It used to be a girls’ boarding school. Now La Fontaine – part of the Oyster Collection of destinations - delivers lessons in luxury. When it comes to geography, the hotel is located in the heart of the French-inspired Franschhoek Village, so there’s plenty within walking distance. And the maths says it’s just 50 miles from Cape Town – so day trips to that wonderful city are easy to arrange. And as for history, well, the accommodation is spread across 2 properties dating back to 1895 and 1926 respectively.
You book a stay here on a B&B basis. Each of the rooms has its own individual look and feel, but every bedroom has an LCD TV and every bed 100% percale cotton linen – that’s the really comfy stuff.
Whether you stay in a Luxury Suite, Luxury Room or Deluxe Room, be sure to make full use of the fluffy towels and robes after freshening up in the ensuite bathroom. And make yourself a delicious coffee using the Nespresso, or opt for a more traditional cup of tea. There’s also a minibar for when you fancy something a little stronger.
Special mention has to go to the 2 Mountain View Suites. Staying in South Africa doesn’t get much cosier than in these suites, one of which has a wood burning fireplace in its lounge, so you can stay snug whether you sit on the soft furnishings or at the desk. Both suites have an extra long kingsize bed, and there’s a bath tub and shower in the ensuite. And, as the name suggests, the view from your balcony is mountainous in its magnificence.
Outside of your private room, the hotel has beautifully presented shared areas you’re sure to want to sample.
Enjoy your breakfast in either the indoor or outdoor breakfast area – the weather at the time likely to be the deciding factor. You can also relax in the lounge – justifiably described as ‘lavish’ by some – thanks to the quality furnishings, fine art and grand fireplace. There’s also a library, and you can take a walk around the garden where you can shelter from the sun under a wisteria pergola and marvel at the vine trees. That can happen before or after a swim in one of the hotel’s pair of swimming pools, each with sun loungers you can arrange into your favourite position to give yourself the best view.
The central location of the hotel means many of the shops, galleries and restaurants (some of which are award-winners) in Franschhoek Village are a walkable distance (just 3 minutes at a steady pace). If you’re visiting in May there’s a literary festival, a Bastille festival in July and a cork-popping champagne festival in December.
For destinations longer than a short walk away, the hotel runs a fleet of tour vehicles. So you can relax and let someone else do the driving, making it easier to get to and from places of interest. And there’s plenty to enjoy. How about a day of whale watching in Hermanus or trout fishing in the Wemmers? You can also arrange a private tour around one of the many farms in the Winelands, a trip into Cape Town, a guided heritage walk, or a trip to a museum to learn about the French Huguenots who first settled in the area over 300 years ago.
"A dream come true"
We had the most amazing family holiday, everything worked so perfectly, the arrangements and accommodation was spectacular!
"Unforgettable trip to Namibia – Thank you Namibia Tours & Safaris!"
We are a group of four from Romania and spent 3 unforgettable weeks in Namibia. We can't recommend them enough, and for any future travels in Namibia or other parts of Africa, we will definitely use their services again.
"We had a great experience"
From the time we put the key in the ignition till we boarded the plane in Windhoek nothing went wrong.
"Unforgettable bird photography trip in Namibia"
It was a fantastic experience, everything was very well organised, went smooth and according to expectations. It was our first self drive in Africa and it was a great, unforgettable time.
