a-kind hotel smack in the center of town. And the result is, well, simply Gorgeous!