Immaculate inside and out: Majeka House.
Would it be terribly indiscreet to divulge that there is a direct correlation between my libido and a high thread count? Perhaps. But why hide something that most people would confess to when pressed to choose between designer luxury and mass-produced functionality? I know on which bed I would rather lay my head. And everything else.
Majeka House presses all the right buttons. This boutique hotel, situated in a semi-suburban corner of Stellenbosch, appears somewhat inauspicious on the outside, adhering as it does to the building restrictions (white walls, flat green roofs) of the neighbouring houses in Paradyskloof. But inside, away from prying eyes, it kicks up its heels.
Eighteen months ago the owners gave interior designer Etienne Hanekom a generous budget and creative freedom. He, in turn, gave them a hotel that is out of the ordinary, daringly designed and luxuriously sensual. Hanekom chose to work with an industrial palette of varying shades of grey, with strong petrol-blue accents and metals such as raw steel, copper and gold.
Large accent pieces anchor rooms filled with a diverse selection of modern furniture, antique pieces and up-cycled vintage finds. Innovative lighting softens harsh spaces and warms colder ones, and a variety of smooth textures — lacquered leather for seating, a liberal use of glass, plastic and wood — are used to soften the harshness of raw steel, mirrors and marble.
The bedrooms, each one different, are eclectic, delightfully imaginative and focused on luxury and comfort.
The hotel is, thankfully, a far cry from Cape Dutch homesteads and vineyard chic. But this is Stellenbosch wine country and, should you wish to, there’s plenty to discover in the surrounding areas — wine farms to stop at, interesting museums to visit, shops and art galleries where you can blow the budget, and historical buildings to admire — but I can’t see anyone wanting to leave once they have checked in at Majeka.
On arriving for a romantic mini break, I normally can’t wait to get to our room, check out the minibar and sniff out the complimentary bath oils. But at Majeka House, the dramatically designed M Bar lays waste to other plans. It’s the sort of bar where you want to sip Methodé Cap Classique in the early evening, flirt madly and then return to drink brandy from overly large goblets until the wee hours of the morning before staggering to bed in time to see the sun rise.
But happily the hotel restaurant, Makaron, beckons and because one cannot live on love and boozy promises alone it’s easy to allow talented chef Tanja Kruger to ply you with deliciously sophisticated fare. Having made it on to the Eat Out Top 20 list, this elegantly designed restaurant is well worth leaving the bedroom for.
And afterwards, replete and happy, you could contemplate going to the Sanctuary Spa for further indulgence. The Himalayan crystal salt bed, on which you can rest in softly lit, soothing-sound splendour, appeared mightily inviting, but by then we had another bed and other plans in mind.
Getting there
Perfect weekend getaway for: A very sexy mini-break for design-conscious romantics. Or for solitary aesthetes needing some me-time.
Accessibility: 45 minutes from Cape Town.
Premier room: Two adults: R1 150 a person a night, sharing (R2 300 a night). One adult: R1 730 a night. This includes bed and breakfast. Children: 40% of the single rate.
Perfect weekend getaway for: A very sexy mini-break for design-conscious romantics. Or for solitary aesthetes needing some me-time.
Junior garden suites: Designed by Etienne Hanekom. Two adults: R1 510 a person a night, sharing (R3 020 a night). One adult: R2 250 a night. This includes bed and breakfast. Children: 40% of the single rate.
Pampering night away special: Two adults: R1 820 a night, sharing (R3 640 a night). Includes: One night’s accommodation for two in a premier room, breakfast for two, 45 minutes of Himalayan crystal salt bed for two, cocktail at M Bar, three-course dinner (includes wine pairing) in Makaron Restaurant for two. Valid until the end of April.
Contact: Tel: 021 880 1549 or 021 880 1512. Reservations: [email protected]. Visit: majekahouse.co.za.