A jewel in the crown of the Western Cape’s bucolic wine country, the Robertson Small Hotel has brought a welcome injection of luxury to the area since it opened in 2011.

A recent overhaul adds extra polish to an idyll not particularly lacking in refinement - the owners have found talent from home and abroad to upgrade the property, with London-based designers Studio Ashby creating a new visual identity via bespoke items made by local designers.

Additionally, refurbishment of the hotel’s striking Victorian Manor House – a national monument, no less – as well as its suites and beautifully landscaped gardens by local artists has brought a lightness of touch to the hotel, its handsome wrought-iron verandahs remaining intact.

Meanwhile, a menu overseen by Rose Ashby of London’s Spring and head chef Tiaan van Greunen promises to make the restaurant a destination in itself, and a perfect base from which to explore the surrounding landscape’s various vineyards, orchards and microbreweries.