This is a delightful little country hotel that showcases and celebrates Art in a big way: for sale

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.

This is a little country hotel that showcases and celebrates Art in a big way. Every room in the hotel is individually decorated - room 13 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. 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. Executive Chef Derek Lowe blurs the lines between food and art.

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.

Take your pick from 15 en suite rooms, all completely individual in character but offering classic Karoo accommodation with a creative twist. Most are furnished with king- or queen-size double beds (with additional mattresses available if you are travelling with kids); various single-bed configurations are also available.

Whichever room you choose you get the extra luxuries that count: top-quality mattresses, soft percale linen, piping hot showers. With the exception of the Garden Suite, all rooms are located on the first floor, some with views from balconies overlooking the village or garden. Note that access to this floor is by staircase – the only lift in the village of Barrydale is the one you’ll experience in spirit!

The Karoo Art Hotel offers secure off-street parking. Barrydale is quite safe and we have never had any damage to cars or break-ins over the last 7 years, even with cars parked in the on-street parking bays outside the hotel. However, for car clubs and motorcycle clubs that require additional peace of mind, we would be happy to appoint a night watchman for a small additional charge (or complementary, should the whole hotel be booked). For cycle tour groups we offer a secure overnight locked storage facility in our historic Belanti Theatre and Bioscope for their bicycles.

Our award-winning restaurant, The Gallery, is proof that our love for all art and talented artists extends and embraces the kitchen! Over the last four years, the Hotel has established itself as a country hotel offering the most excellent food: Karoo Grill is a member of the international gastronomic guild Chaîne des Rộtisseurs and a winner of the Klein Karoo Gourmand Restaurant Award, and serves the best wine list in the Klein Karoo.

The emphasis is very much on South African traditional food, particularly on Karoo dishes such as Traditional Karoo Lamb Bredie (a delicious traditional casserole), Klein Karoo Ostrich Fillet (very tender, very delicious), or a Traditional Karoo Venison Pie, all designed to intrigue and please your taste buds. Karoo Grill serves the best Karoo lamb chops and a variety of speciality signature dishes such as

• Springbok shank
• Traditional Style Karoo Lamb “Soutribbetjie” (Cured Salted Ribs)
• Roast Pork Belly
• Karoo Lamb Curry

In any great country Karoo hotel you’ll find the most authentic art in the warm and welcoming hospitality, best experienced in the hotel’s beating heart – the bar. The Karoo Art Hotel bar has been the informal central gathering spot for Barrydale’s locals for over 100 years, offering visitors a chance to exchange views with eclectic clientele and interact with the friendly bar staff. On live music weekends, when handpicked musos perform either in the bar or in the Belanti, the bar is the most happening spot in the Klein Karoo.

It’s a truly authentic Karoo experience and, thanks to the proprietor’s passion for wine, offers an exceptional selection for a small country hotel. The Karoo Art Hotel is a recipient of the Diners Club Wine List Diamond Award – the highest possible wine list award and the only establishment in the Klein Karoo to achieve this honour.

The hotel is an unpretentious space in which visitors can sample South Africa’s best wines, MCCs and ports, including those produced in the Klein Karoo region, or dip into the impressive list of single malt whiskeys, imported champagne, cognacs and cigars.

The classic Barrydale Karoo bar is equipped with a piano, CD, DVD and turntable, with a great selection of vinyl – or bring your own. Get comfortable, get down, and feel right at home.

The Karoo Art Hotel is both exhibition space and showcase for the artists of the Karoo and beyond. It is a welcoming home for creative artists in cuisine, wine and music, but also for sculptors, writers, designers, painters. For some, the hotel is literally their canvas!

Guests are welcome to wander through the hotel to examine the owner’s permanent collection, discover the thought-provoking and playful work of graffiti artists, or browse and select an artwork souvenir from the walls or grounds of the hotel. Exhibitions are regularly updated, and the aim is to delight and challenge in equal measure. The work is curated, but we are always looking for new talent. 

We celebrate the artistic spirit in all its manifestations, but the Hotel has a particularly strong relationship with the music muse! In the past four years, the hotel has become known as the best Klein Karoo music venue, putting on regular and sensational live entertainment. Our shows attract a small, diverse and friendly crowd of people – young and old, Afrikaans and English, local and international. The gigs generally take place on weekends, most Saturday nights, usually using the small stage in our welcoming hotel bar.

