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Barrydale Karoo Hotel: look beyond the surface

4/6/2014

7 Comments

 
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
By Roxanne Reid
When we arrived in the tiny Karoo town of Barrydale to stay at the Barrydale Karoo Hotel, the early afternoon sunlight was not kind. The hotel looked as though its glory days were long past, its present faded and faintly sad. But when we stepped inside and took time to look beyond the surface, its quirkiness crept into our hearts.

The date on the pediment is 1937, so a little fadedness isn’t unreasonable. But the exterior paint-job – an odd mauve-tinged shade of brown – isn’t really helping. Happily, I hear that a facelift by way of a kinder colour is on the to-do list.
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
Gurshwin Farao (left) with some of the hotel's eclectic collection of objects and art
The vivacious Gurshwin Farao was our first contact inside the hotel, a welcoming smile and chirpy repartee at the ready. Things suddenly looked very different. The black-and-white tiled entrance, the bright walls from lime green to oxblood red, the idiosyncratic collection of paintings and objects d’art were starting to work their magic. A banana yellow art deco-style couch, a mauve chaise lounge, a mirror mosaic torso and slipper, a gold inlaid cabinet that oozed bling, a soft chair shaped like a hand, fingers spread as you sit in the palm. Such things made every space intriguing. We wanted to stare but felt it might be rude, like staring at an old lady who’s made-up to the nines and dressed way too young for her age.
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
The bedrooms all display a sense of style, this one a dramatic red, ours a theatrical purple
Our room, one of the Great Karoo suites, had an en suite bathroom big enough to waltz in. Back in the old days it was probably a room itself. In the bedroom there was crisp white bed linen but the most noticeable colour was a theatrical purple. The accent cushions were purple. The bed-head was purple. The wall opposite the bed – where a huge portrait of two male nudes took centre stage – yes, you guessed it, it was purple.

A door opened onto the stoep, burnished to a brown shine I hadn’t seen in many years, even in the platteland. Two cane chairs and a wooden bench were perfect for looking up into the mountains, spying on a baboon walking across a vineyard in the early morning sunlight, or watching the world go by along the street.

It gave us pound seats for watching some late-afternoon Karoo Cop action too. Brought to the balcony by the sound of shouting, we saw five policemen handcuffing three men lying flat on their stomachs on the tarmac. Two cops went searching in the bushes of the plot opposite. Later in the hotel’s bar we heard the story from barman Chris Ruiters: there’d been a tip about drugs and one of the men, rather than be collared with tik and mandrax in his possession, had made what he thought was a cunning plan to throw it into the bushes. Foiled!
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
A peaceful courtyard off the dining room
Looking down from the balcony, we could see oil drips in the parking bays in front of the hotel. I like to think of the fun times that might have been had by visitors to the hotel in old cars. We saw an MG club having breakfast in Barrydale on their way to a classic car festival in Knysna. Although they didn’t stop at the hotel this time, I’m sure its bar has been the venue for many a passionate conversation about classic cars.

The bar was a dim place despite its multi-coloured lights. It had red velveteen chairs, an upright piano in one corner painted in the German folk art style, a fireplace in another. A small stage is the scene of live entertainment on Saturday nights. Next to a notice advertising the appearance of singer Wendy Oldfield, a sign proclaimed Barrydale ‘almost the friendliest town in the Western Cape’ as voted by radio Kfm’s listeners. An illustration of a woman on a comic-book bench underneath had a speech bubble proclaiming: ‘Blah-blah Barrydale yah yah.’
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
At the pool
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
There are lots of attractive nooks in the garden to lose yourself in
We found alluring spaces in the grounds of the hotel: a few benches in a shady courtyard near the pool; wicker tables and chairs on the grass, with bright yellow or orange cloths; blue-and-white concrete classical Greek busts wobbling like drunks; the gentle wabi-sabi of pinkish-mauve walls. Wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that accepts imperfection and transience, might have been invented especially to appreciate this place.
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
The Magpie Room
We asked manager Jason Beningfield if we could see the Magpie Room, decorated by the Magpie Art Collective whose showroom is across the road from the hotel. They’re big into light fittings and lamp shades, often using recycled materials. (Two of their chandeliers grace the White house in Washington, USA.) We found a refreshingly calm space of blues and greens applied with artistic flair, a bed-head made of tree branches, and bird-like lights.
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
An unusual bathroom in one of the suites
We also sneaked a peek into some of the other unoccupied rooms. Each had its own unique design and charm, whether elegant or quirky or tipping dangerously close to wacky; certainly none of that City Lodge sameness here in Barrydale.

In the evening, a log fire was spitting and hissing in the dining room to ward off the chill. We chose comfort food from chef Derek Lowrie’s Karoo-inspired menu – vegetarian bobotie and the lamb shank. Both were delicious and filling. We shared a lavender crème brûlée, a sophisticated touch we hadn’t expected from a three-star platteland hotel. 
Barrydale Karoo Hotel
Bright colours, warmth, art and good food in the dining room
If you’re buttoned up and prim, don’t come to the Barrydale Karoo Hotel; if you like uniformity and conformity, don’t come. But if you relish a touch of imagination and things that are quirky, unconventional, even a little off the wall, then you’ll fit right in.

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The funky Barrydale Karoo Hotel #Karoo #SouthAfrica #travel
You might also enjoy:
Things to do in Barrydale on Route 62
 
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
7 Comments
Sidney
4/6/2014 10:47:53 am

This sounds charming and enticing. There are so many boring hotels that I am definitely putting it on my bucket list of places to visit.

Reply
Roxanne link
4/6/2014 10:59:54 am

Thanks for your positive comment, Sidney. One thing Barrydale Karoo Hotel can't be accused of is being boring! Hope you enjoy its personality as much as we did.

Reply
Louisa
14/6/2014 03:00:34 am

Beautifully done and so typical of you, Roxanne.

Reply
Roxanne link
14/6/2014 06:10:52 am

Thanks Louisa, glad you enjoyed it.

Reply
Robin Gilbert-Jones link
7/7/2014 03:54:24 am

We just stayed here last weekend. What a fantastic place and the staff were so friendly. The food was fantastic (I had the best soutribbetjies I've ever tasted).
We came to very much the same conclusion - it might not be for everyone but we loved it.
Goodness knows where they got some of that bizarre art that adorns the lounge area!

Reply
Roxanne link
8/7/2014 09:10:51 am

That's great to hear, Robin. Yes, um, well, they're nothing if not unusual in that place. It all adds to its unique charm.

Reply
Roxanne link
18/4/2015 04:12:51 am

I'm pleased to report that the hotel has been repainted a warm, buttery yellow.

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    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    Since 2015, travel buddy and husband Keith has been the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
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