Cape Grace

Two movable pedestrian bascule bridges provide access from the bustling waterfront to this quiet, mansard-roofed hotel on its own private quay. The sumptuous interiors here (all redone in 2008) include dark-wood antiques, blue-and-white Dutch crockery, and richly patterned fabrics that evoke the region’s raw, exotic blooms. The 120 large and luxurious rooms, many with striped wallpaper and botanical prints, have one-of-a-kind artisanal pieces, like traditionally forged iron lamps and whimsical chandeliers made with dangling Delft saucers. The staff is warm and welcoming, whether they’re seating you at a handsome secretarial desk for check-in, delivering refreshments poolside, pampering you with African-infused treatments at the spa, or arranging your sail around the harbor on the hotel’s own 56-foot yacht.