Founded in 1692, family-owned Spier is one of South Africa’s oldest and most popular working wine farms, and one of the Cape Winelands’ top family destinations.

The recently re-envisioned Spier Hotel features 80 rooms and suites, surrounded by lush gardens, riverbeds and ponds and designed in a neutral colour palette, with a deep-rooted connection to the surrounding land. Perfect for families, ground floor rooms can be interleading and come with views of the indigenous Cape gardens from Juliet balconies or private verandahs, while suites alongside the Eerste River feature a separate dressing room, private dining, a living area, and farm-style kitchen. Two exclusive-use three-bedroom villas are a great option for families or friends seeking complete privacy.

The large heated pool is the place to be in summer – order drinks and snacks from the pool bar and recline on a lounger to soak up the sun. Younger guests aged 3-8 can be dropped off at The Buzz Kids Club, where childminders will keep them busy for hours, baking cookies, playing in the ‘mud kitchen’, and building bug hotels.

Retreat to the serene spa and Herbal Bath House. With views of the wild landscaped garden, guests are reminded of the restorative powers of nature, with many treatments and wellness journeys using botanicals from the Cape Floral Kingdom, and a private pool, infrared sauna, steam room, and movement studio offering yoga classes inviting you to linger longer.

Lunch can be taken in the light and airy Garden Room, which serves seasonal produce harvested from the farm and trusted local growers, or at Vadas Bakery and Smokehouse at the farm, where wood-fired cooking meets farm-fresh ingredients.

In the afternoon, make the most of all the farm has to offer, from Segway rides through the vineyards to wine tastings, browsing for handcrafted items at The Cowshed Shop, and letting little ones run wild in the Elemental Play Garden.

Come evening, the Rooftop Bar is the place to be – sip a cocktail while sitting around a crackling fire and taking in the panoramic views across the Cape Winelands and Helderberg and Stellenbosch mountain ranges. Then head back downstairs for dinner at Veld, a South African farm-to-table, ingredient-focused dining experience.