Travel Diary – Steenberg Hotel & Spa, Cape Town

The Ker & Downey® Africa Head of Product – Lisa Nel – was lucky enough to enjoy a stay at Steenberg Hotel & Spa on the Steenberg Wine Farm in Constantia, South Africa.  This Travel Diary shares her memorable experience and why she highly recommends that our guests experience this special place when visiting Cape Town. Read more on follow along on Lisa’ wonderful journey !

Constantia, where Steenberg is located,  is the oldest suburb of Cape Town, about 9 miles from the center and is particularly famed for its wine farms. Most of these were established in the late 1600’s – including Steenberg in 1682.  It is suggested that Constantia was named after the commissioner’s daughter, who made the original grant. The area is filled with history and offers a wealth of interesting facts and stories to discover during your stay. 

The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle at 10h00 to the V&A Waterfront and returns in the late afternoon at 15h30.  

However, your dedicated travel consultant will arrange a private transfer to the property from the airport when you arrive and then again on to your next destination.

Steenberg Farm (excluding the golf course & residential estate next door) is owned by the Beck family who also own the Cap Classique producing Graham Beck wine farm (near Robertson in South Africa). With the 18-hole golf course right next door and easy access at the end of the vineyards, guests have the best of both worlds – you can relax, enjoy the award-winning wines and dining options, or partake in an enjoyable round of golf on this premium course, or one of the many other activities available on site. 

As you walk into the main entrance, you are greeted by friendly staff and there is a seamless and professional check in. Our luggage was quietly whisked away to our room without any fuss. A lovely member of the team showed us to our phenomenal one-bedroom double-story suite and the enjoyment of the stay really began. 

There are a total of 24 rooms that can suit any traveler;

• Classic rooms
• Superior rooms
• Premier rooms
• Family rooms
• One bedroom suite
• Two bedroom villa
• Three bedroom villa

For a really large family or group of friends, there are inter-connecting doors from the one-bedroom suite to the two-and-three bedroom villas so you can utilize this as a 6-bedroom villa.  The two-and-three bedroom villas have their own private swimming pools. 

All the rooms except the classic rooms have private garden access, and they have the best views of either the mountains or vineyards, or both. 

I stayed in the expansive one-bedroom suite, which had a separate dining room with a 4-seater table, a kitchenette with a bar fridge, a small stove and a microwave, plus all the mod cons you expect from a good quality kitchen. All were beautifully appointed and the suite felt spacious and luxurious. 

The lounge area features a wood burning fireplace, which was lit for us when we were out at dinner and was hugely welcoming when we returned given the chill in the air this time of year.  The lounge also leads out to the private garden, which flows out to the vineyards, and at night you can see the twinkling lights of Constantia.

Upstairs features a large bedroom with a king-size bed and the room leads to the modern en-suite bathroom, which has one of the largest showers I have ever seen- and thoroughly enjoyed.  The views from the bedroom and lounge sweep over the vineyards outside and we could also see the golf driving range at the end of the vines. I loved the decor as it showed respect for the historical building (nearly 350 years old) and had pops of color with contemporary yet comfortable furnishings. There is also a portion of a wall that is safely encased in glass and shows a piece of the original wall from 1682. I can honestly say my suite had the X factor, and I can confidently recommend it – I have had the pleasure of staying at many hotels over the years in the travel indsustry, and this one was world-class!

Yes children under 3 years of age can be accommodated in a cot at no extra charge. All the other room categories except the classic room – can have an extra bed added for children.

Meals

For dinner, you can choose to either dine at Tryn or Bistro Sixteen82 (the latter named after farm’s founding year ) and both are in-house restaurants on the farm. The Bistro is about 1km away from the main hotel, but the staff are always on hand to shuttle you with the latest Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles or in one of the golf carts, but a leisurely stroll is also highly enjoyable as the farm is so picturesque. 

We decided to have our evening meal at Bistro 1682 as per the suggestion of the Steenberg team. All the dishes are tapa-style plates, and all dietary requirements are easily catered for. I don’t eat red meat and I found a wide selection of dishes to choose from, there is also a separate vegetarian menu.  Luckily, we had a booking as the vibey restaurant was fully booked so I definitely recommend asking your travel consultant to pre-book this dinner.  The service was smooth, attentive and friendly, and nothing was too much trouble.  The team shared that the restaurant recently underwent a renovation, and the interior is truly beautiful.  One of my favorite dishes was the mussels in coconut broth and my husband loved the pork belly. We both adored the delicious corn fritters.

The tapas menu does change as the chefs use seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. The team is led by Executive Chef, Kerry Kilpin and there is a nod to Asian flavors and styles throughout the menu.  

Do yourself a favor – and make sure that Bistro 1682 is on the lsit of dining venues to enjoy!

Breakfast was served at Tryn restaurant, however, guests can choose to eat at Bistro sixteen82 as well.  We chose to try Tryn in the morning after our wonderful dinner at the Bistro the night before. The breakfast menu is a la carte with a wide selection of dishes,  from banana pancakes to salmon eggs royale, and they also bring the most delicious freshly squeezed orange juice to your table.  As we stayed in winter, there was a warm fire crackling but in summer I can imagine sitting in their large courtyard that also overlooks more vineyards and starting the day off leisurely soaking up the magnificent views !

Property activities

There are endless activities on offer here. If you wish to be outdoors – right from the hotel there is a 1.24 miles and 3.1 miles running/walking trail through the farm for those who feel adventurous or want to work off some of the great dishes enjoyed while staying here. The hotel also offers mountain bikes, and I was pleasantly surprised to see they had sizes for all ages. Golfers you can play a round on Steenberg Golf Course for just $50 or 50 euros as a hotel guest. Alternatively, if you just want to practice, guests receive complimentary use of the Steenberg Golf Club’s driving range. Then there is the refreshing swimming pool which also allows for day use with shower rooms at no extra cost – perfect if you have a late flight out. Guests can also walk through the extensive indigenous gardens at their leisure – a real peaceful meander. 

Indoors, there is the 6-treatment room in-house spa, which provides therapeutic beauty treatments and massages. Due to its popularity, I also suggest you pre-book a treatment slot. All guests receive a complimentary classic wine tasting at Steenberg Vineyards. I can recommend the Steenberg Black Swan Sauvignon Blanc which hails from 30-year-old vines and is hand-picked. I enjoyed this wonderful wine so much, I bought a few bottles to enjoy at home.

For those that want to venture out the hotel provides complimentary transport within 3.1 miles of the farm which allows you to also visit many of the local restaurants and shops.

Who is it suitable for?

Couples, small groups and families as well as solo travelers. When I arrived I saw a family chatting on the lawn and a few other families cycling with the farm’s bicycles. With the one-bedroom suite and the two-and-three bedroom villas that can be combined, it is also suitable for larger families or groups of friends.

Highlights of the property

Personally, I loved the way the interior decorators and architects honored the heritage of the farm. This made the property even more memorable for me as I found it very interesting to hear all about the history, including seeing the historical monument plaque. The farm was originally owned by Catharina Ras when it was given to her by Simon van der Stel and it eventually came to the Beck family in 2005.

If you are interested in experiencing a stay at the Steenberg Hotel & Spa with Ker & Downey® Africa, get in touch with our travel experts who will gladly curate a personalized itinerary.

See you out there!