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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
HOTEL STYLE
Historic Hotel
Quaint
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, German, Xhosa
Location
14 Akademie Street, Franschhoek 7690 South Africa
Chapter House Boutique Hotel
286 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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At Chapter House Boutique Hotel, the staff's attentiveness and warmth are frequently lauded, creating an inviting ambiance that guests appreciate. Many guests enjoy the spacious, comfortable rooms equipped with modern amenities, although some suggest opting for the newer sections for greater privacy.
The hotel's location is a highlight, with easy access to Franschhoek's attractions, and while its pricing is generally considered reasonable, a few guests feel room quality should align more closely with the cost. Cleanliness and a charming mix of tradition and contemporary design in the hotel's atmosphere are consistently celebrated.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Well-appointed
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I am so pleased we chose 'The Chapter House Boutique Hotel' for our visit to Franschhoek. It is located just a few minutes walk from the main street which is a hub for restaurants, bars and shops. We booked a superior room in the new Annexe and were given room 17 on the top floor with small balcony having wonderful mountain views The room was spacious with a large bathroom and walk in shower. The toiletries were quality but the provision of a box of tissues in the bathroom would be a good addition! The bed was comfortable, the air conditioning effective (outside of the load shedding times) and there was plenty of storage, The rooms in the new wing are large enough to take small drinks fridge and this would have been helpful in keeping the water provided daily nice and cool. The hotel itself is very inviting with attractive public rooms and a nice sitting area around the small plunge pool. Drinks are very reasonably priced and can be added to the room account. The staff, without exception, were very attentive and helpful and they are a strong asset of the hotel. Breakfasts, included in the price, are of exceptionally good quality. The cold buffet consists of delicious croissants and other pastries, cold meats and cheeses, jams, yogurts, fruit etc. There is a range of fruit juices and coffee available. The hotel also. provides a hot selection included in the prices, cooked to order. We tried the full English; the Scrambled egg with Ham and the Omelette and all were very tasty but there is a fair choice to cover most people's requirement. We ordered our transfers from CapeTown and back to the airport via the hotel and whereas this is more expensive that a Uber or local taxi firm, the quality of the cars was high end. We were transferred in both a BMW SUV and then a Range Rover. The drivers were excellent and happy to talk about the local area. All in all, we felt we couldn't have made a better choice than the Chapter House Hotel for its central location, being a quality product and adding to our Franschhoek experience. Thank you.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 07 Feb 2024
Daer Bob Thank you for your wonderfully detailed review, and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek. Your feedback is really excellent, thank you. I am pleased you enjoyed the toiletries; they are a locally made brand, fully organic and biodegradable and locally farmed. This is one of the differences we have chosen to make in order to be environmentally aware, and optimize our sustainability footprint, which is one of key philosophies. Linked to this is the decision not to have bar fridges in the room. With 24 hour butler service, and ice buckets available, we feel that the addition of bar fridges would not be in-keeping with our efforts in sustainable tourism. The kitchen team will be delighted with your description of the breakfast, they work very hard to ensure that the quality is really great, so they will really appreciate your compliments. I will also share your comments on the service with the whole team who will also appreciate the feedback. Thanks again for your strong endorsement, we really do appreciate it. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or to another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Thanks again, and warm regards. Lorraine
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A lovely boutique hotel, down a quiet side street but close to the main road, with great staff. Max greeted us on arrival and was always checking to make sure we were happy. He also gave an excellent recommendation for dinner.
Our room was a good size and the bathroom was supplied with spa products which were very nice and available to buy.
Free coffee was always available and supplemented by cake of the day in the afternoon.
Breakfast was excellent with a wide choice on offer.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 12 Jul 2024
Dear Daven Thank you for taking the time to post such a wonderful review, and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek. I am delighted to read how much you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you for mentioning all of our special little touches. We believe that it is these small differences that have such a wonderful and memorable impact. Thanks also for mentioning breakfast, this is always very popular. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or to another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Many thanks again and warm regards. Lorraine
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Our family group of ten adults stayed at Chapter House for two nights last month and had a grand time. The hotel is ideally located in Franchhoek just off the main drag and is a short walking distance to myriad restaurants and shops. If you want to enjoy the town on foot this is an ideal hotel.
With our group of ten we had five rooms and the fun thing about the hotel being an older building is that in the "old" half of the hotel the rooms are all somewhat different - this is not a cookie cutter type hotel.
As others have mentioned the lobby and main fireplace is wonderful and our experience with the staff was fantastic. The breakfast is also wonderful with a wide ranges of warm and cold food options so you can easily find what appeals to your diet.
