The 12 best wine hotels in South Africa

For vino-loving travellers setting their sights on South Africa, Cape Town is an excellent jumping-off point, close to some of the best beaches of South Africa, iconic natural landscapes, and – more importantly, today – the Cape Winelands, an area spanning well-known wine regions such as Franschhoek and Stellenbosch as well as lesser-known gems such as Robertson Wine Valley. The most popular wine tour Cape Town has to offer covers the whole of the Cape Wine Route to pass an outstanding selection of wineries and estates, many of which double up as winery hotels. Whether you’re looking for a boutique retreat complete with spa treatments and bottomless merlot, or you’d rather stay active on hiking, biking and boating tours of the region before returning to a shiraz on the farm, the Cape Winelands have it all, in view of majestic mountain ranges and rolling vineyards.

Our next choice takes us beyond Stellenbosch to the rival region of Franschhoek, under an hours’ drive east of Cape Town, to land on Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard. A traditional vineyard town with French influence, Franschhoek may be small but is very well known for producing some of the best wines in South Africa alongside world-class cuisine. Mont Rochelle itself takes up some 90 acres of hilly land, upon which the hotel produces four varieties of wine. Guests can sample each on tasting tours of the vineyard plots and cellar, pairing your favourites with fine locally-sourced fare at restaurant Miko or the more casual Country Kitchen. Other features to keep you amused include the garden games and tennis courts, a Turkish hammam spa (offering spice-infused Cape-Malay treatments) and an outdoor pool overlooking the Franschhoek Mountains.

For upmost luxury in a rustic farm setting, Babylonstoren will appeal, based upon one of the oldest Cape Dutch properties, a short distance from both Franschhoek and Paarl wine regions. In the foothills of Simonsberg, Babylonstoren enjoys easy access to two of the best wine regions in South Africa as well as dappled sunshine across its eight-acre kitchen garden and working farm. Humble in its daily undertakings, Babylonstoren is actually one of the most stylish hotels in the Cape Winelands, providing guests with contemporary design and well-preserved 18th-century architecture across its 13 cottage suites. By day, guests can cool off in the dam-style swimming pool, biking or canoeing around the farm before refuelling on generous farm-to-table Engelbrecht fare at the hugely popular Babel restaurant. If Babel happens to be booked, go hard on homemade granola, eggs and fresh fruit at breakfast then lunch-ing at Greenhouse instead.

Boschendal is another heritage find in the Cape Winelands, a farm turned luxury boutique hotel based upon 2,000 acres in Drakenstein Valley (close to both Stellenbosch and Franschhoek) since the 17th century. Its award-winning winery draws visitors from far and wide for some of the best red wine in South Africa (merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon) alongside vintage whites (chardonnay and sauvignon blanc). Live alongside fellow connoisseurs on one of the estate’s authentic Cape Dutch cottages, all of which come with self-catering facilities for those who wish to cook their own produce bought from Boschendal’s Farmshop & Deli. Otherwise, the hotel’s two on-site restaurants can prepare everything for you; namely, the Rhone Homestead buffet and the flagship Werf Restaurant, where most of the ingredients for their quality platters come sourced within 30 kilometres.

Sitting on ‘the valley of wine and roses’ in the Western Cape province is The Robertson Small Hotel, an intimate boutique hotel in the heart of Robertson town, where food and wine take precedence. This sentiment could not be truer at the Robertson Small Restaurant where seasonal Italian-inspired dishes comes prepared from local ingredients and are beautifully presented either within the manor house or on the garden patio. Enjoy choice wines from the valley or a G&T at the EM Bar, taking time out for treatments at The Wellness Room when the urge arrives. The property is within walking distance of all the best Robertson attractions – including the Robertson Art Gallery and the House of Golden Khan – with two outdoor pools making for the ultimate afternoon retreat.

Living up to its name, the Franschhoek Boutique Hotel is a five-star offering just off Franschhoek’s Main Street, a delightful place to stay for its dappled courtyards and oak-lined streets in view of undulating vineyards spread over the surrounding Cape Fold Mountains. Besides winning views and some of the best wines South Africa has to offer, the town is packed full of great restaurants, art galleries and boutique shops, best seen by hopping on and off the Franschhoek Wine Tram. Take a romantic weekend at one of Franschhoek Boutique Hotel’s 12 bespoke rooms, getting cosy on an armchair beside the fireplace or gazing out on the mountains from your Juliet balcony. On warmer days, guests can pre-order a picnic to take out or simply try any of the numerous cafes and restaurants around town.

More of the best wine in South Africa comes bottled in Breede Valley’s Bosjes, a family farm and guesthouse just outside Worcester in the Western Cape. As down-to-earth as it is intimate, Bosjes is good for families and couples keen on getting back to nature. The converted barn at the heart of Bosjes farm hosts five luxury suites, pairing natural woods and wide windows with sleek modern design. Outside in the gardens, guests are granted panoramas of the mountains as well as water elements and an elevated maze for tranquil wanders. Up the ante with hiking and birdwatching off-site in Waaihoek Mountain, returning to base for a bistro-style meal to remember at Bosjes Kombuis restaurant.

In our endless search for the best beds in South Africa, Lanzerac Hotel & Spa comes out top. And while it is one of the oldest wine estates in the Cape region (dating back to 1692), a full refurbishment in 2017 saw to it that Lanzerac’s 50-odd suites became more luxurious than ever. Now guests can plunge into pools from their own private patios, gazing out over the property’s 400 acres of manicured gardens and vineyards, all framed by mountains. The Lanzerac Hotel & Spa is a perfect mix of old and new for visitors to Stellenbosch, providing authentic retreats served by an on-site spa, deli and two restaurants – the pub-style Taphuis and the classic Manor Kitchen – alongside a wine tasting room and several shared swimming pools.

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