Our music shows cover the different genres from great Afrikaans music to country, jazz, funk, rock, blues and pop, to stand-up comedy shows, cabaret and festivals. We are well connected with various artists and entertainers, with well-known local bands, international musicians and classical musos. We feature traditional, speciality and novelty acts. Being situated in the heart of the Klein Karoo, we try to support Afrikaans music and talented Afrikaans artists that know how to express and showcase the beauty and variety of the Afrikaans language.

In the past, we have had stars like Dave Ferguson, Valiant Swart, Gert Koevert, Natasha Meister, Wendy Oldfield, Tommy Dell, Errol Dyers and Gert Vlok Nel perform at the hotel.

We are always on the lookout for funky new acts, new talents and good South African artists to rock the Klein Karoo so contact us if you are an entertainer or know of someone who is interested in performing at the Karoo Art Hotel.

Take a break from your day’s activities exploring the beauty of the Klein Karoo and spend some time relaxing at the large Karoo Art Hotel swimming pool – an absolute boon in the summer. After your dip; enjoy the gardens; sip on a cocktail; read a book; gaze at the huge blue sky. The loungers provide guests with the perfect place to relax.

Route 62 is set to become the most popular tourist route – excellent country road with little traffic and trucks, situated between  Cape Town and the Garden Route. Most tourists coming to Cape Town stay here for 7 – 10 days, explore the city and the Winelands, then they rent a car / get in a bus and go on a road trip. Most of them want to go to the Garden Route /Knysna, for understandable reasons. WHY take the terrible N2?  Riversdal? Hundreds of trucks?  Either on the way out, or back in, R62 and Klein Karoo with scenic mountains on both sides, small villages, restaurants and wine estates, offers SO much more. And we are the best little hotel on that route.

Barrydale

Barrydale is a village located on the border of the Overberg and Klein Karoo regions of the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Named after Joseph Barry, a well-known merchant of the 19th century. it is situated at the northern end of the Tradouw's pass which winds its way through the mountains to Swellendam.

History

Barrydale's history dates back to the early 18th century when farmers moved into the area looking for fertile arable land with water. The community built their church on a spot where the R62 and R324 roads meet. In the days before the church was built there were a number of nagmaal houses (houses where Holy Communion could be celebrated) and a school, but not much else. The Dutch Reformed Community of Barrydale came into being in 1878 when land was purchased to build the church.

As the farmers in the area were encouraged to plant vineyards and orchards, it was natural that a winery and distillery would eventually be built. In 1940 the Barrydale Koöperatiewe Wynkelder was formed and a distillery established giving rise to the wine industry in the area. Joseph Barry Brandy, produced locally, was voted best brandy in the world in 2003.

Over the years the village grew and eventually, a municipality was established in 1921. Today there is an estimated population of ~4100 permanent residents. The population increases dramatically in the tourist season, with visitors drawn by arts and crafts displays including textiles, jewellery and African souvenirs.

Climate

Barrydale has a temperate climate of warm, dry summers with averages of 25°C occasionally up to 35°C, and mild, wet winters when the temperature occasionally dips to around -1°C accompanied by light frosts.

The warm temperate climate is perfect for the growth of various fruit trees with numerous orchards on the fertile soils of the Tradouw Valley. Apples, pears and oranges are harvested in the winter and crops of apricots, figs, cling peaches and grapes in the summer.

Culture

The town still shows the legacy of the apartheid era when it was divided in two to separate whites from non-whites, a large proportion of which are direct descendants of the indigenous Khoisan tribe. Barrydale is culturally diverse for a small village with English- and Afrikaans-speaking inhabitants as well as a substantial European expatriate community including French, German, Spanish and Italian residents.

The annual Barrydale Spring Festival in October is an important event on the town's calendar. The Joseph Barry Tradouw Pass Half Marathon attracts a large number of runners who compete over a 21 km course through the pass.

Flora and fauna

The area is also home to numerous bird species such as the Cape eagle-owl, Hadeda Ibis, grey heron, sunbird (these often have iridescent plumage), fiscal shrike which impales its prey on acacia thorns or barbed wire, and black eagles are often seen soaring high overhead on the thermals.

The area has many rare plant species, notably the fynbos flora on the slopes of the Langeberg mountain range in the south, and succulent-dominated Karroid flora to the north. There are many private and state reserves in the area such as the Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve.