The cellar door with glass enclosure is a lovely spot for wine tasting.
There are hotels and then there are HOTELS. This one is the latter. Nothing conventional, mundane or mainstream here. But rather characteristics that include warmth, inviting spaces, sophisticated styling and an overall, deeply satisfying and surprisingly homey experience.
I found this place a couple of years ago while doing a google search, not knowing that one day Mr Fritz and I would spend three glorious and super-indulgent nights right here at this very special farm hotel. It was brought to my attention again after our gorgeous friends Craig and De Villiers stayed here, they were beyond impressed! Not only with the hotel and the grounds, the activities and the history but also with the exceptional service and of course the heavenly food and wine.
We didn’t need any more convincing! We hopped online and made the booking. A response and a form arrived in our inbox almost immediately, we filled out questions that included fun things like the type of gin we’d like in our room, which activities we’d like to book, the restaurants we’d like to eat in and our wellington boot sizes in case of inclement weather and mud – because this is, after all a working farm.
Rustic farm details.
This unique place is located in the Western Cape in a world-famous wine region that includes Franschoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl, and when I say ‘unique,’ I really do mean unique! This a farm that was established in 1692. Yep! 1692, that’s not a typo. This property was turned into a farm by Pieter van der Byl, who planted vines and installed an irrigation system by altering water courses. The indigenous peoples who inhabited these parts are known as the Khoisan peoples.
A little later, from the 1750’s onwards various buildings and structures were added like the ornate fowl house, the manor house and a cow shed which is now Babel restaurant. The overall style is an impressive representation of Cape Dutch architecture; thick, whitewashed walls, ornate gables and thatched roofs, this includes any new builds (of which there are several) that are a stunning and sympathetic blend of old and new - a respectful nod to the rich past and a harmonious inclusion of mod cons. It’s such a tactile place, steeped in history and totally modern at the same time. I loved every inch of it and I really felt like I landed in a special place.
Look at this shape! A curvaceous beauty. I popped my head inside and there they were, happy hens comfortably nestled in what can only be described as a five star hen hotel.
Gorgeous corner details. Thick, textural walls, vines, lavender and citrus, beautiful light and lovely shapes.
Babel restaurant on the right, the entry is through the lovely courtyard. To the left is the discreet reception and the overnight-guest-only, complimentary bar and lounge room.
But as I mentioned this is a working farm, a massive 200 hectares, all of which is available for exploration - 3.5 hectares are dedicated to the formal garden. That’s right, 3.5 hectares. Here, they produce wine and grow more than 300 edible or medicinal plant varieties. Some of the seasonal produce appears in the restaurants (a lot of it is sold and made into various products) and because this is a country farm hotel the food portions are incredibly generous. The breakfasts are off the charts; huge, deep wooden bowls of homemade granola, thick yoghurts, large platters of seasonal fruits, cheeses, hams, baked goods (all from their very own wood-fired bakery of course) and if that’s not enough there are delicious hot, cooked-to-order options as well.
The many interesting features includes a massive propagation nursery out the back, a stunning spice garden which is a deliciously steamy, closed, glass house where exotic spices are grown. There’s a cactus house, a clivia walk which has been planted with more more than 7000 plants. There’s lavender and thyme, a guava avenue, olive and citrus orchards (yes, they have their own olive oils too), rows and rows of apple, quince and pear trees, a healing garden, a prickly pear maze and newly planted macadamia trees. Oh, and I’m just scratching the surface here. There is in fact so much to see just in the gardens that guests are issued a map, and even the map is a gorgeous work of art!
This avenue of trees looks gorgeous no matter the season.
This rustic boat shed is where you can borrow a canoe. You can also fish from this huge dam or swim in it.
They also press their own juices from their own fruit. They make chocolate too. They have a smoke house which means you can buy mouthwatering small goods, including traditional biltong. They also make soaps, lotions and candles. The gorgeous farm shop - one that I could easily live in - is where you can stock up on beautiful homewares, preserves, baked goods and cured and dried meats and of course cheeses; mind blowing, overwhelming even but completely seductive.
