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A couple years ago we went to a friend’s big birthday party and though he is a Knysna dweller, he chose to have his celebration at the Barrydale Hotel.
That says it all; people on the Garden Route coast tend to head for the Klein Karoo for breaks because it’s so close — a bit like Durbanites heading for the Drakensberg for a change of scenery and the mountains of course.
At the time of this party, we had just come out of lockdown, the wine was flowing and a very memorable weekend was had.
There were, however, some red flags that things weren’t quite what they should be at the old Barrydale hotel because the fireplace didn’t work and so we all got literally smoked out.
The hotel was kind of shabby chic with more emphasis on the shabby.
I recently got invited to the refurbished Karoo Art Hotel, as it is now called, and while it was quirky a couple years ago, it’s still every bit as idiosyncratic, but really quite gorgeous.
Definitely one of the most unusual places you could ever wish to experience.
Barrydale sits in a valley right where two mountain ranges meet; the Langeberg to the south and the Swartberg to the north.
Because of this positioning, Barrydale is tucked between the hills, the lush valleys of the Overberg and the semi-arid landscapes of the Klein Karoo.
On my return visit, I will admit to looking for the risqué chair that used to be in the pub.
Starring in many a hilarious photograph, this chair was upholstered with a very graphic naked man and I will leave the rest to your imagination.
The general manager of the hotel, Wayne Robinson, says he still gets repeat guests who ask what happened to the famous chair.
Current owners Rick and Sue Melvill came to the hotel’s rescue in 2022 when the 130-year-old building had fallen into neglect.
An auction banner was flapping off the front veranda and the hotel looked sad and dejected like nobody wanted her.
From the very start, the Melvills had a vision that has now been captured to a T.
Sue believes the most important art of all is the “art of joy” and this sentiment pervades the hotel in many forms from décor to actual art to activities that happen here.
As you walk into the hotel, it’s an ambush on one’s aesthetic senses. There is big vase bursting with lilies and extravagant blooms to greet guests and Robinson tells me Sue loves her flowers.
From this fragrant greeting, things just keep getting better.
I am not exaggerating when I say that every nook and cranny is a feast for the eyes.
There are 16 individually themed rooms which showcase local artists, antiques and colourful murals.
There are Groot and Klein Karoo rooms and each one is quite unique, some quite eccentric while each room has its very own story.
We get the Magnolia Room so named because of the tree outside and it’s insanely lovely.
Russian born South African artist Vladimir Tretchikoff takes up a whole wall above the bed with the Zulu Girl.
When the Melvills were seeking permission to use the Zulu Girl as wallpaper and the main feature of this room, they were surprised to discover that the person who holds the rights to reproduction of Tretchikoff’s work lives in the nearby village of Suurbrak.
Robinson is a wonderful raconteur so we get a guided tour of the hotel.
The Ostrich Room has stripes beautifully executed by Barrydale artist and colour expert Sean Daniel while murals were done by Barrydale mural artist Quinton Faro.
Just to add to the funky feel, there is a Victorian ball and claw bath in the bedroom.
The stripes in the Peacock room were hand-painted by Daniel.
The peacock itself was done by Faro while Durban-based mural artist Mandy Brockbank did the artwork work in the loo.
This room has a balcony with a view of vineyards and the olive grove where the Barrydale peacocks roam free.
Then there’s the self-catering Dog Box room humorously decorated and it’s one of two rooms which are pet-friendly, something the owners take seriously here.
Robinson shows me the dog menu and says provided dogs are well behaved, they are welcome as part of the family.
If the hotel isn’t busy, guests might strike it lucky and get to look around with Robinson and choose the room they fancy.
Spend some time on their website before you book because choosing your room and the décor that tickles your fancy, is very much part of the charm and whole experience of Barrydale and the Karoo Art Hotel.
Public spaces brim with creativity and the hotel is also a local haunt and a meeting place where Saggy Stone, and other craft beer from the area, is on tap.
Apparently, the concept of the now famous Ronnie’s Sex Shop came about in this bar.
The owner was moaning about not having enough business at Ronnie’s Shop, a stall-cum-restaurant-pub, so a couple of his mates decided to take the matter into their hands.
They painted the word sex onto the sign and business bloomed. There are lots of stories told here.
The in-house restaurant, which locals also enjoy, offers exactly the kind of traditional Karoo-inspired cuisine one might expect.
Karoo lamb is on the menu, but so too are bangers and mash available as pub grub. It’s a warm and fuzzy kind of menu here.
The heart of the Karoo Art Hotel pumps in the Bialanti ballroom. This space becomes a private cinema with movies being projected from the rafters.
This huge space takes on various forms as it becomes an art gallery, a meeting place for the local farmers, the place in Barrydale to watch rugby.
There is music and theatre here, dancing even, and nearly always something happening.
The hotel is very much part of the local culture as it draws locals and visitors to writing workshops, cooking classes, yoga, retreats ... in fact anything that could be classified as “the art of living joyfully”.
Be sure to check out the Map Room, with wall-to-wall maps of the region inspiring adventure planning, hikes to motorbike journeys around this area.
The Karoo Art Hotel isn’t just a stopover — it’s an experience and you need to spend more than one night to do it justice.
Let Robinson or one of his people take you to the hot springs or you could be part of the swim club which departs at dawn from the hotel to a rock pool on the Tradouw pass. They take coffee for after that icy plunge!
When you plan your trip be sure to make it leisurely because the views on the Route 62 as it threads itself through Garden Route greenery and then through rocky outcrops until you reach Barrydale where the Klein Karoo meets the Overberg, are to be savoured.
Just beyond the town of Barrydale is the Tradouw Pass which cuts through the Langeberg Mountains, a winding road of waterfalls, cliffs and indigenous forest that links Barrydale back to the coast at Swellendam — and it’s breathtaking.
A bit terrifying too because if you go over the edge that’s the end of that.
Barrydale is small, but said to have a giant heart as it has evolved into a haven for artists, writers and free spirits.
The main street is alive with galleries and craft type shops while the Diesel & Crème Diner serves towering milkshakes.
Michelle Obama is said to have bought a light for her daughter’s bedroom at the Whitehouse from The Magpie Art Collective shop.
The Barrydale Cellar is the place to go to experience the region’s long history of brandy making and here you will find the Tradouw boutique range of wines from the area.
This combination of culture, cuisine and countryside gives Barrydale its irresistible charm.
Just ask Robinson what to do or check out their website to see what’s coming up, but from bikes, to hikes to culture and history, Barrydale has it all.
The 4-star Karoo Art Hotel is part of the Cape Country Routes collection (CCR). Check it out at www.capecountryroutes.com or bookings@capecountryroutes.com
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