A Fabulous Stay At An Exclusive Hotel In Franschoek
If you are looking for an exclusive hotel in Franschoek then you need to look no further. I have found the perfect place. The Franschoek Boutique Hotel is small, gorgeous, uber trendy and right in the centre of town as well.
What’s special about this exclusive hotel in Franschoek?
I love the attention to detail and timeless elegance. This hotel has all of that and more. The furnishings are tasteful, but there are also some frivolous décor items scattered through the property that create talking points. One of these was an old typewriter in the reception area. A strange addition perhaps, but it wasn’t out of place at all.
I have a strong dislike for the way many hotels play on the ‘African” theme with kitsch fabrics boasting elephants, lions and buffalo. The Franschoek Boutique Hotel is undoubted African, but you really have to look hard to find the giraffes. I found them on the fabric blinds in the breakfast area, but they just seemed to form an interesting pattern rather than jump out at you, which I loved.
Keeping warm
The day we arrived the weather was glorious for a winter’s day, but then as usual in the Cape, it changed dramatically and by the evening snow was forecast on the mountains. Believe me when I say that Franschoek can get really cold so I was delighted to see a wood burning fire in the reception area when we checked in. I was even more surprised to find one in the bedroom as well. How romantic is that? There was also underfloor heating in the suite and a heated towel rail in the bathroom.
What was our room like?
Simply divine! We stayed in the Palm suite. As the name implies palms were a feature throughout as the design inspiration. All the rooms are individually decorated and each of them has their own unique feel and story.
The shades of green and taupe colours gave our room a tranquil feel. There were doors that opened to a glass Juliet style balcony, bring the green from the mountains and vineyards outside into the room. The views were stunning! It was just a pity that it was too cold to leave the doors open for any length of time.
The linen on the bed was high quality with a feather duvet, a faux fur plush throw and beautiful scatter cushions. These are my husband’s pet hate as he can’t see the point to them, but then I have heard the same comment quite a lot from guys that we know. It must be a “guy thing”. I love cushions and these had a wonderfully tactile feel to them and naturally added a pop of colour to the white linen.
Even the bedside lamps echoed the details with palm fronds featuring on the silver bases.
And the bathroom?
It looks like the bathroom is part of the bedroom if you look at the photos on the website. I know that a lot of people don’t like this as they feel they need more privacy. Well, this bathroom has a clever design element. There are frosted glass panels that slide to separate the bedroom and the bathroom so you have the best of both worlds.
There is a choice of a rain shower or a Victorian style bath. Even in the shower, there were design details. The mosaic floor formed the pattern of flowers. Isn’t that a great idea?
The towels were fluffy and the toiletries had a lemongrass perfume reminding me immediately of some of the spas that I have visited in Asia. Isn’t it funny how a simple thing like that can trigger memories?
Extras
There is a bar fridge in the room as well as the usual facilities for making tea and coffee with a good selection of teas. This might sound like a simple thing, but it’s something that I always expect in a boutique hotel. You will also see a neat wine rack after all you are in the Winelands so its a great addition.
There is also good wi-fi available throughout the property.
Breakfast
Although I don’t usually eat breakfast when I travel I loved the breakfast here. Being a small hotel, the menu is a bit more creative than the run of the mill. Some of the choices were French toast, poached eggs with salmon and of course the standard English breakfast. There was also a selection of the more traditional offerings.
While the hotel does not have an onsite restaurant there is a rather trendy looking Italian restaurant almost on the doorstep. We were told that they would offer room service. I was tempted to give it try when I noticed the wood-burning oven for pizzas, but we had a huge lunch so I gave it a miss.
What was my overall impression?
The check-in was organised and efficient and in a matter of minutes, we were shown to our room. When we asked questions about things to do they were met with a knowledgeable answer, which I always appreciate. The lounge area was comfortable to sit in and there were local tourist brochures available for you to peruse. We loved our stay and try as we might we couldn’t fault it.
If you enjoy staying at design hotels then this exclusive hotel in Franschoek won’t disappoint.
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Here’s a pin as a reminder
Disclosure: We were guests of the Franschoek Boutique Hotel. As usual, these are my own views.
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