With their lighthearted take on hospitality, an extraordinary eye for detail and the courage not to play by (all of) the rules, James Jayasundera and Marc-Ludolf von Schmarsow have created Cape Winelands hideaway 7 Koppies, where anything goes – and nothing must.
Place your finger anywhere between Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek on a map of South Africa’s Western Cape and it won’t be far off a place to stay that’s either owned by a billionaire or occasionally dropped into dinner conversations at Manhattan’s latest ritzy hotel restaurant (and in more than one case both). It’s not necessarily a bad thing: an influx of money has made this triangle of towns in the historic Cape Winelands a luxury travel destination, with world-class hospitality standards and a social scene to match that of nearby Cape Town in internationalism, if not quite in scale.
But those who dig deeper will still find the occasional ‘insider hotel’, the kind that doesn’t seek to be something for everyone, but rather everything for someone. One of these is located just off the southern end of the R301 regional route, near its intersection with the R45, and it took us a while to find it. Prior to our arrival, its owners had informed us not to trust Google Maps, and instead to follow their directions. It didn’t help that there were hardly any signs along the way, although as we learned later, this is intentional, and the reasons behind it came into full effect as our rental scrambled up the last few metres, finally coming to a halt outside a refurbished farm that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“We deliberately kept all the signs as they were, so you’re always wondering whether this is the right place,” explained James Jayasundera, who with his partner Marc-Ludolf von Schmarsow owns what is perhaps the most under-the-radar hideaway in the Cape Winelands: 7 Koppies. “Then your partner might say something like ‘I told you this wasn’t it. We should’ve booked the other hotel’. So you arrive feeling a bit uncertain. But when you finally enter through the gates, you say, ‘this is incredible’. We want people to be thrilled when they arrive.”
It truly is thrilling to find this place up here, not least because the farm’s many charms unfold in layers, each more evocative than the last. At first, guests lay eyes on a beautifully restored building fronted by a large natal fig overhung with air plants. Then, it’s on to a warm greeting from hosts Marc and James, followed by a first glimpse of 7 Koppies’s eclectic-cool interiors. If those don’t have you snapping away just yet, what comes next surely will: just beyond a communal kitchen and dining area, a large door with glass inserts beckons you into an adjoining outdoor area, which culminates in a 25-metre pool. Beyond that, the terrain slowly descends into Franschhoek Valley, allowing for showstopping views of the dramatic Simonsberg mountain straight ahead.
Strictly speaking, 7 Koppies is what you’d call a stylish B&B. There’s no reception desk here, and neither is there a ‘proper’ spa or restaurant. The house was never built as a hotel, and they certainly don’t cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 people here. But the gardens have lots of fruit and veg, and 7 Koppies offers simple pies and pastas, which most guests are actually delighted with.
It was immediately apparent to us that a lot of work had gone into renovating the farm, which was previously called Koppies (meaning ‘hills’) and was in its new B&B configuration christened 7 Koppies in a nod to Rome, where both Marc and James spent parts of their childhood. Across its six rooms and suites and the separate Rockwood Cottage (which comes with a private five-metre pool, outdoor dining areas, an open-air bathtub and a South African braai barbecue), guests will find an inspired array of artworks, collectibles and natural touches that create a haptically impactful space we just wanted to wrap ourselves up in. Everything here stimulated the senses: textured carpets, rattan ceilings, sand dollars and mushroom shells, floor-to-ceiling linen curtains, shiny brace fittings against rustic bricks, crackling fireplaces in the chilly night.
This Basecamp review is an extract from a longer feature article, first published in print. To read the full article, click here.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Insider | CPT | GMT +2 |
| While you’re Out There |
| A stay at 7 Koppies is all about taking things easy, but should you be in the mood to explore, the nearby town of Paarl is home to Paarl Mountain, which makes for a semi-challenging climb. You could easily spend a day here, with several walkways leading to viewpoints and the like (remember it’s advisable to hike with others, as there are snakes in the area). The remarkable Afrikaans Language Monument is also nearby and cannot be missed. |
“The 21st century is all about eclecticism,” Marc told us over a verbena infusion that came in a different-sized mug each day of our stay, piping-hot proof that 7 Koppies favours homely spontaneity over corporate hospitality. “I love mixing old and new, antique and modern. It’s the mix that makes an interior interesting and I don’t care whether something is old or new. It just has to fit.”
“Everything has to be replaceable,” added James. “We don’t ever want to be too precious about something if it breaks.” Restraint, he said, was his favourite character trait in anyone, and it’s something the pair practised when refurbishing the farm. “When you leave the house knowing you’re wearing just enough to make an impression, but no more, that’s elegant to us. 7 Koppies is a bit like that.”
That said, some additions to the property have truly elevated it. Two pavilions on each side of the pool are reminiscent of Sri Lankan temple architecture (and the work of architect Geoffrey Bawa) and are a homage to James’s background. A solar farm is also in the works, and so is a small kitchen below the pool, which will enable the team to do some more ‘serious’ cooking, as Marc and James put it. What’s not going to change, however, is the farmstead’s small, intimate scale.
It shouldn’t be surprising that a place dripping in style and with a genuine under-the-radar appeal would attract a rather fabulous, in-the-know smart set, too. Despite 7 Koppies being a comparatively humble place to stay by Winelands standards, we were treated to many a juicy tidbit that might have you thinking you’re among society’s upper echelons. From ‘the King of Jordan once invited me on to his plane’, to ‘I went to the maharajah’s wedding… well, all 10 of them, in 10 different palaces…’ and, our personal favourite, ‘not to be rude… I went to her new place in Paris. It’s tasteful, but… safe’ (a shockwave of startled horror swept across the table before a fellow guest from LA finally broke the silence, shaking her head in disbelief. ‘Gosh.’).
At the time of our stay, there was talk of staging a hiking holiday at 7 Koppies, to bring people together for what its owners loosely referred to as a wellness retreat. Massages can be easily arranged at the property, and a sauna was recently installed near the pool, but don’t expect a cryo-chamber or a medical spa.
“We’re thinking of doing walks with a proper hiking guide and in the evenings guests will return to the farm for massages and calorie-controlled meals with non-alcoholic drinks,” explained James. “I’m not a fan of overly formalised retreats. There’s nothing more health-inducing than walking and talking, being outdoors and in the company of others. You become too focused on yourself otherwise, especially seeing that the person you’re trying to escape from is often yourself.”
This type of vacation might not be for everyone, of course. And, moreover, 7 Koppies isn’t, either. Many a traveller will make a beeline for the Winelands’ multitude of five-starred establishments, where the luxuries of private concierges and fine dining await (not to mention less idiosyncratic signposting). But then, they’ll miss out on the build-up of suspense upon arrival, on the library of lived memories in the shape of Marc’s collection of antiques and objets trouvés, and on James’s bottomless repertoire of perfectly delicious and not rarely improper one-liners. We, for one, found that 7 Koppies pulls off the rather impressive feat of doing an excellent and intuitive job of providing hospitality without ever asking to be taken too seriously.
Photography by Nicola Katie, Henrique Wilding and courtesy of 7 Koppies
