Spier Hotel — Hotel in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

Deeply Disappointed by Our Experience at Spier Hotel – A Birthday Celebration Gone Wrong

On the 1st of May, I accompanied a group of 12 women to Spier Hotel to celebrate a birthday. We had originally planned to dine at the on-site pizza restaurant but were informed it was fully booked. The restaurant manager kindly referred us to the hotel, suggesting we could enjoy drinks there instead.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were welcomed by a friendly gentleman at the door. After confirming that our group of 13 could be accommodated, he directed us straight to the bar. At first, everything seemed promising. We were served drinks by a man and a woman, and our group simply engaged in casual conversation and shared a few laughs — nothing excessive or disruptive.

To our surprise, one of the women in our group was approached and told we were being too loud. We were taken aback, as we were merely enjoying ourselves in a respectful manner. About 20 minutes later, we were told we needed to finish our drinks and leave. The way this was handled was extremely upsetting. It did not feel like it was about the noise — rather, we were made to feel unwelcome.

The manager, whom we believe we spoke to, offered conflicting reasons for asking us to leave. First, he claimed there was no space for hotel guests, even though the area was mostly empty. He then changed his story, saying a meeting would be starting soon. When we questioned why we were invited in and served in the first place, he simply said he was "investigating." This left us feeling dismissed and confused.

To make matters worse, as we were leaving, a woman who appeared to be a staff member gave us a look of disdain — as if we didn’t belong there. It was an incredibly disheartening and humiliating experience.

What should have been a joyful birthday celebration turned into a deeply uncomfortable and bitter encounter. Spier Hotel is known for its hospitality, but this experience fell far below expectations. I sincerely hope no other guests are made to feel the way we...

For my 30th birthday I wanted to have a picnic with my significant other and after much searching we decided on Spier on account of other reviews and the menu looked enticing.

As we arrive, we queue for our basket only to realise that we had to bring our own blanket etc. which is listed on their website at the very bottom of the page which we overlooked when booking and paying.

However, our mistake aside, at R295 per person one would expect a half decent setup but the whole picnic environment felt like such an after thought. And only after refusing to pay R300 for a blanket we were given one.

The food was good, no denying that, but the whole experience was lackluster. I was so disappointed. You have to mission up and down for wine. No ice. Had to beg for proper wine glasses instead of plastic cups and when the employee realised that we were not happy she asked a manager to address us who was dressed so casually in shorts and a tee that he looked like a day visitor. He then proceeded to essentially tell us it is what it is and other people don't complain.

Now let me draw the following comparison (this is only an example, but there are many wine farms that operate at this level per my own experience). Go to Cape Point Vineyards, pay R140 per person and upon arrival a lovely blanket is laid out with a big comfy pillow for each guest. You also have a sun umbrella and a picnic table should you wish to use it. You are served by a waiter and your wine is kept in an ice bucket and ice is frequently topped up to ensure you have a great experience. I have been here numerous times and today I wished I opted for this instead. Not only is their picnic basked lovely, but the experience is SUPERB!

Given how commercial Spier is, I'm sure some effort can be made to give guests a truly special experience. This picnic is not one I would recommend given what you can get a stone throw away...

We booked a 2 night delight package in a signature garden terrace room which also included a wine tasting, spa treatment and a dinner.||I’ve rated it 3 stars as the accommodation, breakfast and hotel management fell short of our expectations at this price point.||Our room was large and comfortable with a nice terrace and access to a shared pool that we often had sole use of. Unfortunately the bathroom was really dated and in need of an upgrade.||Breakfast was very disappointing. Tables are not allocated so you choose your own which lead to confusion when diners were at the buffet and others would then sit at the table chosen. The buffet options were ok but the selection of dishes available to be ordered was very narrow - only poached eggs, fried eggs and omelettes.||We enjoyed dinner in the restaurant with tasty options for starter and mains and obviously a good selection of wines by the glass. Unfortunately they ran out of the 21 gables sauvignon we liked and we thought it odd that it couldn’t have been replenished as it was their own wine. Our dinner should have been included but the restaurant wasn’t aware which caused some confusion.||The wine tasting included is the base level one. I asked if we could pay the difference to try the premium wines and was told no. We did try the premium tasting on the following day and it was a much better experience. ||The massage was excellent though when we went to check out it was included on our bill and that took more time to sort out.||Spier is a lovely place to spend a couple of days but a greater focus on the details would really enhance the guest experience. At similar price points we enjoyed a welcome tour of the hotel, a printed itinerary of activities arranged and flawless execution of actives being delivered and matching the bill. We also felt welcome with the staff knowing our names. It felt quite...