When the doors first opened more than 20 years ago, the Spier Hotel outside Stellenbosch was something of a landmark; an upmarket overnight option in the heart of an estate offering myriad immersive activities and experiences.
While it has been somewhat left behind, as other winelands estates raised the bar for boutique hotels, the hotel is curently undergoing a major (and overdue) refurbishment. The renovation – with reopening slated for early in 2025 – is set to bring the hotel more in line with the aesthetic and approach of the broader Spier estate.
As Spier has embraced a new focus on art and sustainability in the past decade, the 80 rooms will better reflect traditional Cape architecture and design, with updated finishes and artwork from the Spier Arts Collection.
Ground floor rooms will open out onto gardens of indigenous flora, while upper-level accommodation will offer garden views and farm from Juliet balconies. Other plans include the addition of a secluded wellness spa with treatments focused on healing fynbos botanicals harvested on the farm.
'Our farm and hotel will be an immersive place of peace and connection. Simple and timeless, with elegant comfort that never shouts,' said Mariota Enthoven, who lives on the farm and is leading the project. 'Set in a magnificent wild Cape garden, it’ll be a more personal, more encompassing expression of our family’s vision.'
The fusion of food, wine and wellness will also extend to the new restaurant and bar offering, where the ethos will be all about sustainable simplicity, with a focus on Spier’s own farm produce. There are plans for an expanded pool and bar, with a rooftop sundowner bar dishing up stellar views of the Helderberg mountains and the rewilded farmland and riverbanks.
Along with easy access to the galleries, restaurants and outdoor activities that have made Spier a popular day-trip destination, the hotel will also offer exclusive experiences allowing overnight guests to engage with the winemakers, gardeners and collaborators within the Spier farm community.
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