South Africa Safari

The Village at Spier Hotel

Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Return to Map of Winelands          © Spier

View images of Spier: Spier Images

SPIER HOTEL RATES: Spier Hotel Rates

Accommodation           For images of The Village at Spier, click Spier Images
The Village at Spier comprises thirty-two double-storey buildings grouped around six private courtyards, each with its own pool and entertainment area. It offers guests 155 spacious rooms, including four suites and nine Villa rooms. All are simply, yet elegantly, appointed in traditional country style.

The Village at Spier promises to become one of the Cape's premier holiday and conference destinations, with special packages for out-of-towners that includes flights, accommodation and car hire.

The Village introduces a new era of luxury accommodation in South Africa. Designed to recreate the intimate and relaxed atmosphere of a small village, its 155 rooms, including four suites and nine villa rooms, are connected by indigenous gardens, walkways and waterways.

These 'homes' are clustered around six private courtyards, each with its own swimming pool and entertainment area for your personal use. In both design and construction, emphasis has been placed on maintaining the ecological integrity of the area. Where possible, natural materials and resources have been used.

At 60 square metres apiece, rooms at The Village are more spacious than those currently offered in five-star establishments and are elegantly and simply appointed in the traditional country style. During spring and summer, doors open onto the gardens and entertainment areas. Come winter, light up the fireplace and settle in for the night.

Facilities
The Village at Spier provides a wide range of facilities to cater for your every need. These include a travel desk, the info centre, a boutique, shuttle services on and off the estate, laundry, and 24-hour room service. There is even a boardroom, email and internet if you wish to do business.

Walking and Jogging: Take a jog through the lovely Spier estate. You will be sure to find many surprises. There are jogging trails through the rose gardens, by the riverside, and by the lakeside. For the energetic there are long jogs to the Golf Course and the vineyards. There is also an abundance of birdlife on the estate for bird watchers

The Camelot Spa: Indulge yourself in a variety of massage and holistic treatments including aromatherapy and reflexology. Take advantage of the facials, manicures, pedicures and other specialized skin care therapy and treatments at the spa located at The Village at Spier Hotel.

Spier Conference Centre: Integral to Spier's success as a venue for both business and pleasure is the magnificent Spier Conference Centre. The Centre has already proved its worth as a venue for conferences, product launches, corporate dinners and a wide variety of functions. The Conference Centre caters for up to 500 persons. It offers modern facilities of an international standard, as well as flexibility and versitility through a number of different venue options.

The Manor House: Spier's Manor House was built in 1884 and has been restored to reflect the influences of the Dutch, English and French settlers who farmed the region. Recognized as a national monument, the house contains a priceless collection of antique furniture, art and ceramic work. At the Manor House you will find a Rembrandt, the original title deed to Spier signed by Simon van de Stel and experience how the original settlers lived. If want a really enchanting evening you could hire the Manor House dining room for a truly unforgettable experience.

Dining
Set in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, Spier is famous for many things. But one thing that stands out almost more than the rest is the effect the estate has on the soul. It is a call to celebrate life. And what better way to celebrate life than to indulge in the gifts of the earth? Spier is host to superb restaurants and acclaimed wines, and what's more, the perfect place to enjoy them in - Spier.

Figaro's Restaurant: Within the breathtaking panorama of the Helderberg and Simonsberg mountains lies the relaxed, French classic style fine dining restaurant Figaro's. Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience where the use of local and organic produce has been emphasised in an array of exquisite dishes. In the words of Executive Chef, Craig Cormack, "Food should be kept simple and fresh, extracting as much flavour as possible without complicating the dish."

Figaro's offers an inspired buffet for breakfast. Its abundant generosity and vast choice encourages a relaxed and leisurely stay. To whet your palate in expectation of a flavourful dinner, there is Toto's Bar, where the essence of your first bottle of Spier Private Collection wine is enhanced around the cozy fireplace. Your meal may be enjoyed in the pleasant setting of the restaurant, on the terrace or at the pool. The finishing touch, the dessert menu, is a masterfully crafted work of sheer brilliance that will give you a little hint of heaven. Figaro's can accommodate up to 100 people. Private lunch functions can be arranged.

Jonkershuis Restaurant: This restaurant offers a traditional Cape Malay buffet which includes soup, farm breads, cold dishes, salads, bredies, curries, Malay specialities, Cape cheeses and hot and cold desserts. You are invited to enjoy your meal inside the 150-year-old Jonkershuis or out on the oak-shaded terrace, which is the favored summer venue. A veritable feast awaits you here.

Taphuis Grill & Riverside Pub: Set in the breathtaking surroundings of the Stellenbosch winelands you will find this relaxed family restaurant. The uniquely festive atmosphere and its family friendly menu, carefully selected by Chef Grant Morilly, will entertain all ages young and old. For the lovely summer days there is outside seating by the banks of the meandering Eerste River. Ensuring a true winelands experience, informal wine tastings are available in the evenings on request.

