Child Friendly Travel

I was recently invited to spend a family, fun-filled weekend at The Spier Wine Farm and Hotel , as part of the “Spier New Journey” campaign. We have visited Spier Wine Farm often for picnics and wine tasting but we have never stayed in the hotel before, so I really was keen to experience this for the first time.

Unfortunately in true Cape Town fashion the weather did not play along and we experienced one of the worst storms this winter but this did not stop us from enjoying our new adventure!

The Spier Hotel is situated on the historic Spier Wine Farm, in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands. Village-style buildings, lush green lawns and spacious rooms, are some of the defining characteristics of the 4 star hotel.

155 rooms are clustered around six private courtyards, each with its own swimming pool. The design is reminiscent of the Bo-Kaap or Mediterranean villages where pedestrians have right of way.

Rolling lawns, gardens and walkways connect the rooms with the reception area, lounge, bar, terrace and restaurant.  The décor features a sophisticated, vibrant style with strong colours, patterns and textures, and a collection of art that explores contemporary South African culture.

The hotel is a pioneer in responsible tourism and was one of the first in South Africa to be awarded the Fair Trade in Tourism SA accreditation in 2004. In 2011, Spier won the top award in the Doing It All category in the Condé Nast Traveler World Saver Award. The Spier Hotel has also recently won a Gold at the Virgin Holidays Partners in Sustainability Award.

After checking into the hotel we were whisked off in a hotel shuttle to enjoy some wine tasting – one of my favourite things to do! While the adults enjoyed quaffing a variety of the estate wines the kids were treated to a grape juice tasting. 🙂

Spier’s winery has won multiple awards in recent years, including Producer of the Year (Mundus Vini, Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2011).

We tasted wines from The Spier Creative Block blended wine range, which takes its name from a Spier Arts Academy project, which combines artworks from different artists and rearranges them to create something unique. The Creative Block wines are made with the same principal in mind. The Spier’s winemaking team select grapes from various vineyard blocks, which are blended to create wines, which are said to be “Wines greater than the sum of their parts.” My favourite wine was the Spier Creative Block 3: Shiraz, Mourvedre & Viognier – yum!

After wine tasting we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in Eight Restaurant, which was delicious! The restaurant offers a farm to table dining experience and the produce is either grown on the farm or sourced from nearby farms.

We could not the resist the decadent chocolate fondant, which was heavenly! It is definitely one of my favourite deserts and this one did not disappoint 🙂

If you are looking for a slightly more relaxed dining experience then Eight To Go Deli offers sumptuous gourmet picnics. We were unfortunately unable to enjoy a picnic outside on the Saturday afternoon because of the bad weather. {The photo below was taken on the Sunday, which was perfect picnicking weather!}

If its adventure you are looking for Spier offers Eagle encounters which is great for the kids, as well as Segway tours, which was definitely the highlight of our stay at Spier.

After a Segway master class we were whizzing around the vineyards at no time at all! It is a really fun way to explore the wine farm and see the sites. I think my hubby enjoyed the Segways even more than the kids and was attempting all sorts of death-defying moves! 🙂

The Hotel also has a kiddies playroom kitted out with games and activities for the little ones to enjoy in a safe environment. While you are out wine tasting, relaxing by the pool or enjoying lunch, you can have complete peace of mind that your children, ages 2-12 years, are in safe hands.This is a complimentary service for hotel guests and is not only a fun experience for kids but an educational one too.

If you are looking for relaxation and pampering then a visit to the Camelot Spa is a definite must!

We really enjoyed our Spier experience, the service was top-notch and nothing was too much trouble. Any issues that arose were dealt with speedily and professionally! We are planning to go back very soon, the girls are really keen to do the Segway tour again and the grownups are keen for a bit of spa pampering!

Thank you Spier for an amazing stay!