Advanced quality service, comfort, style, and luxury are all in the make-up of a five-star hotel, and that's everything we look for in a hotel!
That, is an offer you’re looking to receive at the Lanzerac Hotel and Spa. And I promise you, this is not one of those PR-bullshit articles where we do their bidding, this is my genuine experience at this beautiful vacation spot!
Tucked away in the wine region of Stellenbosch, tempted to blabber on about what a picturesque place it is but it’s Stellenbosch, that goes without saying.
Instead, let me break down a story of love at first sight. The romantic type, always portrayed in books but not with a boy in possession of a chiselled face and a cute smile completed with lily white teeth – no, this is with an establishment rich in family-like experience.
Marisa Mclarin and the rest of the staff welcomed us, with the cousins-from-another-city-visiting zest, and we were the Peik Lin Goh of Crazy Rich Asians film, as she entered the Young mansion. Those who watched the film know the look, and to those who don't, you have to watch this film!
We were walked and talked through a tour around the estate before we were delivered to a wine tasting session, where a Ploughman’s platter was served as an accompaniment to five local red and white wines — including the winery’s famous, Pinotage.
This takes place at the Lanzerac Tasting and Deli, which is one of the four dining and bar areas, in addition to The Manor Kitchen, Taphuis Bar, and The Craven Lounge.
The Manor kitchen on the other hand, is a place to get lost in a buffet breakfast and classic dinner. The Taphuis Bar serves light meals, while The Craven Lounge, offers tapas style menu.
The menu according to head chef, Michael Huni, changes seasonally — as is the norm, their menu at the time of our stay, featured starters as chicken, pork and sun-dried terrine, butternut and prawn bisque, confit duck-leg salad, flaked gin cured salmon, and fresh Saldanha oysters – mains included, slow braised lamb shank, fillet of aged beef, citrus cured pork belly, and more.
On the dessert front, there was a selection of South African cheeses, salted caramel fondant, Cape malva pudding, coffee parfait, and more.
The estate’s sommelier, Tinashe Mukosi assured us, we were in good hands at the establishment as they pride themselves of collecting quality local and international wise. He talked me into doing an otherwise unorthodox pairing, opting for the Chardonnay with the pork belly. I do believe, Mukosi had a whisperer, Chardonnay is right up my alley as a white-wine fanatic.
As an artist, not the drawing kind, I felt the rooms chronicle stories designer, Con van der Colff was so eager to tell visitors. Rooted from a history of strong heritage, merged with the new, and trendy décor elements.
The proof in Mclarin’s words “no two rooms are the same” is conspicuous, while retaining the same aesthetics, they differ in personalities – marrying the upholstered headboards with exposed brick walls, and marble surfaces.
The spa facilities in their entirety are a clear extension of the rich history of this establishment, and borrowing from the set up within the hotel rooms, the spa treatment rooms are the same but different.
Each of the six rooms, bears patterns in a colour that reflects its own personality, from pink, green, and grey. The hydro facility also includes, the sauna, steam room, two mist rooms, indoor heated swimming pool, a jacuzzi, two Rasul chambers, for thermal mud treatments, and a shower.
The spa is a place where you get to have a trained therapist relieve you of all of the tensions and worry embedded in your skin through massages, skincare and beauty treatments.
My 60-minute AromaVine Pinotage massage ended as quick as it started. Time lacks respect for my body, alas, the massage was barely impactful but not without mentioning a lift in spirits and air of lightness from within.
Just like us here, I do believe each of our readers would trade a couple of days of burying themselves in work for a sweet escape where you could live like a queen!
