Whether you’re making time for a romantic retreat or looking for a self-love sabbatical, you might want to follow our lead and reconnect with an old friend: The Alphen Boutique Hotel & Spa. A much-loved Constantia classic, this Kove Collection hotel has undergone a refresh that sees it looking its best for the new faces who’ll be visiting from near and far as travel restrictions ease.
In the hotel’s rooms, monochrome interiors maintain a classic elegance that’s at once grand in scale and understated in design flourishes. High ceilings and impressive floor space immediately give the accommodation an advantage in the luxe stakes, but it doesn’t hurt a bit to have them now fitted out in marble, French panelling and white linen. Soft furnishings and accent pieces provide warmth, but don’t diverge too far from the grayscale palette.
Accommodation in the Dower House and Mill Range add up to a total of eighteen suites – Classic, Superior and Deluxe – keeping the hotel experience intimate, but the property’s layout means that each room provides the privacy that makes for a minibreak of properly switched-off seclusion. It’s an historic property that’s been afforded the respect it deserves.
It’s in the hotel’s common areas that a decidedly less minimalistic decor style expresses the hotel’s personality. The rooms may be a pristine background on which to create vacation memories featuring rest and relaxation or excitement and exploration, but the Alphen’s signature restaurant, Blanko, sets a more colourful scene. Like the hotel’s entrance area, it’s now warmly appointed with dark colours, bold art, and enough objects of interest to keep the eager Instagrammer snapping away.
There’s enough of a special-occasion feeling to make your visit a memorable one, but the atmosphere is comfortable. Similarly, the menu successfully finds a happy medium between fine dining and expected hotel fare: there’s good pizza, inventive starters and pasta, and plenty to satisfy those seeking traditional seafood and meat dishes.
‘We have families and individuals that have been frequenting our property for many years,’ Paul Kovensky, managing director of the Kove Collection. ‘Whether it be the hotel, our restaurants – Blanko and La Belle – our bar, Incognito, or simply to take a stroll around our spectacular gardens.’ For new visitors, particularly those staying for a while, it’s worth bearing in mind that the hotel is adjacent to Constatia’s wine route and some of the best restaurants in the country, so planning ahead for wine tasting and booking a few bucket list restaurant visits is recommended. For repeat guests, it’s likely that priority number one will be the enjoyment of just those facilities: relaxing gardens and an environment generally well-suited to recharging. ‘We look forward to welcoming our past and new guests to experience our spa facilities and heated pool now too.’
The hotel’s spa facilities have been central to the property’s upgrades. ‘Our new boutique spa has been developed with the ultimate self-care in mind,’ says Paul. ‘Spearheaded by highly-trained therapists, the spa is surrounded by beautiful lawns, a heated 15m pool and a fully-equipped gym.’
Go alone or take someone special; plan a big weekend or block out your calendar for a languid escape – this is a destination that’s ready to support your tailor-made mode of indulgence.
Hotel address: Alphen Drive, Constantia, 7806, Cape Town
Website: www.alphen.co.za
Phone: 021 795 6300
Words by Cayleigh Bright
