Description
Plum trees and pretty vineyards frame La Clé’s four lovely, luxurious villas. Part of a wine estate in the heart of busy Franschhoek Valley, they enable the quintessential Winelands experience: tastings, sublime scenery, quietude and the chance to truly kick back. In the background are splendid, mauve-coloured Drakenstein peaks, after which the estate is named; chichi Franschhoek town is only a 200-yard amble away.
Accommodation
Each of the four villas boasts its own chic regional African style – courtesy of cool Cape Town designer Sarah Ord – plus a private pool, flowery garden, chandeliers, wood-burning fireplaces and wide, sunset-facing verandas with barbecues. There are fully-equipped kitchens but this is self-catering with a twist: breakfasts are laid out each morning, and your 400-threadcount sheets are turned down nightly. The quartet accommodate 2-8 guests: biggest is four-bedroom Le Colonial; La Grange has three chambers, and Le Manoir and La Galerie both have two. Air-conditioning and underfloor heating ensure the temperature’s always right.
Facilities
Each guest is allocated a butler – ask him or her to fill your fridge with local produce while you’re out – and a concierge service that can arrange private wine tastings with prominent producers. Sessions at the local health club are another option. To be really indulgent, book your own private chef to come and wizard up a gourmet meal. An unmissable signature evening is the traditional South African 'braai' which is hosted by your butler and includes setting up the entire evening, cooking and clearing away - for a nominal price per head of around £20!
Activities
Private yoga classes can also be arranged in your villa, while golf, hiking, cycling, horse-riding and fishing are possible nearby. Whatever you do, reserve some time for chichi Franschhoek town and its fashion boutiques, galleries, fascinating Huguenot Memorial Museum and award-winning restaurants. You can get there on one of the complimentary hotel bikes reserved for guests.
Child Policy
Children are welcome. Tots under three stay for free. Special breakfasts and babysitting are available.
(La Clé Village was previously known as La Clé des Montagnes)
The Best of South Africa Travel map displays the locations of the destinations and accommodation that we have selected and visited; for each item, hovering over or clicking the marker will display a short summary and photo of that place or hotel, and hotel pricing. Follow the links in the info box to the full page listing which has much more information.
Note that the online map offers both a satellite view (click satellite in the top right) and, for some locations, a street level view (Drag the person in the top left onto the map). These let you explore the country; and when you wish to explore in person, or if you have any questions about the places you see, give our staff a call, or request a quote. Our staff regularly visit the places and accommodation that we feature.
When you book a holiday with us we will provide full driving instructions for reaching your accommodation, where necessary; these can be used by yourself, or you could enjoy the luxury of a driver. Alternatively we will arrange private (car rather than coach) transfers for you; helicopter transfers are also possible for some destinations.
