 The beautiful manor house is in pristine condition and a fabulous example of Cape Dutch architecture. Best bits breakdown:
 A panorama of the Jonkershoek Valley We’ve been to see all that Lanzerac Hotel & Spa has to offer and it’s a lot! Lanzerac is over 300 years old, being founded in 1692 and is one of the most distinguished examples of classic Cape Dutch architecture. This working wine farm is also the home of the first bottled Pinotage created in 1959. The hotel also boasts: 2 outdoor swimming pools, 1 indoor swimming pool, a spa (which is currently being refurbished to make your stay even more relaxing), a wine tasting room & deli as well as the beautiful sprawling gardens and vineyards.  The Courtyard Pool, 1 of 3 pools on this working Wine Estate We love the Cape Winelands and don’t need an excuse to take the short drive from Cape Town to enjoy the different landscape. There’s so much to do in the wine regions, take a look at our ‘What Should I Do In The Winelands? page’. The most famous of which are Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, but if wine is your hidden talent, then there are plenty of other places to visit, Constantia, Robertson, McGregor, Hemel En Aarde or further on to Stanford are just a few. Lanzerac is located in Stellenbosch and is situated at the foot of the majestic Jonkershoek Valley. I’m still taken aback when we visit the winelands because of its natural beauty and striking backdrops. Driving through the gates and proceeding down the long driveway is like something that you only see in the movies. A throwback to the regal days of horse drawn carriages is what springs to my mind.  A flashback to the days of horse drawn carts with the long tree lined driveway. Pulling through and stopping in front of reception, we were greeted with a smile as the porter helped us with our bags and then went and carefully parked our car. As you pass through the tall, small glass paned entrance doors, you are struck with old world grandeur, a very high ceiling and gleaming varnished wood. A large polished table takes centre stage with a beautiful display of cut flowers, just in front of the reception desk. We were greeted like family at the desk as we checked in. A beautiful glass of wine as a welcome drink went down very nicely, whilst the receptionist explained everything about where we would be staying and informed us that everyone that stays at the hotel receives a complimentary wine tasting and cellar tour at the tasting room.  A clash of classic Cape Dutch and modern glass makes a fantastic tasting room and cellar. After our informative welcome we took a short stroll to our room, where we walked past one of the outdoor pools in a beautiful courtyard. Sarah and I arrived at room 009 with a patio outside boasting classic heavy iron table and chairs. When you swipe your card over the electronic lock, the wooden door swings open and you are met with a huge room. Just like the reception hall, it mixes traditional style and grace with modern furnishings and plush finishes. Our Classic Room combined opulence and comfort at its best, with every Classic Room opening out onto a private patio that overlooks landscaped gardens, rows of vineyards and the majestic Helderberg Mountains. We were spoilt because had 2 patios, one at the front overlooking the courtyard pool, the other at the back with comfy garden furniture leading out to the vineyards.  Our huge bed, it's very easy to get lost in here. In addition to the huge size of the room, and the 2 patios outside another prominent feature of the room is the eloquent bathroom, which feels almost as big as the main living area. A regal roll top bath stands as the centrepiece with twin his and hers sinks. Not only are there two patios, there’s also a small outdoor area leading from the bathroom, where you can open the shutters to view the vineyards beyond.  A beautiful, modern roll top bath in the huge bathroom We arrived at Lanzerac in the afternoon, and after a couple of wine tastings in the winelands we were quite peckish. The Taphuis is a relaxed bar with an open fire for the chilly days. They offer snacks and food plus a wide array of drinks including the estates own wines to enjoy in comfort. To hit the spot, we ordered Mussels and the piece-de-resistance, a fantastic cheese board.  The saloon looking Taphuis bar, with great food, drinks and of course, wine.
After a quick rest, to let our food go down we wanted to take some pictures, so went for a walk around the spectacular and manicured gardens. As we hope you can see, it’s picturesque, both the estate and the surrounding valley and mountains. After a soak with bath salts to relax after our walk, I read my book and we both managed to unwind after a very busy week! Being surrounded by history, beautiful buildings and stunning panoramas it’s difficult to not be in awe of the winelands and the soothing effect it has.  The lawns leading up to the Manor House and the huge trees surrounding the estate. I love food, and think about my next meal before I’ve even finished the one I’m currently eating, and after our quick lunch earlier, I was extremely excited! We made our way over the Governor’s Hall for dinner. Again, a grand dining room presents itself with the attentive and friendly staff who made us feel welcome and right at home. The chef presented gorgeous, delectable dishes, even creating an off menu pasta dish for Sarah, as she is not a big meat eater. Needing to roll back to our room, we got into the huge bed and turned in for the night.  A vineyard block on Lanzerac leading away to the mountains. In the morning a perfect, crisp autumn morning greeted us. We had managed to sleep more than normal, and took advantage of a Saturday morning lie-in. But, of course, everyone must get up, and with a breakfast like the one at Lanzerac, I’m amazed that all the guests don’t just run over as soon as it’s open! Even if you’re not a guest, just go for the breakfast, it’s incredible! Everything you could want is on offer, Oysters, Methodè Cap Classique, freshly baked breads and confectionaries, meat and cheese platters, in addition to a la carte hot meal options. If you’re a foodie, think breakfast is the most important meal or want to impress on a special occasion, you cannot go wrong here.  The Governors Dining Hall, where breakfast and dinner are served. There’s always check-out time looming for us though, our stays are always too short. Lanzerac Hotel & Spa is a wonderful place, tucked into the Stellenbosch valley and somewhat of a hidden gem. Even our send off was brilliant, we went for a cellar tour and wine tasting as a final salute to this working wine estate and drove down the tree lined driveway planning our next trip back.  A regal looking wine tasting, complimentary with every stay.
Rates start at R1635 per person sharing
This rate is inclusive of:
A voucher for the Lanzerac Spa to the value of R500. You can follow Lanzerac Wine Estate on Twitter You can follow Lanzerac Hotel & Spa on Twitter You can find Lanzerac Hotel & Spa on Facebook You can also follow Lanzerac on Instagram Lanzerac Hotel & Spa kindly hosted us for a complimentary night. |
AuthorsLewis Smith Disclaimer
All opinions within this blog are our own and any hosted stays will be disclosed in the relevant blog posts. We do not trade off complimentary stays for a positive reflection of any kind, and we will only give credit where credit is due. We put in a lot of time and effort researching the properties we visit, we want to build a long standing trust with you, our readers, with honesty and integrity being incredibly important to us. If you would like to submit a guest post please contact us and we will gladly consider any ideas you may have. Archives
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