If you're looking for a great spot for a short stay while checking out properties on the market in Graaff-Reinet, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more comfortable spot than the Drostdy Hotel. Having been established in 1805, it is a "grand old lady" of Graaff-Reinet and boasts both a long history and every modern amenity imaginable. As a realtor well respected in the Graaff-Reinet area, Seeff takes a look at what this fabulous hotel has to offer.
What you'll find at the hotel
In each of the well-appointed and decorated rooms, you'll find a flat-screen TV, free WiFi and air conditioning. You'll also have a Nespresso coffee maker to make that essential cup of morning coffee and a writing desk, just in case you have any work to do. There is 24-hour room service available, so you can make yourself comfortable. If you're keen to get some exercise during your stay in Graaff-Reinet, you'll be able to make use of the hotel's state-of-the-art gym facilities and the three swimming pools set in the hotel's beautiful gardens. For an extra charge, you can also get a massage or use the hotel's spa.
If you're keen for some time on your own, you can make use of the hotel's babysitting and child-minding service. You can also get your laundry or dry cleaning done while you're here if you'd like to.
Karoo cuisine at its finest
Drostdy Hotel allows you to enjoy Karoo hospitality and dining at its best, and visitors to the hotel's De Cambedoo Restaurant can expect to enjoy dishes made from seasonal ingredients and fresh herbs, paired with some of the region's best wines. The chef's signature menu offers dishes you certainly won't come across every day, and the starters on offer include the likes of a light and fluffy courgette soufflé and Ouma's delectable bacon and bean broth.
The main menu tantalises the taste buds with options like pork belly stuffed with apricots, venison loin or Karoo lamb shank. Vegetarians would be hard pressed to find a more delicious meal than De Cambedoo Restaurant's cauliflower steak. For an African-themed dessert, don't miss the melt-in-your-mouth rooibos and honey Panna Cotta.
Things to do in and around Graaff-Reinet
Did you know that there are more than 200 national monuments and memorials in Graaff-Reinet? While you're unlikely to be able to see them all in one visit, no visitor should ever leave town without checking out some of what this delightful town has to offer. The opulent Dutch Reformed church in town is hard to miss, and some argue that it is the grandest church in the entire Karoo. The town is also home to various museums - and you can see South Africa's oldest grapevine, which was planted in 1970, in Graaff-Reinet.
One of the biggest musts if you're in the Graaff-Reinet area is a visit to the Cambedoo National Park and Valley of Desolation. The park is home to an array of mammals ranging from kudu and eland to buffalo and Cape mountain zebra. The Valley of Desolation, which lies within the national park, gives you an opportunity to be amazed at the results of millions of years of volcanic activity. The steep cliffs and dolerite pillars you'll find here will make you marvel at Mother Nature. The area around Graaff-Reinet also offers opportunities to see the Big Five and enjoy everything that nature has to offer.
If you're looking to buy, sell or rent property in Graaff-Reinet, you can rely on the Seeff team's wealth of knowledge about this area. Speak to us today and let's find the property that's right for your family.
Image Credit: Own image of Drostdy Hotel, Graaff-Reinet, South Africa by Paul Venter | Wikipedia | CC-BY-SA 3.0 | https://bit.ly/3OfURRt