Cape Winelands Business Villas Self Catering rooms

The breakfasts were great, the rooms immaculate, and the service impeccable. The staff were always happy and friendly, making it feel like home away from home with a touch of luxury. I had an amazing stay at Cape Winelands Business Villas and would recommend it anytime. When I’m visiting that side again, I won’t stay anywhere else.

The food and treatment left us feeling insulted, and ruined what should have been a joyous occasion. If I could give zero stars, I would. One star feels generous. I can only attribute the appalling treatment to our staff being predominantly people of color. I arrived late for our year-end function because my last meeting ended at 14:00, the scheduled start time. The front parking was full, and I wasn’t sure where to go. I called a colleague, who came out and directed me to the back where other staff had parked. While I waited, a woman at the venue pointed at her watch to show I was late. I brushed it off at first, but what followed made it clear we weren’t welcome. For R455 per head, R65 for the venue and R390 for food, the menu was nowhere near what had been promised. Instead of the advertised spit-braai lamb, we got dry drumsticks that I’m almost certain were frozen leftovers from another event. I suspect the small bones on my plate were from oxtail. The sides were dry pasta with basic tomato sauce, crispy store-bought garlic rolls, baked potatoes and soggy Greek salad. None met even basic expectations, and most of our staff left their food untouched. The bar was meant to run until midnight but closed abruptly at 17:00, and we weren’t allowed to play music outside, even though we were in an open farm space with no neighbors who could be disturbed. Staff were followed to the bathrooms, with doors knocked on while they were inside. The swimming pool was advertised as an attraction, but we were forbidden to use it.

The swimming pool was a lifesaver, and the venue looked festive with nice decorations. But the Christmas buffet on 25 December 2024, on a boiling hot day, was a mess, and we won’t be back. It was one of the cheaper buffets available, but still not cheap, and we expected much better. The food was mediocre at best. The harvest table was okay, as were the pork belly, chicken pie and lamb roast. The sirloin was completely flavourless and cooked dead, with no salt and no salt or pepper shakers. My gammon was dangerously undercooked, and we skipped the dodgy-looking chicken. Roast potatoes were actually boiled potatoes. We eventually gave up and left almost full plates, which felt like such a waste. Getting seated was disorganized. The hosts seemed flustered, searching clipboard sheets for names, and we struggled to find our reserved table for three, two adults and a preteen. The waiter tried to put us at a two-seater bench without our number, which we refused. We sat at an unmarked table ourselves while he mumbled about checking with the manager, but nothing came of it. We got the impression the venue was overbooked. My wife spent ages at the bar trying to get wine glasses and an ice bucket. People queued in the boiling sun to enter the catering room through its only door. Service was incredibly slow, elderly guests weren’t looked after, and some people shaded themselves with their plates. A simple shade cloth would have helped. Flies were everywhere too, though that wasn’t the venue’s fault, and a flyfan on the table would have been nice. At dessert, my daughter asked for a specific cupcake and was rudely ignored. The person I think was the manager told the server to give her something else she didn’t want. Lessons learned.

I expected much more from a Christmas lunch and won’t return. The food was overcooked and bland in some cases, cold and tasteless in others, with little sense of care or effort for an important occasion. Service was just as disappointing. The staff seemed overwhelmed and inattentive, and it was clear they were understaffed and struggling with the holiday rush, though that still doesn’t excuse the experience. I wouldn’t recommend Cape Winelands for events or special occasions. It failed on both food and customer experience.