Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa, Stellenbosch: wineland lodges on Laurence Graff’s estate

Photo: South African Tourism, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the Helshoogte Pass above Stellenbosch, diamantaire Laurence Graff’s privately owned estate wraps 16 David Collins Studio lodges and an Owner’s Villa around vineyards, a serious art collection and Three MICHELIN Keys.

The setting

Delaire Graff Estate crowns the Helshoogte Pass in the Banhoek Valley, looking across Stellenbosch vines to Simonsberg and, on clear days, Table Mountain. Laurence Graff OBE bought the property in 2003 and has shaped it as a private wine, art and hospitality destination rather than a chain hotel — Graff Diamonds’ jewellery business is separate from the estate’s ownership.

“Situated in the heart of South Africa’s Cape Winelands wine country, the Delaire Graff Estate is a must-visit — not only for its winemaking operation, but for its art collection, its luxurious hospitality, and its spectacularly beautiful natural setting.”

More than 400 works from Graff’s collection sit indoors and in the gardens, including sculpture by Dylan Lewis and others. The winery, Wine Lounge and tended gardens make the estate a day-visitor destination as well as a hotel; lodge guests move through the same landscape of vines, art and Cape light. The atmosphere is polished rather than rustic: white walls, glass, and curated views that treat the Banhoek Valley as part of the architecture.

The rooms & villas

MICHELIN counts 17 rooms: 16 contemporary one- and two-bedroom lodges designed with David Collins Studio, plus the four-bedroom Owner’s Villa. Every lodge has a private heated pool, living room, wet bar or butler’s kitchen, ensuite bedroom and a deck. Garden Lodges (70 m²) face leafy gardens; Luxury Lodges (70 m²) look to the Stellenbosch Valley and Simonsberg; Superior Lodges (76 m²) overlook the estate vineyards and can interconnect. Presidential Lodges 1 and 2 (130 m², two bedrooms) sleep four, with log fireplaces and longer views — Presidential 1 frames Table Mountain; Presidential 2 faces Simonsberg.

The Owner’s Villa is Graff’s 660 m² private retreat: four bedrooms, 14 m heated infinity pool, outdoor living, private chef and butler. Lodge rates include breakfast, mini bar, laundry, Wi-Fi and a wine tasting; Villa rates include all meals. Children of all ages are welcome, with limits on how many can share a one-bedroom lodge.

Eat & drink

Three restaurants sit on the estate. Delaire Graff Restaurant serves creative Cape bistro fare with Banghoek Valley views from the terrace — the “South African bistro” MICHELIN points to. Hōseki, under Head Chef Virgil Kahn, is contemporary Japanese — seasonal tasting formats such as the winter Nihon Jūdan menu, with optional wine pairing — and is also where lodge guests can take breakfast. Lorenzo’s Cucina Italiana covers antipasti, wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta in a florally bold room. Tutored tastings run daily in the art-filled Wine Lounge; the Laurence Graff Reserve and the wider estate portfolio are the obvious bottles to try. Indochine Lounge covers smaller plates between meals for guests who want a lighter stop.

Wellness

Delaire Graff Spa is a full wellness wing: treatment suites (several with outdoor courtyards), sauna, steam room, Technogym and a 22 m infinity pool reserved for lodge, Villa and spa-journey guests. Therapies use brands including Augustinus Bader, Irene Forte and Jardin de Delaire (and ila on some menus). Lodge guests also have a pillow menu and in-lodge wet bars for quieter evenings.

Beyond the resort

Stellenbosch town — galleries, museums, oak-lined streets and more cellar doors — is a short drive down the pass. Franschhoek, Paarl and the wider Cape Winelands fill day trips; Cape Town and the Atlantic beaches are about an hour away. The estate can arrange horse riding, helicopter flights, golf and picnics. On site, vineyard walks, the boutiques (including the only Graff jewellery store on the African continent) and garden paths among the sculpture keep guests busy without leaving the hill. Many lodge stays combine two or three nights here with a Cape Town or safari leg.

When to go

The Cape has wet winters and dry summers. High season for the lodges runs from about 1 October to 30 April; low season from 1 May to 30 September, when rates drop and vineyard colours turn. A minimum two-night stay applies from mid-December into January. Summer (December–February) suits long terrace lunches and pool days; autumn harvest and spring flowering are the romantic windows; winter brings cosier lodge evenings, open fires in the Presidential Lodges and quieter tasting rooms. Book spa treatments and Hōseki or Delaire Graff Restaurant tables ahead in high season.

Who it’s for

Delaire Graff suits wine and art travellers who want a lodge base with serious restaurants and a spa, without giving up Cape Town access. Couples and small families fit the one- and two-bedroom lodges; larger celebrations lean on the Presidential Lodges or Owner’s Villa. It also works well as a two- or three-night Winelands stop between city and safari. Guests chasing a remote bush camp or a barefoot island will find it too polished and too close to town.

This guide was researched independently from published sources; Cosmopolitan Courier was not compensated.