5 Reasons to Stay at theLAB in Franschhoek

1. You can leave the car behind

Franschhoek is built around one main road, and the village end of it is genuinely walkable. Restaurants, galleries, coffee and tasting rooms sit within a few blocks of each other. The Wine Tram runs hop-on hop-off through the valley, so you can spend a full day on the farms without anyone having to drive.

This is the single biggest argument for staying over. Day visitors always have a designated driver. Overnight guests do not.

2. The food is the real reason people come

Franschhoek is regularly called the food capital of South Africa, and the concentration of serious kitchens in one small valley is unusual anywhere in the world. The catch is that the best tables book out, and the best time to eat at them is dinner, not lunch.

Staying the night is what makes a proper dinner possible. It is also what lets you have a slow breakfast the next morning instead of starting the day on the N1.

3. The valley looks different early and late

Day trippers arrive at eleven and leave at five, which is the flattest light of the day and the busiest part of it. The mountains around Franschhoek turn properly golden in the hour before sunset, and the tasting rooms are nearly empty at nine in the morning.

Both are reserved for people who slept here.

4. There is more than wine

The valley was settled by French Huguenots in 1688 and the history is still visible in the street names, the architecture and the Huguenot Memorial at the top of the village. There is hiking in the mountains above the valley, cycling routes through the vineyards, and a handful of galleries and small museums.

Two days gives you room for the things that are not a tasting room. One day does not.

5. The festivals are worth planning around

The Bastille Festival in July turns the whole village French for a weekend. Franschhoek Uncorked, in spring, opens up the farms for a more relaxed, less crowded weekend of tasting. Both are a different experience from an ordinary visit, and both need accommodation booked well in advance.

Where to stay: two options in one valley

We run two properties in Franschhoek, and they suit different trips.

theLAB Franschhoek is the more social of the two. Open-plan design, a shared dining table, patio, swimming pool and jacuzzi, and a bathtub in every room. Next door are two freestanding Duplex Villas, which give families or friends travelling together more space and independence while keeping everyone on the same property. It is minutes from the wine estates and restaurants.

theLAB Blue is the quieter one. The focus here is space, light and calm. It is open-plan with a garden, swimming pool and jacuzzi, and the Deluxe Rooms open directly onto the garden. Breakfast is served in the dining room, with the patio for summer mornings. Guests tend to describe it as peaceful and easy to settle into.

The short version: choose theLAB Franschhoek if you want to be in the middle of things, and theLAB Blue if you want to come back to somewhere quiet at the end of the day.

Both are available to book directly, which is always the best rate.