Welcome to Le Grand Jardin!
Our elegant Sir Herbert Baker-style Manor House and separate Pool Pavilion sleep a total of 12 in six suites, with an additional three children by arrangement. There are three suites in each, giving families and friends privacy in this wonderfully playful paradise.
We invite you to celebrate your life journeys with us at our Grand Dame, while enjoying the wine and heritage of Stellenbosch. Here history, comfort and wonder evoke a sense of joy for families.
Manor House
The sense of magical playfulness begins the moment you step into the double-volume entrance of the Manor House where de Gournay’s ‘Amazonia’ wallpaper provides a wildly exotic welcome. Lush palms and banana leaves, tropical birds, swinging monkeys and ornate butterflies dance across the walls in a riot of colour and charm. At the foot of the grand Burmese teak staircase, a pair of blue toy cars dating back to World War Two adds a nostalgic touch.
Pool Pavilion
A haven of light and leisure, the separate Pool Pavilion leads directly onto the pool and features three stylish suites plus a convenient kitchenette, perfect for casual dining and laid-back mornings. Two of the three suites lead out to the pool and one is a level below, overlooking the dam. The Pool Pavilion sleeps a total of eight guests and all suites have air-conditioners, heated towel rails and underfloor heating.
Looking Glasshouse
Built around 100-year-old oak trees, the Looking Glasshouse is the jewel of our magnificent garden: designed to host up to 40 guests, for everything from grand wedding celebrations to more personal, bespoke gatherings and elopements.
Anniversaries, milestone birthdays, graduations and christenings – all your special life journeys can be celebrated here, as well as corporate events.
Floral Chapel
Private ceremonies can be held on the lawn between the glasshouse and pool, or vows exchanged in the Floral Chapel, with dappled light filtering through its pretty scalloped-glass roof. It seats 24 guests on wooden benches with ease.
Set a scented flower garden with views through stained-glass doors across the water lilies to the Stellenbosch mountains beyond, it’s perfectly proportioned for private elopements.
Le Jardin: our garden
Step beyond the house and into a garden that feels plucked from the pages of a storybook – or perhaps straight out of Wonderland. Here, curiosity is not just welcomed – it’s rewarded.
At its heart stands a vintage fairground carousel, lovingly brought from Paris in the 1940s, spinning with old-world charm and a touch of whimsy. Nearby, a beautifully restored showman’s caravan invites storytelling, daydreaming, or perhaps a spot of tea – Mad Hatter-style, if you please.
But the magic doesn’t
end there.
But the magic doesn’t
end there.
Children (and grown-ups too) will be thrilled to discover a pirates’ lookout, a zipline (foefie slide) that flies into the dam with a splash, an eco-pool, a trampoline and even a classic Mini Cooper – yes, you can learn to drive it, just say the word. Every corner of the garden invites exploration, with surprises worthy of the White Rabbit himself.
As the day draws to a close, gather around the newly built fire pit (or boma) – perfectly positioned to take in the sweeping sunset views over the dam toward Stellenbosch. Dining under the stars here, accompanied by the evening chorus of crickets, frogs, and owls, is nothing short of enchanting.
And then, there’s the water. Between the dam and the eco-pool, wild swimming becomes less of a novelty and more of a daily ritual – refreshing, grounding, and just a little bit magical. Once you’ve tried it, you may never want to leave.
‘My tastes are simple:
I am easily satisfied with the best’
