You almost don’t notice the country house as you pull up to Le Manoir de Brendel Estate. The scenery of the surrounding vineyards and mountains are just too captivating with bright splashes of greens and blues that happily blind you in color.
But there it is, a quaint, country house ready to welcome you to the many flavors and spoils of not only Le Manoir de Brendel, but also the village of Franschhoek. The idyllic wine estate is the perfect retreat in South Africa’s center for gastronomy and wine.
Old World luxury in spacious rooms
Our room, however, was not located within the old house itself as we were upgraded to a poolside suite. Any of the rooms would have been fine with us as it was difficult to choose between the charm of the old house and the serenity of the pool view. All 10 rooms, whether in the manor house or not, provide ample space with luxurious amenities to relax into the country lifestyle.
The poolside suite, priced at 2750 ZAR (184 USD) per night, includes a king size bed, two toilet closets (one contained the shower), a sitting area, and an outdoor patio. At first, I thought it strange to enter the room through the patio as I thought that seemed like the lack of privacy would be intrusive, but it was not. We sat for hours in solitude sipping from both our complimentary bottle of wine and carafe of sherry (included with all rooms) as we stared out at the lush vineyards that are the backdrop to the pool.
Located on a lush vineyard with plenty to see and do
Right outside the poolside suites is a circular swimming pool with ample seating given the boutique size of the hotel. Alongside the pool, a path leads from the pool and passed the hotel rooms to the fairytale wedding chapel that sits in a field of green. The trail then continues through the rows of vines to a creek bed where there is an overhanging bridge to breath in the majesty of our surroundings.
The path then continues back through the vineyards and ends at the manor house, which is also where the hotel offers a wine tasting and breakfast, both of which are included in the price of the room. Be sure to take advantage of both as the wines were some of the best we sampled in the region (which says a lot given the quality of wines in Cape Town). The breakfast is a la carte. I recommend the biltong omelet with a side of streaky bacon.
South Africa’s center for gastronomy and wine
Le Manoir de Brendel is located far enough from the village Franschhoek to allow for tranquility that you may be seeking in a country retreat. However, it’s also close enough that accessing the village and surrounding vineyards is not an issue. The hotel does partner with a local car service to drive you back and forth to the village center and area vineyards. Do use this service. With the amount of wine you will be consuming, you do not want to risk drinking and driving.
One potential difficulty with the hotel’s location is that Le Manoir de Brendel only offers breakfast. Guests have to leave the ground for lunch or dinner. Thus, if you’re looking for a retreat where you never have to leave the grounds, then the country estate might not be ideal for you. Then again, neither would Franschhoek with all of its delicious temptations.
The perfect retreat in Cape Town’s wine country
I haven’t stayed at many hotels where I actually rave about the accommodations as much as I do about the city itself. Le Manoir de Brendel Estate in Franschhoek is one of those places. Its old world stylings with comfortable luxuries and gorgeous surroundings make it the perfect retreat in Cape Town’s wine country.
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