Hotels in Stellenbosch

With the exception of River Manor, all of the places reviewed here are outside the main town. Also worth considering are a number of spots close to the historic center -- attractions and a great selection of restaurants and coffee shops are only a short stroll away along the oak-lined streets. Given this, the best option is River Manor , but you may also want to investigate the following: Roosenwijn Guest House (tel. 021/883-3338; www.stellenguest.co.za) offers comfortable rooms tastefully decorated in Afrikaans-Afro chic for between R990 and R1,390 double, depending on the season and room size. Given its location (a 2-min. walk from the center) and the attractive decor, this is one of the best deals in town, but it doesn't have a great pool or any real garden to speak of. Opposite is Victorian-era Bonne Esperance (tel. 021/887-0225; www.bonneesperance.com; R590 double), worth considering only if you can get an upstairs room, specifically nos. 5, 14, or 15. Even more central, but not as good value, are Eendracht (tel. 021/883-8843; www.eendracht-hotel.com; R930-R1,870), which has bright but impersonal rooms and no real public spaces (other than around the pool), right in the center of historic Dorp Street; and D'Ouwe Werf -- the oldest inn in South Africa, popular for its old-fashioned hospitality, with some increasingly tattered rooms in the original building that make me want to go elsewhere.

Much, much better (but perhaps not such a quick walk to town) is Summerwood (tel. 021/887-4112; www.summerwood.co.za; R1,500-R2,250 double), a top-caliber guesthouse on the Jonkershoek Road. Your hosts, Ann and Christian Baret, offer an intimate atmosphere (only nine rooms, of which I recommend no. 8 for the best views), large rooms, and a great pool and garden. If you find guesthouses too claustrophobic and Asara too pricey, I'd opt for Devon Valley Hotel (tel. 021/865-2012; www.devonvalleyhotel.com): Situated a few kilometers outside of town, amid rolling hills carpeted with vines, it's popular with conference groups, but the location is great and the sunsets memorable. Rates range from R1,350 to R2,150 double, depending on the season and room type; ask for one in the Manor House, as they're more private and have more character. Managing around two dozen apartments, the rental agency Life and Leisure (tel. 021/886-6955; www.lifeandleisure.co.za) has some very stylishly decorated self-catering options, all within the historical center and restaurant district; the studio apartments, located in a house with a pool, are a steal, at R780 double.