Babylonstoren

Located in a quiet corner of the Cape Winelands, the Babylonstoren is a classic Cape Dutch farm dating back to 1690 and one of the oldest and best-preserved vineyards in South Africa.

Babylonstoren is first and foremost a working farm with vineyards, orchards and a cheerful mob of ducks—but it is just as much a beautiful boutique hotel.

Style and heritage

The designer-owner Karen Roos, once editor of Elle Decoration, rehabilitated the farm in an impeccable style that blends history and contemporary design. Thus the little white cottages are immaculately restored in the historical 17th and 18th-century style, with thatched roofs and private terraces—but also with minimalist interiors and plenty of glass and space.

The thick walls make the rooms pleasantly cool in summer and fireplaces create a cozy ambiance in winter. Some cottages offer all-glass kitchens facing the garden, from which guests can pick herbs, fruits, and vegetables, the same products used by the chefs at the restaurant, Babel.

Babel

The food at Babel restaurant is inspired by the garden and every dish is driven by the seasons and by what has been harvested that day. The food is visual, often surprising, unpretentious and generous.

Guests are invited to join in the harvesting, pruning, planting or picking of our many fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, and vegetables, and are free to peep into the kitchen.

Meals can be organized in different areas of the farm: fruit orchards, under olive trees, depending on the weather.

Outdoors

The eight-acre gardens, designed by acclaimed architect Patrice Taravella, feature more than 300 organically grown plants, with areas devoted to fruit, vegetables, berries, indigenous plants, bees—even a prickly pear maze. Near the river, thousands of clivias burst into bloom each spring.

There is a dam on the river, where guests can choose to canoe—and the vineyards and orchards are great for cycling, but activities are not limited to Babylonstoren. The hotel is close to many outside activities—from investigating nearby wine farms to whale watching shark cage diving and golf courses. Cape Town is not far.

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in our opinion

With spectacular organic gardens, wonderful food and unique cottages, this stunning luxury boutique hotel is a Winelands farm that goes well beyond traditional agritourism.

Located about an hour-and-twenty-minute drive from Cape Town and within access to the Cape Wineland's regions of Paarl, Franschoek and Stellenbosch, Babylonstoren is a great place from which to explore this beautiful corner of South Africa.

What we love

• The property’s Cape Dutch farm style: whitewashed, simple structures set amid a dramatic landscape of valleys and mountains;
• Stylishly decorated rooms bringing together farmhouse chic and contemporary design;
• An impressive fruit and vegetable garden of great botanical diversity;
• Fresh and innovative food with beautifully color-coded dishes;
• Peace and quiet in a beautiful setting;
• Friendly, unpretentious staff;
• “Secret places”—such as the beautiful “weaver’s nests”, or “hidden fountains”, loved by children.

What you should know

• The hotel is open year-round;
• Families with children are most welcome;
• Full Laundry Service is included;
• Babylonstoren is in the heart of the Cape Winelands, some 60 km from Cape Town and an easy 45-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport;
• Perhaps the hotel pool is not as stylish as the rest of the place.