By Mari Sciarappa, Photography Nazreen Essack
This intimate boutique hotel that lies in the heart of the Franschhoek Village, offers a fresh weekend getaway from the frantic comings and goings of city living.
The guest house was chosen from the town’s original name, where roaming elephants happily meandered through the valley.
That said Residence Klein Oliphant’s Hoek is a very historical place. The property itself was built in 1888 as a Mission Station, and one can only imagine the healing that took place there. It then operated as a school until the early 1970s, and was first renovated into a guest house in the early 90s.
For anyone who spends a lot of time in the busy cities of South Africa, a weekend getaway is definitely worth taking. Venture out into the peaceful, scenic and completely serene Cape sanctuary, where the only thing on the to-do list is to relax, unwind, and indulge.
The current owner and manager is a charismatic Italian woman who wanted to give the guest house the right atmosphere and ambience. A refurbishment was then commissioned, and the end result was a magnificent combination of classic and contemporary styles in the rooms, with European inspiration in the more public areas of the house.
The garden is filled with fragrant rose and lavender, and the Victorian veranda is the perfect platform from where guests can enjoy the truly beautiful view of the Franschhoek mountains.
A choice of eight air-conditioned, en suite bedrooms is available to guests – some with fireplaces – and there is also a first-class kitchen, offering mouth-watering meals. Satellite television is standard in all rooms, as is the Italian imported linen. A selection of rooms have plunge pools, while others have feature ceiling windows and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and village. Some of the rooms also have private gardens, and one even boasts a private jetted spa.
Perhaps one of the most noteworthy attributes of this boutique hotel is the idea that the property does not resemble an outsized, impersonal hotel, but offers rather more of a private home experience. As the owner puts it: “You get the feeling of being in a home away from home.”
With thanks to Residence Klein Oliphant’s Hoek.
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