Lovely lotions, potions and fragrances displayed in a gorgeous character-filled cupboard.
Delicious baked goods that sell out very quickly.
Biltong hanging in the cool room.
And then there’s the wine. Really, really good wine. The Sprankel sparkling wine is a standout and only available at the cellar door. Luckily they offer these by the glass too which makes it all a bit more manageable and less headachey the next day (because really, if staying here isn’t a deep dive into hedonism then I don’t know what it!). Staying guests have an inclusive wine tasting session which was super informative and enjoyable. There is also a cellar tour which we didn’t go on because we simply ran out of time, instead we went for a long walk up to the dam, via the citrus orchard with perfectly ripened clementine-burdened trees. Many had dropped on the ground and Mr Fritz couldn’t stop picking them up, peeling them and popping fragrant juicy segments into his mouth and mine - we were in clementine heaven.
Clementine heaven.
Candles wrapped up in beautiful paper.
Sadly, we also missed out on experiencing a spa treatment. We did however stroll through the spa grounds many times and noticed it’s just as divine as the rest of the property. Like a little village made up of cute buildings, textured screens made from branches, a gym, two inviting pools and several treatment rooms.
One morning we actually exert ourselves and go on the 8am walk that snakes up a rocky hill lookout known as Babylonstoren koppie (this is Afrikaans for Babylon Tower hill), it affords the loveliest view of the surrounding valleys and mountains. Along the way the friendly and very calm head gardener Didi, chats to us about anything and everything. We have so many questions and she’s happy to answer all of them. We love this intimate walk and talk, it’s informative, relaxing and completely absorbing, a real in-the-moment kind of experience. Next we settle in for the famous Babylonstoren breakfast, a long, lazy and sumptuous affair.
The sunset drive high up the slopes of Simonsberg is another highlight. You can only partake in this activity if you’re staying two nights or more. Our fabulous driver Kobus, who is also one of the long-time, expert gardeners and a multi-skilled allrounder hosted us at this picnic spot in the clouds with wines, biltong, dröewors (a dry sausage), pickles and nuts and of course, deeply engaging conversation. Incidentally, from up here you can see Table Mountain, which is about 50km away, a rarely seen and spectacular vantage point.
Table Mountain looking like a ghostly ship in the distant. Mr Fritz took this shot as we descended from the mountain top after sundowners.
But what about the accommodation? This after all a hotel review!
For now, I will share this. It’s stunning! The rooms are large rooms, the bathrooms oversized, the claw-foot baths glorious and all of these spaces are beautifully furnished and decorated with a tasteful mix of modern pieces and antiques.
Both of our rooms (more on that later) were stocked daily with still and sparkling water, delicious pantry items (just incase you didn’t eat enough at breakfast), which included olive oil, bottles of wine and tea and coffee. All very, very nice and very, very indulgent. We barely made a dent on the pantry because we were still overstuffed from the previous night’s dinner, which was followed by the giant breakfast and later an afternoon of wine tasting with the obligatory produce platter.
Everything on this platter is house-made and baked, locally-grown, seasonal and bloody delicious.
The cork from my beloved Sprankel. It now sits on my kitchen bench and is a lovely reminder of our time in Babylonstoren.
Oh, and if this wasn’t all enough, we also had access to another complimentary bar! This is where Mr Fritz would mixed our cleansing pre-dinner gin and sodas, a ritual that was becoming dangerously addictive.
Many people come to Babylonstoren for either a day visit, a special occasion, a delicious lunch or simply to stock up on farm produce, wines or gifts. For garden lovers this is a true paradise, architecture lovers would be in their element too, while gourmets and wine lovers have an ongoing supply of seasonal gastronomic delights. However, the best way to truly experience this magnificent place and all it has to offers is to check in for few nights.
To be continued…