All in all this is a great hotel in the best location in town if you want to explore Franschhoek and all it has to offer.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 15 Oct 2024
Dear Chris Many thanks for taking the time to post such a wonderful review, and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your stay in Franschhoek. What an enormous feat it must have been to gather ten people together to travel around South Africa, and we really hope that your experience was wonderful. I am delighted that you all enjoyed the hotel so much. The ability to apply a slightly unique style to each room is a very nice position to be in and is very interesting for the guests. I am pleased that you enjoyed this. I have shared your wonderful feedback with the team, they always love to hear when guests are impressed with their service and hospitality. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Thanks again and warm regards. Lorraine
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The Chapter House is a lovely place to stay in Franschhoek. Beautiful rooms, convenient location within walking distance of the main street, excellent breakfast (with the option to eat in a covered porch which was perfect) and terrific service. We enjoyed the afternoon G&T bar and I was particularly happy that, knowing that I have a nut allergy, the chef made sure the afternoon treats were all nut free.
They also went out of their way to help us with a complicated dinner booking.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 27 Dec 2024
Dear Departure 604965 Thank you for writing such a stunning review and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek. We are delighted to read how much you enjoyed your stay with us. I am so pleased to read how much you enjoyed the food and drinks offering. All of the gins on offer are from local boutique distilleries and they are really magnificent, so it is great that you managed to taste these. I am also pleased that we managed to suit your dietary requirement, and thanks for bringing this to our attention. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or another one of The Living Journey Collection in Hermanus, Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Robertson. Warm regards and wishing all the best for a wonderful start to 2025. Many thanks. Lorraine
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From the moment we arrived the host was wonderful he took us to our room where I had my surprise waiting for me flowers balloons and a cake. (it was my birthday) They assisted with making dinner reservations for us at a nearby restaurant and also made recommendations of places to see and places where we can have lunch. On our way back from dinner we found little candles in the passage leading to our room as well as inside our room, sweet good night notes on each of our pillows, they had even closed the blinds and curtains for us which I thought was sweet. The room was very pretty and clean with all the necessities needed. The bathroom also the same a nice big shower as well as a free-standing bath tub. Breakfast was amazing, the complimentary juice, cake and tea during the day was also a nice touch. The staff was amazing and friendly went the extra mile for all of our small requests up until the day we checked out when we had to leave super early before breakfast but Jevon made sure that breakfast was ready by 6:30am for us.
Special thanks to Henry, Jevon, Andria, Somi and Sheila.
Will definitely be coming back.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 10 Aug 2021
Dear Phasoanat Thank you for your wonderfully detailed review. We are so happy that you enjoyed your special birthday at Chapter House Boutique Hotel. We love great service and special little touches, so when we hear about a special occasion like your birthday, it gives us a wonderful excuse to shine, and we are just delighted that it meant so much to you. The team will be very proud at having been named and remembered which is always the ultimate compliment for a job well done. I am very pleased to read that you will be back. Please do stay in touch and let us know what we can do to assist with that, And you might also like to consider Cape Town or Hermanus where we also have Boutique Hotels from the Living Journey Collection. Many thanks again for a great review, it is very much appreciated. Warm regards Lorraine
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A very beautiful boutique hotel located very near the village centre. It’s just one street behind the main road. Many restaurants and bistros were just 5-10mins walk. We heard from a staff that it was originally a school premise that was no longer in use. It was bought by the hotel owner and renovated it into this very cozy and quaint place. The fireplace, sofas and the arrangement of the furniture were all very well thought out and tastefully decorated. Breakfast was fantastic, a choice of a main cooked breakfast plus a buffet table of continental breakfast. It is under the same Living Journey Collection group. We stayed a few nights at the sister hotel Zest Boutique Hotel in Green Point, Cape Town and we enjoyed it very much too. Staff were all very helpful and service was very good. Highly recommended.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 29 Oct 2023
Dear Ling Thank you for taking the time to post a review, and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek, as well as Zest Boutique Hotel for your recent stay in Cape Town. I am so pleased the read how much you enjoyed your time with us. The hotel was actually the first Mission House in the area, connected to the church next door, and build in 1888. The church then handed it to the community as a school and it was a working school for about 70 years, so really soaked in history, laughter and learning. I am delighted that you enjoyed the renovations, style and decor. It is always tricky to maintain the heritage and do justice to the original features (some of which had to be restored or re-instated) whilst also meeting the needs of today's world. Your compliments on this are very close to our heart. Thank you. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Zest and Chapter House but would also like to showcase out other properties in Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Warm regards and thanks again. Lorraine
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Loved the Chapter House Hotel. Great location tucked away in a quiet street yet only minutes from Franschhoek’s busy Main Street. We stayed 2 nights in a Deluxe Room (6) on the Ground floor which overall was surprisingly quiet. Loved the little plunge pool shared with the room opposite - cold but refreshing on a hot day! Nice breakfast with buffet items and hot things cooked to order. Relaxing pool (unheated) and terrace as well as indoor seats if you want to spend time relaxing around the hotel. Staff all very friendly and accommodating - would definitely stay here again.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â A lot of the Superior Rooms are in the new block at the back. Ground floor have nice plunge pools...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 18 Dec 2023
Der Frangipanigirl Thank you for posting such a wonderful review, and I am so pleased to read how much you enjoyed your time with us at Chapter House Boutique Hotel. I am pleased that you enjoyed the facilities and the great service, and that you managed to use some of our many relaxation areas to soak in the sun and unwind. I am delighted to read that you would definitely come back. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or perhaps another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Many thanks again and wishing you a very Merry Christmas. Lorraine
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When planning a week to spend in South Africa, we had heard about the Living Journey boutique hotels. We had stayed in the Tree House before and were looking for the personal touch experienced with this collection of boutique hotels and it was just as special as we wished. We contacted them and they suggested we spend one or two nights in some of their hotels. They organized transfers between hotels so we didn’t even need to hire a car which turned out to be a great decision. Everyone working in the hotels was incredibly welcoming and helpful. We wanted to eat out so the bed and breakfast option was ideal. All hotels are an easy stroll to town with a choice of restaurants. Breakfast is delicious with buffet food - fruit, pastries, cheeses etc and plenty of cooked options. There is a homemade cake every day mid afternoon and coffee /tea all day. The poolside deck chairs have thick cushions and are fabulously comfortable for relaxing by the pool. There is a bar for evening drinks before heading out. Some hotels have specialty gins/brandy. Each hotel is unique with its own style and personality which makes it very interesting to travel between hotels. We had a fabulous trip and will definitely book again when back in South Africa.
