Visit Franschhoek now and you’d be left questioning whether Covid ever happened. In fact, it’s hard to believe that the scenic winelands town suffered greatly during the pandemic. Retail closures reshaped its main street, and an array of its accommodation options were lost – so it’s heart-warming to enjoy the benefits of Franschhoek’s full recovery as a big tourist destination. It’s especially delightful to consider this comeback – paloma in hand – from the privacy of Franschhoek House, The Royal Portfolio’s newest addition to its 30-acre La Residence estate.
The vibe
Given its popularity, it’s surprising that the not-so-sleepy town has long lacked luxurious exclusive-use villas. Yes – they’re the stuff the 80s TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was made of, but it’s not only an A-list crowd The Royal Portfolio hopes to attract to Franschhoek House.
The relaxed vibes and approachable, yet discreet, staff of the homestead/six-suite private villa support this thinking. There are a concierge and private chef for guests’ exclusive use, but even this perk feels refreshingly casual. They’re there when called upon, with locally-born executive chef Cheslin Cornelissen as willing to braai marshmallows with your little ones as he is up for crafting feasts from farm-fresh produce cultivated on the estate.
Your stay
Franschhoek House sleeps 12, across six sumptuous suites, each uniquely designed by The Royal Portfolio’s founder, matriarch and interior designer extraordinaire, Liz Biden. Fans of the brand’s Royal Malewane and The Silo Hotel will know to expect colour; others should arrive prepared for an ultra-high-definition riot of hues. Indian silks, handpicked by Biden, are the stuff of tone-on-tone curtains and headboards, with walls equally audacious (including custom wallpaper by local surface designer Robin Sprong).
Stairs lead to four of the six suites, with two on ground level for the mobility-challenged, or those who may have overindulged in La Residence’s house wines, available for guests “on tap”.
Elevated as the property is, views from the bedrooms are some of Franschhoek’s finest, no less so from the Long Room, a gathering space complete with multiple lounges and a full-size billiard table. It’s here, below the pitched rietdak ceiling, that Biden has suspended an oversized crystal chandelier rescued from Cape Town City Hall. It took four men to assemble and install after its arrival in several crates.
Behind the scenes
Beauty, here, is more than surface deep and takes the form of out-of-sight sustainability measures, no less hardworking for their invisibility. Guests can take comfort knowing that the centralised air-conditioning ingeniously recycles hot air, utilising it to heat screed floors and the glorious infinity pool. As for those screed floors – they’re a collaboration with Zerocrete, its first hospitality project, and one that incorporates the equivalent of 235,000 non-recyclable plastic bottles, as well as more than 10,000 recycled T-shirts, in their manufacture.
We really like
A creative use of materials can be found on the villa’s walls too, and, art admirers that we are, we’d be remiss for not mentioning Franschhoek House’s impressive collection. Biden’s love of colour is celebrated in her curation of bold – at times near-luminous – figurative paintings by African artists including South Africa’s Kate Gottgens and Zimbabwe’s Franklyn Dzingai, Grace Nyahangare and Tafadzwa Tega. A stay at Franschhoek House may offer the ultimate privacy, but it’s in the company of the stylish and proudly African figures in these artworks that time will be spent.
Pictures: Supplied.
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