In the Riverside Pub, from Monday to Thursday & Sunday evenings, on offer is a mouthwatering menu and a warm and inviting fireplace for you to spend your cold winter nights. On Friday & Saturday evenings the pub serves the full Taphuis a la carte menu for you to enjoy with your family and friends.

The pub is the ideal spot for a pre-dinner drink or a light meal and also offers a unique cocktail menu and big-screen TV broadcasting all the major sports events. The pub also offers set menus with different prices and selections, whether it is for a large tour group or private function, they will accommodate your needs.

Spier Deli and Picnics: You are invited to enjoy a Spier Farmstall Picnic around the lake, under the shady trees or at rustic wooden benches on the banks of the Eerste River. The famous picnic basket contains assorted cold meats and chicken, salads, pâté, quiche, smoked Franschhoek salmon, assorted cheeses and biscuits, baguettes and fresh fruit salad for dessert. Halaal, vegetarian and children's baskets are available on request.

Café Spier: Treat yourself to a variety of wholesome light lunches, homemade pastries and freshly percolated designer coffees. The Café is open for breakfast daily serving a selection of mouth-watering meals to get your day off to just the right start. When the weather is fine, relax and enjoy your lunch on the veranda overlooking the great Spier lawn and savouring your glass of Spier wine! On those chilly days why not warm up inside with a sumptuous meal and rich mug of hot chocolate. The warm ambience and friendly service at the Café Spier will charm you into popping in for a bite and staying for a meal!

Activities
At Spier guests can savour a delectable lakeside picnic, followed by a visit to the Cheetah Outreach Programme, or enjoy a round of golf before sampling Spier's award-winning wines at a choice of seven varied restaurants.

Guests can also delight in a star filled night of music in the Spier amphitheatre, try their hand at tennis or meet one of the majestic birds of prey at the Eagle Encounters. They may also, simply, sit among the beautiful gardens and soak up the tranquil magic that makes Spier a place for the soul.

Golf at Spier: The course is designed to international standards by top golf course designer, Peter Matkovich. The 18-hole, 6,385m course is overlooked by the towering Helderberg Mountain range and surrounded by rolling vineyards and orange groves. The Blaauwklippen River meanders through the course and each of the 18 holes offers its own unique challenge. There are testing water features, (notably the par-3 second hole where the green is on the river bank), and classic golf holes with the most memorable and spectacular backdrops.

Tennis: Overlooked by the Helderberg mountains, Spier's three all-weather tennis courts (one of which is flood-lit) adds yet another option to your leisure-time activities. Spier has hosted many international stars here including an exhibition match between Anna Kournikova and Amanda Coetzer. There is a Tennis Academy for those keen players who would like to join.

Spier Wine Centre: Showcasing more than 200 local estates, the Spier Wine Centre is a haven for wine-lovers. On the grounds of the main estate and housed in a gabled barn dating back to 1856, the cozy Cape Dutch architecture lures visitors into the treasures of this cellar. There are delicate whites, rich reds, premium Cape rarities, collectors' labels, superior sherries, rare vintages, and, of course, Spier's very own range of wines, the Spier Range and the Spier Private Range. Grown at the nearby Spier Home Farms, the wines include an award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Formal and private tastings take place daily on the hour between 10am and 4pm. Tastings can be conducted in English, Afrikaans & German. Visitors are invited to sample Spier's own house wine and savour some of the world's best wines under one roof. The centre offers a wide range of wine accessories; wine specialists are always on hand to advise, and an efficient and speedy delivery service is available for overseas buyers.

Eagle Encounters: Are you daring enough to hold an eagle?
Eagle Encounters is an initiative started by Hank and Tracy Chalmers, experts in the field of these beautiful birds. Under their careful supervision you will be fitted with a falconer's glove and Hooch, the Spotted Eagle Owl will land on your arm.

Wally, the Wahlberg's Eagle can be placed on your hand and you can also meet Bugsey, a Rock Kestrel; Joe Black, a Black Shouldered Kite; Speedie, the Lanner Falcon and Mick, the Black Eagle. You will sense the power, majesty and grace that is so typical of an eagle. The centre funds the rehabilitation of raptors through its educational programme and is found adjacent to the Cheetah Park.

Spier Vintage Train: The Spier Vintage Train started its service life in the colors of Rhodesia Railways in the early 1950's, operating throughout Central and Southern Africa, from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. Built in Britain, the coaches were finished in local teak. Bought by Spier from National Railways of Zimbabwe in the late 1990's, the train now provides a unique way of transporting guests from Cape Town direct to the Spier Estate.

