Liz Biden unveils Franschhoek’s most elegant new address

“We have to keep building,” says Liz Biden, with just a hint of mischief in her eyes, “Because we have to keep moving the stuff out of my storerooms!”

As the creative force behind The Royal Portfolio, Biden is something of a magpie. Furniture, fabrics, objets d’art. She’s constantly finding, buying and hoarding items that will come in handy, one day, for decorating her boutique hotel properties scattered from Cape Town to the Kruger.

“Matthew [her son, and CEO of The Royal Portfolio] and Phil [her husband] are in charge of the finances, and I’ll often get calls asking: ‘What are you buying these two big cupboards for?’,” says Biden. “Well, it’s because I’ve seen them, and they are magnificent, and one day I’m going to use them.”

And Biden, inevitably, is good on her word. Those pieces will all eventually find a home, whether it’s reinventing one of the existing Royal Portfolio properties — perhaps The Silo Hotel in Cape Town, or Royal Malewane in the Kruger — or in one of the new additions.

Additions like Franschhoek House, which quietly welcomed its first guests over the festive season, and has now firmly settled in as one of the most glamorous exclusive-use villas in the Cape winelands.

Franschhoek House stands in a quiet corner of the 30-acre La Residence estate, a lush tract of vineyards and orchards at the entrance to the valley. With its 16 suites, glorious rim-flow pool and airy communal spaces filled with art and aesthetics as only Biden can conjure, La Residence has long been one of the most talked-about boutique hotels in the Winelands, a luxury bolt-hole for global travellers and savvy celebrities. Ask her nicely, and she may spin you a yarn about the stars that have stayed in her hotels through the years.

And now multigenerational travellers seeking privacy and high-flyers looking to stay out of the limelight have a new option in town, with Franschhoek House refining the much-loved “La Res” look and feel into an opulent exclusive-use villa with indulgent amounts of space.

“From the original hotel to the Vineyard suites, and now to a free-standing villa, Franschhoek House rounds off [the La Residence] property really nicely,” says Simon Mandy, MD of The Royal Portfolio.

And it’s no surprise that this is the direction — rather than more suites down at the main hotel — that La Residence has chosen to grow in. Multigenerational travel is a growing market segment for The Royal Portfolio, and the broader luxury travel market, and the group has neatly tapped into this niche in the Lowveld, with the likes of Africa House, Farmhouse and Waterside House. 

“Franschhoek House combines really, really nicely with those properties,” says Mandy.

And it is indeed a beauty, filled with natural light and abundant with Biden’s colourful aesthetic, all while drawing your eye through wide French doors to the vineyard views beyond. Guests arrive into a sheltered courtyard, with oversized pots from Morocco and colourful walls surrounding a centuries-old oak tree; a nod to the history of the property amid a thoroughly contemporary villa. Turn right, and you’ll enter the main living area, a spacious lounge and dining room complete with a show kitchen. 

Franschhoek House comes with a full complement of staff, including a private chef. While the nightly rates only include breakfast, a chef is on hand to create and curate whatever guests fancy on the day. Pizza party with the kids? Seafood platter with a wine pairing? The sommelier will be with you shortly.

Franschhoek House is certainly imagined as a place for communing and connection. From the main lounge — note the hand-embroidered silks collected in India — the doors open onto a wide terrace, with outdoor couches and sun loungers, framed by mature trees and what is perhaps the most enticing pool in the winelands. Sparkling blue and suspended above a 50-year-old vineyard (being nursed back to health), it’s a space that screams for long, lazy afternoons with your beloveds.

But summer doesn’t last forever, even in this sun-baked corner of the winelands, so when the weather turns and snow dusts the surrounding peaks, head straight for the Long Room.

Wander past the bespoke wallpapers created by award-winning Cape Town studio Robert Sprong, and you’ll discover a wonderful family-focused communal space beneath towering eaves reminiscent of a contemporary barn. There’s a wide hearth here for crackling fires, a pile of games to keep the kids happy, and a snooker table framed by dramatic valley views. Or, sink into the couches and reconnect with your beloveds. 

There’s certainly space to bring the extended family. Franschhoek House offers six suites, sleeping up to 12 guests, but there’s also a separate (lower) rate for smaller groups of up to eight guests.

Each suite is individually designed, with Biden’s signature touch throughout. Here vintage glamour, vibrant Indian accents and a hint of French heritage meld neatly together; the end result always greater than the sum of the colourful parts.

With such an abundance of space, guests will have little reason to venture too far afield, but a perk of sharing the La Residence estate is that you’ll have access to all of the hotel facilities too, including the new wellness spa that’s in the planning.

“There are very few stand-alone villas attached to hotels in the winelands,” says Mandy. “Franschhoek House fills a lovely niche in the industry, and in SA. We’re very excited to fill it with guests.”