Chapter house in Franschhoek is a former schoolhouse full of charm and character. There is a beautiful big hallway with a huge fireplace. Byron gave us the guided tour with fascinating historic info. We narrowly missed the opening of a stunning modern extension by just a few days. It is very cool to see how the old historic meets the new in a stunning contemporary design. The new addition means there are now 18 rooms with a conference centre. We had a fabulous room with its own terrace. We went to Reuben’s for dinner which was the best meal we had in South Africa. The hotel offered a range of specialty gins for a drink in the evening. Kehan and the team were very helpful and welcoming. We stayed one night which was not enough and are definitely going back!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Reuben was best restaurant we ate in in South Africa
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 31 Dec 2022
Dear Ella Thank you for your wonderfully detailed review, and for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek. Chapter House really is a celebration of the meeting of history and contemporary. A few years ago, we renovated the Heritage House and re-instated many of the original features which had be blended out over the years, and of course put fantastic new amenities into the rooms for guest comfort. Thanks also for pointing out some of our special little touches, all of these details are very popular with our guests and provide a personalized experience. I am pleased that you enjoyed Ruebens, they really are great, and it is such a bonus that it is an easy two-minute stroll away. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or indeed to another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Warm regards and all the best for a great start to 2023. Lorraine
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We stayed for 4 nights in March. I would call Chapter House more of a BnB rather than a hotel. It is situated in a quiet street one street back from the Main Street so everything is within walking distance. The breakfast was good and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Our room was in the old part of the building and we had people passing by our one window/door continually so we had to keep the blind down. I would suggest requesting a room in the newer part of the building.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 11 Apr 2024
Dear Sharlew Thank you for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent stay in Franschhoek, and we are pleased that you enjoyed your time with us. I am delighted that you enjoyed the location, which is really great, and the professional and friendly service. I do hope that you managed to take advantage of all the hotel's amenities such as the beautiful spa, the bar, and the all-day dining service. We look forward to welcoming you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel on your next trip to Franschhoek. Warm regards. Lorraine
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We absolutely enjoyed our stay here. The room (and the entire section) we stayed in was completely brand new. The views from the room were incredible. The location of the hotel is also good... within walking distance to a number of great restaurants and if they are further the staff at the Chapter House can very quickly arrange a transfer out to where you need to be. A special mention goes out to Sami whose warm welcome every time we came back to the hotel and her infectious laugh put a smile on our face each time. There were a few inconsistencies with some of the service which was addressed with the team and I am confident that they can get some of those small items worked out. But overall -- loved it! Loved the hotel, the cake at 3 (unfortunately most of the time we were out so we missed it a couple of times) and the G&Ts at 5 (Sami makes a great cocktail).
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lorraine Schaefer, Owner at Chapter House Boutique Hotel
Responded 01 Mar 2023
Dear Philip Many thanks for choosing Chapter House Boutique Hotel for your recent trip to Franschhoek and we are so pleased that you enjoyed your time with us. The team is really great and Sami just has the best laugh ever, she is always in great form and has a natural passion for the business which, as you rightly point out, is completely infectious. We are delighted to read that you loved all of the services and special little touches and we really appreciate your strong endorsement. Please stay in touch and let us know when you are planning your next trip to the area. We would love to welcome you back to Chapter House Boutique Hotel, or indeed to another one of The Living Journey Collection in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Hermanus and Robertson. Many thanks again, and warm regards. Lorraine
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There are more places to choose from in the Franschhoek area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 3,604 - RÂ 5,130 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
residence klein oliphants hoek hotel franschhoek
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Klein Oliphants Hoek Boutique Hotel
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeFranschhoek
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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