The Spier Vintage Train now operates 'selected' schedules for day-trippers, from Spier's own station and platforms near to the main Cape Town Station, out to the Spier Estate as well as to other destinations. The train is also immensely popular for charters with overseas incentive and tour groups, as well as Corporate groups. Expanding service, Spier are now offering the 'Winelands Wanderer', a leisurely weekend through the Cape Winelands. This new venture offers you a 3-day journey through the valleys of Paarl, Worcester and Stellenbosch. It includes all train travel, all meals, 2 nights accommodation, visits to Nederberg, Kleinplasie, the Eagle Encounters and Wine Tasting.

Locomotion is provided by Spoornet, and the well respected late 50's Vintage Electric 5E can be seen hauling the day trips out on the Stellenbosch line. Charter groups have the option of using steam locomotives, and the workhouse 19D's are regularly used, and occasionally the big 15F and the 25NC.

Horse Riding: Horses, ponies and cart rides provide entertainment and rides for you on your visit to Spier. Riding enthusiasts may prefer a Trail Ride, while children can enjoy pony and cart rides under supervision on the lawns of the Estate. The Spier Wedding Carriage, with two horses, a driver and footgroom can turn a wedding into a fairytale occasion.

Tours
Township Tour: Visiting informal and formal townships within Cape Town. This tour will give insight into "community living", included is a walking tour of the township, viewing hostel living conditions as well as home-industry innovations. Be a part of this community's everyday life and gain an understanding of their struggles, hopes and achievements.

Winelands Tour: South Africa is a significant producer of wine, bottling around 65 million cases per year and many premium wine estates in the Franschoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl areas are the source of these world-class wines. Cellar tours and wine tasting as well as a tour of the town of Stellenbosch are included in the tour.

Cape Town, Waterfront & Robben Island: Depart from the Hotel to the centre of Cape Town, with visits to places of interests, such as the District Six Museum, Parliament and the Botanical Gardens. From the city making your way to The V&A Waterfront where you will take a ferry to Robben Island, 10 kms offshore. Known for its former role as a maximum-security prison and leper colony, Robben Island has now been developed as a nature reserve, museum and poignant memorial to South Africa's long liberation struggle.

Cape Point & Table Mountain: From the Spier hotel travel along the spectacular beach road, stopping off at places of interest along the False Bay coast. Stop at Cape Point one of only 20 National Heritage sites in the world and where the 2 Oceans meet. - Depart from Cape Point along the Atlantic Coast via Clifton and Camps Bay to the top of the Table Mountain that is 1086 metres high and can be seen 200kms out to sea.

Cape Less Taveled: Depart from the Hotel and cross over three valleys (Sir Lowry's Pass, Du Toits' Kloof and Bainskloof Pass) The Mountains of the Boland with their spectacular peaks, fertile valleys, farms and vineyards are quite breathtaking.

West Coast: Travel along the "Flower Route", visits to an Ostrich farm and the Langebaan Nature Reserve, on your return, view Table Mountain from across the Blouberg Bay.

Hermanus: Hermanus is one if the whale-watching capitals of the world (Season June - October) known as the Overberg; Hermanus is a coastal haven for local and international tourists. Please note this tour is not offered as half-day because of distance involved.

History of Spier
Historic Spier has many colourful stories to tell. Settlement of the land dates back to the early Stone Age and today implements from that era are still to be found scattered across the estate. Towards the end of the 17th century, when the first European settlers reached the area, the land was already populated by Khoi cattle farmers who migrated seasonally between the West Coast and what is now known as the Stellenbosch district.

In 1692, Cape Governor Simon van der Stel granted the farm to a German settler by the name of Arnout Janz. In 1712, the farm was bought by Hans Heinrich Hattingh who named it after his hometown Speyer, on a tributary of the Rhine River. The Dutch word 'spier' also refers to reeds; their abundance on the marshlands of the farm inspired the design of the present Spier logo.

In 1993, Spier was bought by a visionary South African businessman, Dick Enthoven. This heralded a new era in the estate's eventful history. The Spier renaissance includes environmentally- and ecologically- appropriate housing developments for all income groups; organic farming to restore the soil; land reform to bring black farmers back onto the land, and a school programme to meet the educational needs of the children of farm workers.

Top           Return to Map of Winelands

Tour the Cape: Cape Town Tours             Weather: Cape Town Weather

For tourist information and activities in the Winelands, click More Winelands
For tourist information and activities in the Western Cape, click More Western Cape
For further information about South Africa, click More South Africa

                       

                                                 

African Safari - Home          Site Map          Currency Converter          Search          Links          Blog          Africa Weather          Budget Safaris          Photo Safaris

Botswana Safari          Kenya Safari          Malawi Safari          Mozambique Safari          Namibia Safari          Rwanda Safari          Seychelles Islands

South Africa Safari          Tanzania Safari          Zambia Safari          Zimbabwe Safari

Safari Map          About Us          Our African Safaris          Scheduled Safaris          Rates and Pricing          Planning          News          FAQ's          Photography          Contact Us