@Franschhoek Hotel

The room and the property are beautiful, and the staff we met were friendly and helpful, though some clearly needed more training. The main letdown was the food. The hotel's “restaurant” is actually the brewery bar in a separate building on the property, so for dinner and breakfast you're seated in a sports bar and grill. On Christmas Eve we had the set menu, and the food was easily the worst we ate during our month in South Africa. I've held off posting a negative review for nearly three months, hoping management would fix our unresolved issue. I'd have rated the stay a little higher if they'd followed through, but they made promises about when it would be sorted and haven't replied to emails.

The place looked lovely at night, with the lighting giving it a welcoming, almost picturesque feel, and the rooms were clean. The staff were mostly very friendly. One concern was that the woman at the bar was trying to help us, but the chef bluntly refused, which was disappointing. Also, someone came into our room twice without knocking, and that made us uncomfortable. Breakfast the next morning was acceptable, and we did have a good stay overall.

The cottage room was nicely set up and had everything we needed. Being able to WhatsApp reception and get a quick reply was especially handy. We also used the shuttle to get to the wine tram and into the quaint town for dinner. The staff were so helpful throughout our two nights, and breakfast was generous and beautifully presented. We were visiting the vineyards in Franschoek, and this was our second stop on the trip. We were very impressed with SA hospitality and would happily choose this lovely hotel again.

The porters were wonderful, but the rest of the staff could use more training. There is a lot of potential here, yet it will take the right management team to bring the experience together. The menu for the whole hotel doesn't suit a resort like this, and they don't even have toasted sandwiches. The restaurant doesn't fit the Franschoek experience, and breakfast was underwhelming. With better management this place could be remarkable, but it isn't there yet.