Originally Posted by
Pausanias
I'm at Birkenhead for 3 nights in September - it better be good for those prices but the location looks extraordinarily spectacular and the bizarre decor (chandeliers meets beach shack) is promising. There should be whales in November.
We looked long and hard at Delaire Graff and as 5C Members of Relais and Chateaux we might have been treated well. However, it looks a bit too up-itself and design-led for our tastes and that Indochine restaurant isn't very appealing either. It's also way out of town. So we've opted for two nights at Lanzerac - perfect Cape Dutch architecture, beautiful setting, a third of the price of Delaire.
DG didn't feel very design-led to me; at least not in a Design Hotels type of way. La Residence, on the other hand, looks very design-driven (just going from photos; haven't visited).
I've been to Lanzerac; don't oversell it
It's pleasant enough, and a useful base for Stellenbosch, being in a quiet residential area but within striking distance of town, but hard and soft product is nothing special.
I wouldn't characterise Delaire Graff as way out of town; it's a very short and lovely drive down the sinuous curves of the Helshoogte Pass. Agree about the food; while Indochine is very much their second restaurant, I didn't find either of Delaire's restaurants to be particularly memorable. There's always Tokara, literally across the road, if you get hungry.