Set within a verdant 30-acre estate and framed by the gentle crests of mountains and rolling vineyards, you’d be forgiven for presuming La Residence relies simply on its surrounds to impress. Instead, 16 luxury suites have been individually designed to the last exquisite detail, combining quirks with pure opulence. Features such as blue Provençal antiques and sunny South African artwork provide eccentric touches to rooms that are full of glamour, with gold-gilded mirrors, monochrome Victorian tiling and free-standing tubs. The vineyard suites go one further, where antique furnishings and chandeliers adorn rooms with elevated beds and vaulted ceilings alongside personal terraces and private pools.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for a region so renowned for its food and wine, guests dine in a room that matches the elegance of the gastronomic delights to come. The suitably-named Great Hall houses timber-beamed ceilings, lavish velvet chairs, antiques and chandeliers, a grandiose setting for the seasonal ever-changing menu that includes succulent lamb and fresh seafood. Outside, the Persian Alley is all charm, where palm fronds and the sprawling gardens provide a wonderful setting for al fresco dining. La Residence also offers a ‘chef’s table’ evening, where guests select fresh ingredients from the surrounding gardens before enjoying a meal cooked in front of them by an expert chef. Of course, it’s all perfectly paired with the region's crowning glory, a fine South African wine.
Enjoy recharging at the hotel’s pool overlooking the rolling hills of orchards and vineyards, or indulge with a massage in your own suite or with a view of the dam below. But be sure to explore Franschhoek's delights too, cycling among picturesque vineyard trails, tasting local cocoa in a boutique chocolaterie, or enjoying a round of golf on one of South Africa’s most glorious courses. The nearby Wemmers River is teeming with wild brown and rainbow trout for fishing trips, but, naturally, it would be a dishonour not to go wine tasting in one of the world’s best wine regions – Chamonix and Stony Brook are among the boundless varieties on offer.