The property has deep roots in the hospitality industry and many will remember it as Swiss Farm Excelsior, which, I'm told, also had the first lady's bar. Today the red patent leather and cottagey gingham have been replaced by a white, cream and beige palette with colour accents coming from the steely surrounding mountains, flowers and fruit trees from the orchards.
The main thatched building houses the restaurants, bars and some accommodation on the upper level but on this visit we stayed in one of the self-catering garden villas, at the foot of the property.
As we tend to visit at the invitation of the hotel, we've become accustomed to a very special level of care and luxury. I noted when general manager Eben Lassen escorted us to our suite that the F&B manager was waiting in the suite to welcome us. I registered the gleaming ice-bucket with a chilled bottle of Pierre Jourdan Brut; the canapés; the large bouquet of freshly arranged cut flowers; the fruit basket where gleaming red apples and competing red Lindt chocolate balls and a framed photograph of my mother and I on the mantle. A framed photo of mum and me? My mind is reeling - did I visit this hotel previously with my mother, how did they get the photograph, had it been kept on file for years since my last visit?
I remember how impressed I was at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in KL, Malaysia when my initials were embroidered on the pillow-slip and "In Residence" name cards had been printed in anticipation of my arrival, but this gesture, simultaneously good-hearted and welcoming but also an inappropriate invasion of my privacy, demonstrated the hotel's commitment to personalizing the guest experience.
Turns out the hotel, unable to access photographs on my Facebook page, found a photo taken of me on a friend's Facebook page. I know their intentions were to make me feel welcome and delight me, and it did, but not without leaving a creepy, beware-of-stalkers taste in my mouth.
The food at Dish restaurant was sensational and we enjoyed our picnic at the outdoor restaurant, Le Verger, set amid lemon, apple, and pear trees. They recently added an innovative Wine-Tasting and blending Team Building element as part of their conferencing facilities which is also open guests.
The Condé Nast Traveller's Gold List is based on information from the annual Readers' Choice Survey. Elements including rooms, design, service, food, facilities and location are reviewed to establish the best in hospitality.
For more information go to www.lefranschhoek.co.za or call +27 (0) 21 876 8900.
