Cape Town has been voted the Number One City in Africa and the Middle East, and the Number Eight City in the world in the 2006 Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Survey. Four Cape Town hotels are among the top eleven hotels in Africa.

The 19th annual Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards, published in the November issue of the highly regarded US travel magazine, are based on readers' actual travel experiences with the scores representing the percentage of "excellent" or "very good" ratings. With over 21 000 travellers voting this year, the lists show great global variety and depth.

Cape Town, with a score of 82.8, again rose to Number One in Africa and the Middle East, beating Marrakech, Morocco (second) and Jerusalem, Israel (third). The top city in the world is Sydney, followed by Florence and San Francisco. The cities are rated on ambience, culture/sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping.

"We are extremely pleased by these results which just once again confirm that Cape Town is one of the world's most popular tourism destinations, beating some of the toughest competition, and that we've got what it takes to give our visitors that once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.

We continue to build on this reputation as we prepare for an influx of an estimated 2,8 million international and domestic tourists this summer season," says Barry Ackers, Chief Operating Officer of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation of Cape Town and the Western Cape.

The Cape Grace Hotel claimed the Number Two spot in Africa, the Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel (now know as The Westin Grand Cape Town Arabella Quays) Number Four, Table Bay Hotel Number Seven and Mount Nelson Hotel Number Eleven in the continent. The Cape Grace also claimed the number 49 spot in the world. Hotels are rated on food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service.

Molo Says: "Tell us something we don't know: Cape Town definitely tops our list of travel destinations. Find other top hotels, scenic sundowner spots and open-air restaurants in Cape Town and subscribe to our free monthly newsletter for more Cape Town news and events.