Akademie Street Boutique Hotel

Charm Declan, the charming hotel manager, and he’ll get you into pretty much any of the famed local restaurants without having to book months in advance… But be warned… he may tell them you’re a famous celebrity or VIP in order to secure the reservation!

If you asked us to describe what our ideal boutique hotel experience would be, it wouldn’t be far away from our experience at Akademie Street – style, charm, service, food, facilities and location.

Firstly, we would want a hotel with an individual style. Akademie Street delivers that in spades. It is truly like no other. The hotel is in a traditional Cape Dutch manor house, with connected buildings, including cottages and its very own Orangerie. The carefully curated original furniture and collectibles would remind you of something only otherwise found at Sotheby’s Auction House. But, they have all been introduced so carefully that you would think they had been there forever. This hotel will continue to challenge your perceptions. Depending on which room you stay in, you may experience Cape Dutch design, campaign-style living, mid-century luxury or country-chic charm. It’s up to you….

The next thing on our tick list would be un-apologetic excess. Again, Akademie Street hits the spot. From the complimentary mini-bar to local artisanal chocolates, its own curated wines and bean-to-cup coffee, Akademie Street has thought of everything. But excess doesn’t come at the expense of essentials, each room has hand made linen bedding, organic toiletries, wood-burning stoves and even a free smartphone, with local restaurants pre-programmed on speed dial.

A crucial component of our dream hotel would also have to be the facilities. For most, this may simply be a communal pool, but for Akademie Street, this means a private pool and wood-burning hot tub for each cottage! In addition, the hotel offers guests classic-style bicycles with shopping baskets, petanque on the boulodrome, an extensive library and vintage board games to enjoy.

Any hotel is only as good as the service it provides. The staff at Akademie Street are kind and helpful, striking the right balance between efficiency and sensitivity. If you want a reservation at one of Franschhoek’s exclusive restaurants at short notice, they will do their best. Once successful, you’ll be provided with your own map with hand-drawn directions to your reservation – it’s these touches that make Akademie Street stand out. There is a complementary laundry service, sun cream at the poolside and extensive literature on the surrounding area. Service at Akademie also extends to a daily wine and cocktail hour. Here there are DIY cocktails or local wines which can be enjoyed by the fireplace. Three times a week you will be joined by a local pianist who will take requests from her extensive repertoire. It doesn’t get more romantic than this!

And the final tick box would have to be the food. Akademie Street are on point with this as well. The breakfast menus boast strictly locally sourced ingredients. Starting with a huge platter of local fresh fruits and homemade smoothies, sandwiched with a course of homemade granola and Manuka honey and completed with a wide choice of cooked options that include the famous Akademie Street full breakfast.

Added to all of this is the location - only an hour’s drive from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town but also right in the centre of gorgeous Franschhoek, with numerous famous vineyards nearby, art galleries, boutiques and world-class restaurants. Akademie Street is merciless in its quest to deliver perfection, and this hotel comes as close as any in achieving this. 

The hotel’s ethos is  a “luxurious home from home for all our guests” but the reality is that nobody‘s home is really quite this perfect.  When can we go back?