A wine country boutique hotel reflects the lives of its owners, writes Alison Stewart.
Let me paint a picture: A discreet corner of a return verandah surrounded by myrtle trees heavy with ruby berries, the air still and hazy with upcountry heat, a deep, open-air Victorian bath. Bliss.
Travel is about experiencing the different and unusual, be it dramatic or modest. A bath, by definition, is modest, but what a bath. It represents in its quirkiness, indulgence and tiny decadence all that is right about the Akademie Street Boutique Hotel and Guest House in what could be the south of France but is in fact Franschhoek, 60 kilometres from Cape Town.
The Akademie Street has grown with its owners, Arthur and Katherine McWilliam Smith; its history mirrors theirs - each of the three cottages and three suites has an Afrikaans name representing a personal life stage. Twyfeling means uncertainty, Oortuiging conviction, Gelatenheid is acquiescence, Vreugde joy and Uitsig represents looking outwards. But more of that later.
Franschhoek, nestled in a five-kilometre-wide valley and the Cape's food and wine capital, is one of South Africa's most beautiful towns, settled in 1688 by French Huguenots escaping religious persecution. Enjoying a Mediterranean climate, the valley is fed by numerous rivers running off the high peaks of the Franschhoek, Groot Drakenstein and Wemmershoek mountains. Composed of Table Mountain sandstone, their slopes nurture not only the indigenous fynbos of the Cape Floral Kingdom but also the famed grapevines that feed the area's 32 wineries.
Standards are high in Franschhoek and establishments must work hard for the tourist dollar. The town's restaurants include a disproportionate number of South Africa's finest, including Le Quartier Francais - The Tasting Room, Grand Provence, Pierneef a la Motte, Haute Cabriere, Reuben's and La Petite Ferme among many, while the town offers some excellent accommodation. In such company, the five-star Akademie Street, with its emphasis on privacy, security, personal service and attention to detail (one staff member for each guest) is notable.
Arthur and Katherine's acknowledgement that some guests prefer secluded luxury rather than a busy concierge/doorman/butler experience means each cottage has a separate entrance, pool and garden while the suites share a pool. Their no-turndown policy means once you are in your suite, it is yours alone. So if you are having a luxurious soak en plein air, there is no well-meaning staff member materialising with pillow chocolates, unless they've been specifically requested.
We are in Gelatenheid and in keeping with its name, we are acquiescing very happily to its charms. More of a double-storey house than a cottage, Arthur originally built Gelatenheid as an art studio for Katherine. Set in a formal garden of pink bougainvillea hedges, myrtle, blue plumbago and conifers, Gelatenheid has its own saltwater pool, a boon in the March heat.
The airy house is decorated in Provencal tones of peach, cream and sage with white walls, pale wood floors and ceilings, deep verandahs and an eclectic array of furniture from Cape riempie chairs to kelims and oriental carpets and contemporary light fittings. The walls are covered in original paintings and drawings, many by Peter Moor, Katherine's artist father, as well as original caricatures and cartoons reflecting Arthur's family's long involvement in South African newspapers.
There is a little kitchen with good quality coffee and espresso machine with snacks and drinks in the fridge. Upstairs is the piece de resistance - the entire floor is one enormous bedroom area with high cathedral ceilings, the return verandah with Victorian claw bath (and another inside for those more modest than me), a spacious en suite and indoor and outdoor sitting areas.
The bed is large and comfortable, with De Villiers single origin artisan chocolates made by an original Huguenot family to immediately scoff. Fresh flowers are everywhere and a charming sign informs guests the water is pure and soft from a spring high up in the Franschhoek Mountains.
Arthur came to Franschhoek 30 years ago, and with his first wife, chef Adre, started Le Quartier Francais restaurant. They bought the Akademie in 1985, which has now evolved into a series of discrete buildings, some acquired subsequently.
Built in the Cape Dutch style, Twyfeling was built in 1973 while Oortuiging, built in the 1860s and used during the Anglo-Boer War as a recruiting office for British troops, is the oldest building.
When Adre died, Arthur struggled. The name Twyfeling reflects his doubt about staying on in Franschhoek; Oortuiging, Gelatenheid, Vreugde and Uitsig represent the new phases of his life - selling the restaurant, deciding to stay on, meeting his new partner, Katherine, great happiness and a bright future.
Arthur, Katherine and lovely Hazel, who runs the office, ensure that guests are informed about the town.
There are lists of recommended restaurants, both lunch and dinner, things to do and festivals almost year round.
Having enjoyed champagne and snacks on our verandah watching the sun colour the mountains, we want a light dinner. Arthur recommends Cafe des Arts, where we eat line fish bought off the fishing trawlers in Cape Town that morning and savour a local sauvignon blanc. Breakfast served in the main courtyard is cooked by "Auntie Lena" whose skill with fresh herbs, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, bacon and boerewors is impressive. And there's a spectacular array of seasonal fruit.
Even the dog is discreet, lying quietly at our feet as our sausages and bacon arrives. Sorry, doggie, too good to share.
GETTING THERE
South African Airways, which code shares with Qantas, flies daily from Sydney to Cape Town via Johannesburg. Return fares start at $1657. See flysaa.com.au.
STAYING THERE
Akademie Street has five suites ranging from R2300 ($246) to R4600 for two including breakfasts, bottle of sparkling wine, free drinks, Wi-Fi, telephone and laundry. See aka.co.za.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
franschhoek.org.za.
