The Cape winelands just became your next wellness haven — the reimagined Spier Hotel in Stellenbosch has revealed its revamped Spier Spa. Inspired by the Cape floral kingdom, Spier Spa’s treatments draw on the healing powers of the fynbos biome, using natural, toxin-free products and rituals created from plants and herbs organically grown and harvested on the Spier farm.
With a private courtyard, fynbos gardens, cold therapy, and mindful movement studio, the apothecary-inspired sanctuary offers unique treatments, such as the Cape Herbal Bath House, created in collaboration with resident phytotherapist Dr Caren Hauptfleisch. Hauptfleisch helped to create herbal remedies for spa offerings such as teas, tinctures, and massage oils.
We chat to Hauptfleisch and spa director Claudia van Wyk about Spier Spa’s wellness offering, as well as the Cape botanicals used in the spa’s treatments to support the body’s natural ability to restore balance and promote long-term wellbeing.
What makes Spier Spa’s Cape Herbal Bath House so unique, and what can one expect from the experience?
Van Wyk: The Cape Herbal Bath House is a unique, three-phase ritual that blends traditional healing practices with botanicals grown and harvested on the farm. The experience includes a full-body exfoliation, a calming herbal soak developed in collaboration with Dr Hauptfleisch, and a hot-stone massage using shea butter infused with Cape herbs. Every element is thoughtfully designed to restore the body, calm the nervous system, and reconnect you with nature. The space itself is very special — handcrafted tiles, a shell-shaped marble basin, antique brass panels, and herb-pressed artworks create an atmosphere of immersive calm.
How do you go about selecting and harvesting the various herbs and botanicals used in the treatment rituals?
Hauptfleisch: We choose cultivatable Cape herbs known for their safety, efficacy, and contribution to health and wellbeing. By growing them ourselves we avoid wild harvesting, which can disrupt delicate ecosystems and strain local plant populations. Every herb used in the Cape Herbal Bath House is harvested, dried, and prepared on the farm. We look for qualities that promote physical and emotional resilience and that honour the rich traditions of local herbal medicine in a sustainable way.
What are some of your favourite botanical ingredients to work with, and why?
Hauptfleisch: That’s a trick question — I love them all! But if I had to choose, I’d say rose pelargonium, peppermint pelargonium, rooibos, and Cape mint. Each of these tells a powerful story of local healing traditions. They are beautifully aromatic, gentle on the body, and incredibly effective — a joy to work with and share.
What ingredients make up the Vine Therapy range formula?
Van Wyk: Vine Therapy is Spier Spa’s signature range that I’ve developed over the past four years, featuring 38 products made with grape extracts, healing oils, and botanical actives that nourish, soothe, and protect. Each formula is crafted to support the body’s natural healing process and reflect our commitment to mindful, restorative care.
During winter, what ingredients or practices can support better health and wellness?
Hauptfleisch: The best approach is simple: eat seasonally and naturally. Focus on organic vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains, good oils, and healthy protein. A strong immune system starts in the gut. In winter, gravitate toward warm, comforting foods spiced with herbs that support circulation and immunity, like cinnamon, ginger, garlic, chilli, pepper, and star anise. One of my favourites is wild garlic — a powerful local remedy with antimicrobial properties that’s both food and medicine.
From the August edition of Wanted, 2025
