Set above the Helshoogte Mountain Pass, Delaire Graff Estate is defined as much by its surroundings as it is by what is within them. Vineyards stretch across the Banghoek Valley below, while contemporary sculptures, considered interiors, and the architecture of the estate create a setting that brings together different expressions of South African design.
Delaire has now been recognised with Three Michelin Keys in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide hotel selection, making the estate the only property in the Cape Winelands to receive the distinction. The award follows the estate’s Two-Key recognition in 2025.
Unlike a conventional hotel rating, the Michelin Key considers the experience of a property as a whole. Its anonymous inspectors assess architecture and interior design alongside service, character, personality, and the relationship a hotel has with its setting.
In Delaire Graff Estate’s case, much of that character can be traced back to its landscape.
A setting that shaped the estate
When Laurence Graff first visited the site in 2003, he was struck by the views across the mountains. During that visit, two blue cranes flew overhead – a moment that helped inspire his decision to acquire the property and develop it into what would then become Delaire Graff Estate.
More than 20 years later, the estate has grown into a destination where wine, art, architecture, and hospitality coexist. Its grounds are punctuated by contemporary artworks and sculpture, while its interiors incorporate traditional South African materials, techniques, and craftsmanship.
The design direction has been developed over many years in collaboration with David Collins Studio, whose work has helped give the estate its distinctive visual identity while maintaining a connection to local craft traditions.
It is this combination of setting and design that the Michelin Guide highlights in its assessment, describing the property as a wine estate with contemporary art and sculpture throughout its grounds, as well as views across the vineyards.
More than a place to stay
The estate comprises 16 lodges, a four-bedroom Owner’s Villa, three restaurants, a Wine Lounge, and Spa. There is also an emphasis on sustainability, with initiatives extending across the estate and into the surrounding community.
The Three Michelin Keys therefore offer an interesting marker for an estate whose appeal has always been tied to more than its accommodation. It is the interplay between the landscape, South African craftsmanship, contemporary art, and the rituals of wine country that gives Delaire Graff its sense of place.
The latest recognition makes it the newest Three-Key hotel in Africa — and, more locally, puts one of the Cape Winelands’ most recognisable estates in a particularly select group of properties recognised by the Michelin Guide.
