Background
Fancourt is arguably South Africa’s most renowned golf estate, featuring three of the country’s top-ranked golf courses. The Fancourt Hotel opened in 1989, whilst the property’s 150-year-old original Manor House is a national monument that has been re-modelled to create a boutique hotel.
Where Is It?
Fancourt is seven kilometres from George Airport and a few minutes’ drive from the CBD. George is a small town on South Africa’s Garden Route, approximately 300 kilometres from Port Elizabeth and 400 kilometres from Cape Town.
Rooms
The Manor House offers the more exclusive accommodation at Fancourt, with 18 suites – including the 155m2 Master Bedroom – its own pool, private library, bar, lounge, afternoon tea, complimentary mini-bar, evening canapés, and butler-style service. The Fancourt Hotel has 115 rooms, comprising ‘luxury’ rooms and one and two-bedroom suites. We were accommodated in a one-bedroom suite – 54m2 in size and consisting of lounge, bedroom, walk-in closet and comfortable bathroom. Standard amenities were in the form of complimentary Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, in-room telephone, mini-bar, tea and coffee-making facilities, digital safe, hair dryer, slippers and international plugs. The king-size bed made for a good night’s sleep, whilst the bathroom featured a separate shower and large bath, with double vanity and separate toilet. All in all, beautifully-designed, with contemporary fittings and touches of luxury, from the plush carpet through to the designer furniture, crisp white linen and heaps of space. Our room was a short drive from reception, and if you don’t fancy walking, golf carts are on hand to transport you around.
Restaurants & Bars
Fancourt has a number of different dining options. We had breakfast at La Cantina – good coffee and a wide selection of fresh pastries, fruit and hot breakfast options. It is also available for dinner, offering an Italian menu. The other ‘casual’ dining options are Morning Glory, which overlooks the first tee on the Outeniqua course and offers a good club sandwich for lunch, and the Club Lounge, which has a nice view of the 18th green on the Montagu course. Fancourt’s fine dining is covered by Henry Whites, which is situated in the Manor House and consists of a couple of intimate rooms with stunning wooden floors, and offers up a distinctly colonial feel. Here, I opted for the beef smoked duck breast carpaccio to start, and it came with port jelly, dressed foie gras parfait, toasted brioche, kumquat compote and candied walnut. Excellent. My main course was the grain mustard-rubbed grass-fed beef fillet tenderloin with honey rosemary jus, parmesan soft polenta, and milk batter fried zucchini batons – tender and succulent. All of this was accompanied by a 2012 Friers Cove sauvignon blanc. In between, we were served ‘mini-dishes’, in the form of a palate-cleansing sorbet, a mini-Caesar salad, and a chocolate bite to end with. Needless to say, there wasn’t any need for dessert!
Meeting & Conferencing Facilities
The Ballroom is Fancourt’s main conference venue, at 425m2 and with an inside capacity of 400 (cinema-style). The adjacent foyer can accommodate 200 people, and there are five other, smaller venues, ranging in size from about 50 to 72m2, along with an upstairs balcony that can accommodate 150 people for a cocktail event, lunch or breakaway. There is also the option to combine two of the smaller venues. All of the rooms have data projectors, screens, DVD players, PA systems etc, and you won’t want for technical support.
Leisure
Golf is the focus at Fancourt, with three world class options. But, if you’re not a golfer, there are four pools, a large gym, four tennis courts and an inviting spa, which also features a sauna, steam room, Roman bath and hair salon. There are a range of treatments to choose from and the facility is extensive, with 11 treatment rooms.
Verdict
A real treat, if you’re a golfer, but otherwise a high-end Garden Route getaway with stunning views of the Outeniqua, mountains and a dining experience ‘par excellence’, in the form of Henry Whites.
Dylan Rogers
Contact
Address: Montagu Street, Blanco
Tel: +27 44 804 0000
Email: reservations@fancourt.co.za
Web: www.fancourt.co.za