Silvermist Mountain Lodge Estate

The Deluxe double room was fantastic - a huge suite with a lovely large verandah. Very comfortable bed and a glorious outlook at the mountains. The hotel is in a spectacular location way up the hillside in Constantia, directly above the Chef's Warehouse restaurant at Beau Constantia, where we were booked for dinner. We appreciated the birthday cake that they gave us for my husband's birthday.

This review could easily be 9 out of 10 rather than only 7, but for some details which were not quite right. Not all the taps in the bathroom worked, and breakfast was, compared to many places in South Africa, fine but rather basic. Other facilities were also a bit disappointing - the pool is large and could be lovely but with water that was cloudy and green, so it was not inviting. We were disappointed to find that we were staying at, perhaps, the only vineyard in the country that doesn't have a license to serve wine. It was my husband's birthday, so I asked if we could buy a couple of glasses of bubbly to have with our breakfast, but was told that we could not - neither could we have a tasting of the wines they produce. We could buy a - rather pricey - full bottle of bubbly which was in the fridge, but that is not what we wanted to do. I know that they are in the process of applying for a liquor license, which will make a big difference.