ASARA Wine Estate & Hotel occupies a working wine farm on Polkadraai Road just outside Stellenbosch, with forty-one rooms arranged across three wings above a dam and vineyards that run to the foot of the Simonsberg. The estate dates its origins to 1691, and the hotel is independently owned rather than part of a group.
Best for
Couples and small groups who want to stay on a wine farm rather than in town; travellers who want a balcony over vineyards; wedding and event parties.
It is five minutes outside Stellenbosch by car, so the town’s restaurants are close without being walkable. That is the central trade.
Location
Polkadraai Road runs west out of Stellenbosch towards Kuils River, and the estate sits on the slope above it with the dam in front of the main building. The Stellenbosch town centre, its restaurants and the university are about ten minutes away, and Cape Town International Airport is roughly half an hour.
The farm is at the western end of the Stellenbosch wine district, which puts a great many cellars within fifteen minutes. Our Stellenbosch destination guide covers the town and the routes around it.
Rooms and style at ASARA Wine Estate
There are forty-one individually styled rooms across three wings, sold in categories including Courtyard Rooms, Vineyard Suites and Avalon Suites, along with self-catering apartments. Standard features include private balconies, Nespresso machines, walk-in showers, good bedding and wireless internet, and most rooms look out over vineyards, gardens or the mountains.
The interiors are classic Winelands rather than contemporary: neutral palettes, dark timber, generous bathrooms and a good deal of glass towards the view. Because the rooms are individually finished, the categories vary more than at a chain hotel.
Facilities at ASARA Wine Estate
The estate runs a tasting room and cellar, a restaurant and terrace above the dam, an art gallery, and event and wedding space in the grounds. Wine experiences run on site, from tastings through to cellar tours, and the estate makes a point of its sustainability programme: local sourcing, waste reduction and water and energy saving.
There is a swimming pool and gardens; there is no golf course and the spa offering is modest by Winelands standards. The wine is the centre of the property.
Who should consider ASARA Wine Estate
Consider it if you want to wake up on a wine farm and walk to a tasting room before breakfast, or if you are attending a wedding on the estate. Two nights works well: one for the Stellenbosch cellars, one for Franschhoek or Cape Town.
Travellers who want to walk to Stellenbosch’s restaurants should stay in the town itself. Our Cape Winelands guide compares the districts.
Trade-offs, honestly
Four things to weigh:
- You are out of town, so every dinner in Stellenbosch means driving, and drinking wine complicates that.
- The estate takes weddings and functions, and a full-house Saturday is a different stay from a quiet Tuesday.
- Room categories differ considerably; the courtyard rooms do not have the vineyard outlook the photographs sell.
- Polkadraai Road carries traffic, and the lower part of the estate is closer to it.
Ask about function bookings for your dates before committing, particularly between November and March.
Explore the area
Stellenbosch is the second-oldest town in South Africa and the centre of its wine industry, with oak-lined streets, Cape Dutch gables and a university that keeps the town lively out of season. The Stellenbosch wine routes run in several directions from here: Polkadraai and Devon Valley to the west, Helshoogte and Banghoek to the east towards Franschhoek, and the Blaauwklippen and Annandale roads south.
The industry body Wines of South Africa is a useful reference for understanding the appellations before you taste. Franschhoek is about forty minutes east over the Helshoogte Pass, and Cape Town is under an hour west.
Getting there and getting around
Cape Town International Airport is roughly thirty minutes away, and central Cape Town about fifty. Stellenbosch is on the R44 and reached from the N1 or the N2, and the estate is on Polkadraai Road just west of the town.
A car is needed. If you intend to taste seriously, use a driver or a wine tour rather than driving between cellars; our Cape Winelands tours guide sets out the options.
How ASARA Wine Estate compares
Against the hotels in the middle of Stellenbosch you lose the walk to dinner and gain vineyards, a dam and a working cellar. Against the very large wine estates with spas and golf, this property is smaller and more personal. Against a guesthouse, you gain a restaurant, a tasting room and event space.
Practical notes for a stay at ASARA Wine Estate
Harvest runs from roughly February to April and is the most interesting time to be on a wine farm, with the cellar working and the vineyards busy. Autumn colour in the vines follows in April and May. Winter is green, wet and quiet, and the fireplaces and the red wine make sense then.
December and January are hot and busy, and the estate takes weddings through the warm months. Book the restaurant and any tastings when you book the room in high season.
Before you book ASARA Wine Estate
Ask which wing and which category, and whether the room faces the vineyards, the courtyard or the mountains, because that is the main difference between the rates. Confirm whether breakfast is included, whether a wedding or function is booked over your dates, and what the current cancellation window is at checkout. If you want a self-catering apartment rather than a hotel room, request it specifically. More options across the province are in our Western Cape accommodation guide.
Current rates and availability
We do not publish rates for ASARA Wine Estate, because they move constantly with season and demand. Use the availability button on this page to see what the property currently costs on your dates, what is included and what the cancellation terms are. The booking provider is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory or take payment.