Akademie Street Boutique Hotel

With nine suites, the whole property suits a small leadership team or a private party, and the hotel takes group bookings in any configuration, with low-key conference facilities. The lounge works for an evening drinks reception, and late-night dining can be arranged under the pergola in the garden on request; otherwise formal dining is breakfast only, so plan dinners in the village, which is within walking distance. The Franschhoek Wine Tram, which follows the old branch line between wine estates, makes an easy group day. Babies and children under 16 are not accommodated. Bookings need a 50% deposit, with a full refund only if cancelled at least one calendar month before arrival. Winter specials run from June to August, when underfloor heating and wood-burning stoves come into their own.