South Africa's Babylonstoren Is a Stunning Winery Hotel
"Less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town in the heart of the Cape Winelands, this restored farm functions as a luxury winery hotel and self-contained ecosystem across about 1,070 wooded and cultivated hectares, with 33 rooms, suites and cottages and roughly 12 acres of fruits and vegetables. Historic whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings (some dating to 1692) sit alongside elegant modern structures; a super-luxe five-bedroom Fynbos Family House that opened in 2024 offers sweeping mountain views, a private pool and terrace ideal for relaxing or braai-ing meat from the farm shop. The estate’s broad red-earthed avenues lead past Merlot vines, blood orange trees, lavender, vast herb gardens and unusual features such as a rice paddy, a prickly pear maze, calabashes on trellises, naartjies and a num num tree; water buffalo produce mozzarella and milk for gelato served in a whimsically lit Gelato Room, and there is also a glass-walled Greenhouse cafe famed for fresh-baked scones with house-made conserves. Food is thoroughly farm-to-fork at Babel restaurant, where meat and fish are paired with vegetables and herbs plucked from more than 300 edible plant species (guests can even pick their own), and the estate’s wines—from pretty Chardonnays and a herbaceous Mourvèdre rosé to a structured Babel red blend (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) overflowing with blackberry and dark chocolate notes—are showcased through tastings, cellar tours and a decorative Wine Museum with amphorae. Non-wine options include a house fizz called a bitterlekker made from homegrown citrus, honeybush tea and rosemary, while on-site experiences and inclusions (room plus breakfast starts around $570) range from guided garden tours, bread baking, fishing, cycling and rowing to mountain drives, workshops, a personalized larder and a farm experience; the property was also named among F&W’s Top 15 Hotels for Food and Drink in the 2025 Global Tastemakers awards." - Nina Caplan
