It is rare for a single hotel group to place one property in a national top 15. The Liz McGrath Collection has placed all three. In the 2026 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards, The Plettenberg took #8 with a score of 97.52, The Marine took #9 with 97.50, and The Cellars-Hohenort placed #12 with 96.90.

The settings could hardly differ. The Plettenberg is perched on the dramatic coastline of Plettenberg Bay. The Marine looks over the whale-rich waters of Hermanus. The Cellars-Hohenort rests among the historic gardens and vineyards of Constantia. Yet the Collection says a shared philosophy unites them: considered hospitality, a strong connection to place and highly personalised guest experiences.

The weight of the honour lies in who awards it. The Readers' Choice Awards are described as the travel industry's longest-running and most prestigious reader-driven accolades, informed this year by more than 798,867 survey responses from readers across the United States.

"To see all three recognised among the country's Top 15 hotels is a wonderful acknowledgement of the people behind these properties and the care, passion and attention to detail that define the guest experience across the Collection," says CEO Jacqui Elliot.