The historic Manor House on Doolhof Wine Estate has been elegantly restored and houses 6 individually designed and appointed en-suite bedrooms and suites, offering 5 star luxuries and service. The free standing thatched cottage forms the 7th bedroom and is ideal for honeymooners or guests seeking additional privacy.
Situated in a long valley below the Bainskloof Pass, the Estate not only offers a wide variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking and horse riding, but is also an ideal base from which to explore the Cape.
We believe that luxury comes with space and have therefore created a large veranda, two dining areas, a library and tea lounge, a TV lounge with international channels, two conservatories, extensive landscaped gardens and a 15 meter pool, ensuring a high level of privacy and comfort.
Start your day with a delicious ?Cap Classique? breakfast with a range of homemade treats. Light lunches and snacks are served throughout the day; picnic baskets or backpacks are available by prior arrangement. In the afternoons we serve a high tea buffet with homemade delicacies. A sundown aperitif on the large veranda is followed by a three-course table d?hôte menu, prepared by our resident chef. Emphasising game and seafood, all ingredients are locally sourced and prepared in a Cape idiom.
A spa room is available for a wide range of treatments performed by professional therapists. The full range of Doolhof?s award winning wines is available for tasting in the tasting room; on request, private cellar tours can be arranged.
In Room Facilities:
or your in-room comfort and entertainment all our rooms offer the following:
Complimentary fruit basket and fresh flowers
Air-conditioning
Under-tile heating
Two heated towel rails
Twin basin
Shower & free standing bath
Hairdryer
High quality 720 g towels
Velour bathrobes
Luxury amenities
300 thread count percale cotton linen
Imported, allergy-free down duvets and pillows (fine fibre pillows are available on request)
Tea & coffee facility
Electronic safe
Wireless internet connection
I-pod docking station with radio and alarm clock
Remote telephone for internal and external calls
Area Information:
Nestled at the foot of Bainskloof Pass in a beautiful long valley, the Estate is set on 380 hectares of vineyard, forest and fynbos and is surrounded by three dramatic mountain ranges. The Kromme River, which is supplemented by water from ?Gawie se Water? runs through the Estate and is a major natural attraction.
?Doolhof? is the Afrikaans word for labyrinth and was given to the Estate by the early settlers in 1709, due to the many hills and vales which allowed only one way in and out. Grand Dédale translates into ?Great Labyrinth?.
Today we invite our guests to experience the mystical Doolhof Valley. Entering the romantic country road leading into the Estate, guests are surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery, vineyards and mysterious forests. The gates with the great ?D? lead past manicured horse paddocks and rows of white roses, revealing the beauty and elegance of the Estate. Being the last Estate on a ?cul-de-sac?, tranquility and privacy are guaranteed.
The Estate is the ideal base from which to explore the major attractions of the Cape.
Wellington with its rich history and culture is only 5 minutes drive, and the wine routes of Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch can all be reached within 30 minutes drive.
There are five scenic mountain passes nearby which connect the Cape?s various wine, brandy and fruit routes. The historical towns of Tulbagh, Ceres, Riebeek Kasteel, Robertson, Citrusdal and Darling all make for a pleasant day trip.
Cape Town city centre and Cape Town International Airport are a mere 45 minutes drive, whereas the sunny golden beaches of the Cape Peninsula, the whales of False Bay as well as the Cape West Coast National Park are within an hour's reach.
Property Facilities:
All our entertainment areas have been specially designed to make your stay comfortable and relaxing, an instant homely feeling in a 5 star environment. Our facilities include:
Library
Tea lounge with fireplace
TV lounge with international channels
Dining room
Large veranda overlooking the valley
Al fresco dining
Three self-service residents? bar fridges
Outdoor kitchen with gourmet braai facilities
15 x 3 metre salt water pool & loungers
Spa room offering various beauty, wellness and non-surgical rejuvenating treatments
Extensive, landscaped gardens
Wireless internet connection throughout
The experienced Grand Dédale team is on hand to assist you with...
On-site laundry service
Valet parking
Concierge service including assistance with air & ground travel plans and reservations of tours, transfers, car hire, restaurants etc.
Airport transfers will be arranged with pleasure: you will be collected in an air-conditioned, spacious vehicle or, why not shorten your trip and take a helicopter?
Multilingual hosts: English, German, Italian, French and Afrikaans are spoken.
Attractions:
With an abundance of possibilities to fill one's day, we recommend a minimum stay of 2 nights.
The vast Estate offers a wide range of outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, mountain biking and horse riding. For a leisurely stroll choose the River Walk, a path of about 2 km winding along the river bank with three pedestrian bridges crisscrossing the river. For the more active hiker, there is a 10 km Vineyard Walk which will lead you past all our noble grape varieties and reveals the most beautiful views of all the mountain ranges surrounding us - or why not hike up to the top of Bainskloof Pass from which you can enjoy the most scenic views over the entire Estate. The wild life on the Estate includes small mammals, like buck, porcupine, baboons and even Cape leopards have been spotted.
Alternatively, the Limietberg Nature Reserve which is only 10 minutes drive from the Estate offers 9 different hiking trails through fynbos rich areas which are interrupted by clear rock pools giving hikers the opportunity to cool off.
Two mountain bikes are available for our in-house guests, while horse riding can be arranged for experienced riders at a surcharge.
For larger groups we can arrange clay pigeon shooting and quad biking on the Estate.
Many more activities, such as trout fishing, hot air ballooning, paragliding and canyoning are available close by and we are ready to assist with arrangements.
