A few weekends ago, and after literally hundreds of recommendations over the years – we finally went to visit Spier. My mom is from Cape Town and says that she used to take us there as kids too. In fact, Spier was first established in 1692 and boasts the oldest wine cellar in the Western Cape. You have to take a quick look at the Heritage Timeline to fully comprehend the history of this pristine and luxurious estate.
I want to quickly tell you that Spier has EVERYTHING. Everything. They have the hotel, restaurants, farm, swimming pools, kids play area (and babysitter / childminders) tasting room, picnic areas, dam, river, spa, art galleries, vineyard sedgeway tours, craft market, Eagle encounters, conference facilities and deli. For guests there are also bicycles and golf carts available to get to and fro with ease. The staff is incredible and very welcoming. The rooms are spacious, private, cozy and luxurious. Every little detail is covered, including little toy boxes for the kids!
Spier is super child friendly! Not once did we feel that our boys were being too loud or busy. In truth, they probably were but there is so much space at Spier that they could just take off, run around and be totally free while having insane amounts of fun. They loved the kids activity / play room which is kitted with very sweet child minders, cartoons, toys, games, books, puzzles and loads of lawn to run on. They spent an hour or so here while we were settling in and having a quick look around. You can also let your littles play here while you do ‘boring grown up’ things like wine tasting or chocolate pairing – or even a long lunch! The kids can order meals and drinks to the kids room, which is super convenient!
We spent day one riding around on the bicycles and exploring the estate. We went to a chocolate pairing (while the boys had a grape juice tasting – SO CUTE) They even bring treats, colouring pages and crayons to your table if you have restless little feet with you. The boys got really in to the grape juice tasting! They quite enjoyed being all grown up with mom and dad. We walked around a bit more, looking at all the dams, picnic areas, veggie gardens and the manor house.
For dinner, the estate had arranged an in-room babysitter so that Graeme and I could have a romantic little dinner at the gorgeous “Eight” restaurant. They boys played in the play area some more, then went back to their room for an early dinner picnic. Have a look at Spier’s Kids Facilities and Daily Program for Kids. Eight is so. incredibly. beautiful. The food was among the best we’ve ever tasted. The menu is served tapas style and I was blown away by the selection, the flavours and freshness of every little mini meal. We had a very special time. I loved getting all dressed up and getting some one-on-one time with Graeme. I can never stay away from the boys for too long, so I ensured that we were back in time to tuck them in.
On Sunday morning we headed straight to the hotel’s buffet breakfast, which we ate outdoors to the melody of the pianist. There’s something so romantic about someone playing the piano amongst muffled breakfast chatter, shuffling cutlery and taps of crockery. We had a solid night’s sleep and a huge appetite. Such a beautiful setting for a lazy, hungry breakfast!
We were super eager to get to the Eagle Encounters, which we’d heard so much about. You need to go, and you need to take your children with you! They will be completely transfixed by the dancing owls, the bird show, the eagles, the petting farm and the friendliest of all the porcupines. You will love all of it too, of course. There are play areas and you can take your own picnic (or they will pack one for you) and settle along the dam, under a giant oak tree. Now, when entering the owl enclosures: I have to warn you that they are VERY friendly. Like sit-on-your-head friendly. One owl particularly took to Ben’s head, which gave him a huge fright. You’ll see in the photos below that he quickly recovers and laughs it off. The photo is, however, being printed and mounted on canvas for our home. Also… spot Noah covering his head! You have been warned. You will have fun.
Spier’s entrance is opposite a train station, and on Sundays the vintage train makes its way down that route. Give Spier a call and I’m sure they’ll be able to help you with all the details. You can spend the entire day on the Spier Estate and not see all of it. There is so much to do! If you’re afraid of missing something, they’ve got it all planned for you.
This was one of the best weekends of our family life. If you’re going to splurge on a weekend away – you should come stay here. If you’re from Joburg or Durban and you’re looking to visit and stay in the wine route – stay here. We had an incredible and memorable time on this gorgeous property that none of us will ever forget. I hope that you’ll go through and create your own memories too!
For Cape Town residents and Easter Holiday Makers: Do NOT miss this deal:
SPEND EASTER WEEKEND AT THE SPIER HOTEL
Spoil the family with a weekend breakaway and experience the farm life at Spier. The experience includes:
- Accommodation in a Signature room for two nights
- Wine tasting for two adults with a grape juice tasting for the children
- Farm-style dinner for the family at the Spier Hotel restaurant
- A picnic for the family
- Eagle Encounters day pass
- Ice cream at Eight-to-go for each child (max 2 children)
- Kids’ art kit
From only R 2498 per room per night for a family of four (children under 12 years of age). *Minimum of a two night stay for a family of four. Terms and conditions apply. Children under 12 stay free when sharing with 2 adults (max 2 children)
