A charming pet-friendly art deco hotel along historic Route 62, where you are transported into a world of yesteryear class from the minute you arrive.
Where is it?
Montagu, Western Cape
Why stay there?
This historic art deco hotel holds many fascinating treasures from the era, along with beautiful gardens filled with birdlife, a swimming pool and cosy bedrooms. They serve breakfasts, lunches and dinners, accompanied by a piano player in the evenings and for Sunday lunch. You can also indulge in a spa treatment or go for a drive in a classic car!
How much does it cost?
A Classic Room costs R625 per person per night with breakfast. Winter rates apply from 1 May to 31 August. Lunches and light meals average at R80, with dinner dishes being around R150-R200. Sunday roast is R145.
Can I take my dogs?
Yes you can! This a pet-friendly hotel, with small to medium dogs welcome to accompany you in the dining area and overnight. Cats are welcome too. However, there are resident cats and a dog, along with small children, so please bear this in mind.
Can I take the kids?
Yes, this is very much a family-friendly hotel.
Contact details:
Telephone 023 614 3125, email res@montagucountryhotel.co.za, www.montagucountryhotel.co.za
From the moment you arrive at the Montagu Country Hotel, you are transported into a world of yesteryear class, complete with porters to carry your bags, a glass of sherry served in the foyer while you check in and tinkling piano music when you take dinner in their candlelit dining room. Add a whole lot of art-deco furniture and artefacts, and it feels like you’ve stepped into another dimension!
Valentino and I stayed in a Classic Room, which was cosy and comfortable with an en-suite bathroom with a shower. There is a tea and coffee-making station so you can enjoy a cuppa in your bed watching DSTV, or better still on your patio watching the abundant birdlife in the gardens. I did take a tour of the hotel and can highly recommend the honeymoon suite – it’s absolutely exquisite with a lounge area and beautiful bathroom, along with chandeliers, stylish art deco furnishings and a beautiful room divider separating the bathroom. If you are not on honeymoon, but still fancy something a little fancier, the Luxury Rooms are very well appointed too, also having art-deco pieces.
While the interior is beautifully done, the gardens are just as lovely. There are plenty of trees with loads of birdlife (they have feeders to encourage the birds), walkways flanked with roses, green lawns (good place to take your dog to do his business, but do pick up after him) and plenty of indigenous plants, along with ornate fountains. There are also two swimming pools for those hot days in the Klein Karoo! You can also opt to have your breakfast or lunch outside under umbrellas on sunny days.
Breakfast is included in your stay and you can expect to find a smorgasbord of cereals, yoghurt, cheeses, cold meats, dried fruit, nuts, preserves and jams, along with scones, muffins and mini croissants. Once you’ve got through all that, they offer a hot breakfast too! If you are in Montagu but not staying at the hotel, you are welcome to enjoy breakfast there for R125. If brunch is more your style, they have various options available for R55, including Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royal and a Country Omelette. Sunday roast here is a wonderful way to end the weekend – for R145 you can tuck into roast of the day with roast potatoes, rice and vegetables, accompanied by piano music.
Apart from breakfast, brunch, lunch and Sunday roast, the Montagu Country Hotel also offers dinner in their candlelit dining room, where William creates a relaxed ambience playing the piano. William has been at the hotel since he was a child as his mother was a waitress back in the day. He plays by ear and you can expect to hear all the old classics while tucking into dishes like Thai Green Chicken & Prawn Curry; Wine Braised Oxtail; Roasted Duck Breast with spatzle and a spiced cherry jus; Roasted Springbok Loin; Cape Malay Bobotie and Lamb Shank. There are also a variety of delicious vegetarian options available, including Vegetable Moussaka and a Mushroom Bake. I can fully recommend their famous Karoo Lamb Pie! It takes 20 minutes to prepare, so I suggest you do as I did – order it and enjoy a gin and tonic on their front veranda while you wait. I am not going to give anything away, but that pie is famous for a reason and is worth every cent of R130!
If all that is not enough to keep you occupied, they also offer a chauffer-driven service in one of their classic cars. Valentino and I were treated to a drive in their 1956 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman Coupe – the only one in the country! Valentino wasn’t that impressed (he nodded off on the leather back seat) but I loved it! It’s a great way to see some of Route 62, or perhaps visit a wine farm and be driven in style! It costs R575 per hour (with driver) and can fit up to four people. Take some friends, split the costs and have fun!
Despite not being impressed with the classic car experience, Valentino had a wonderful time too, He eagerly made friends with all the hotel staff, helped himself to the cow dung underneath the rose bushes, and attempted to chase Coco Chanel and Gabrielle, the resident cats. Needless to say I am sure I heard Ms Chanel snigger when he bumped into the glass door while trying to get into the hotel kitchen…
Inside information:
Room 23 with it’s patio close to the dining area is the best one to book!
Published August 2018 | Hosted accommodation and breakfast, other meals and drinks at own cost