GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT
LOCATION
In a beautiful former family home at the edge of a suburb in Paarl — a perfect jumping-off point for the winelands and close enough to Cape Town and the sea to make this a quieter alternative to staying in the city.
STYLE
If the phrase “The Hamptons” — the eternally fashionable and desirable vacation spot on Long Island — means anything to you, you will understand The Lighthouse immediately. There are five luxurious boutique suites, decorated in various themes from “afro chic” to Georgian to a serious nod to Manhattan. And, yes, one of the suites is called “The Hamptons”.
SERVICE
I don’t like being fussed over and tend to shy away from helpful staff — I like to carry my own bags, for example — and that is just not done at The Lighthouse. The service here is attentive down to the last drop of wine in the decanter. Hosts Darrol and Hendrik lead a team of exceptional people, who make a lovely change from the cookie-cutter robots that big hotel groups these days seem to think will make for brilliant staff.
FACILITIES
Too many to list but the details that got my attention were the down pillows, the fast and free wifi, a large writing desk in the rooms and a private mini-bar stacked with great snacks.
HOW'S THE GRUB?
You will be asked what you feel like eating for dinner. On the night I was there, we ate a beautifully done fillet (I am a flexitarian in places like this) along with a garden salad that was so fresh it crackled. When I asked who the chef was, Hendrik was quick to praise all the staff. “It’s a team effort in there,” he said, pointing to the kitchen. “We all take part.”
Breakfast was fresh fruit, cereals and yoghurt followed by a made-to-order tomato and mushroom omelette.
ACTIVITIES
Paarl is an excellent base for exploring all the winelands — Franschhoek and Stellenbosch — and their many estates are just down the road, while behind the mountain you will find Wellington and the various vineyards of the Agter-Paarl region. But if you don’t want to do anything, that’s OK too: there is a beautiful pool — filled with water bought from a farmer over the mountains and trucked in as required, so you may swim with a conscience as clear as the water you are cooling off in. The hotel also has an excellent library and if I had had a longer stay, you would have found it difficult to shift me from a couch and a book in the living room.
BEST TIME TO GO
It gets very busy in the summer with overseas guests, and the rates reflect that. I’m not a fan of the Cape summer — it can hit 40ºC in this part of the world. Winter, when the crowds have thinned and the countryside is green with (hopefully) lots of rain, is the best time to be in the Cape. It’s also hard to beat those clear, bright winter days when the sun is shining and the few tourists around shake their heads, bemused by the African “winter”.
RATES
From R2 750 per person sharing. ● L S.
CONTACT
Visit thelighthouse.co.za
Ash was a guest of The Light House Boutique Suites.