Karoo Art Hotel

Just 2 ½ hours from Cape Town, off the scenic Route 62 in the farming village of Barrydale, you’ll find the best accommodation in Barrydale in the form of the quirky, relaxed and welcoming Karoo Art Hotel. Recently rebranded, this is a little country hotel that showcases and celebrates Art in a big way. Every room in the hotel is individually decorated, part of it by internationally-renowned design collective, Magpie Collective. Aside from the eye-catching interiors and artworks, much of it for sale, the art of winemaking is celebrated with one of the best wine lists in South Africa – recently awarded the Diners Club Diamond Award, the highest possible wine list award and the only establishment in the Klein Karoo to achieved such an honour. If Karoo cuisine is an art (and it is!) then this is the studio where it is practised best, being a winner of the Klein Karoo Gourmand Restaurant Award, and a member of the international gastronomic guild Chaîne des Rộtisseurs. But perhaps the art that is closest to the beating heart of this funky country hotel is music. In the past 4 years it has firmly established itself as the home of Klein Karoo’s best live music events. It showcases the talents of both locals from the area as well as top-notch musicians from the rest of the country including Dave Ferguson, Wendy Oldfield, Valiant Swart, Piet Botha + Akkedis, Nick Turner, to mention but a few. Within easy reach of the famous Warmwaterberg hot water springs, and in the heart of the Cape’s longest wine route, this is the perfect stop on a road trip via the scenic R62 to Oudtshoorn and the Garden Route. A peaceful weekend bolthole from the city, and a fabulous, affordable exclusive-use party, conference or wedding venue. Whatever your reason for visiting, plan a few days here. There’s plenty to do, but here’s the real 21st century challenge: rediscover the art of doing nothing. With caring, nurturing staff on hand to take care of you, the Karoo Art Hotel is a great place to start. Because the Cape’s funkiest country hotel still offers that most vital ingredient: warm, old-fashioned Karoo hospitality.