An elegant country retreat on the outskirts of Swellendam. Rich in heritage and brimming with grandeur.
The perfect choice for your destination wedding, honeymoon, family holiday, business retreat, or simply a well deserved break from it all to recharge and do absolutely nothing. Rotterdam dates back to 1794 and boasts with a rich history and heritage like no other. Famous for being the home of the late Grand Prix racer Mr Ian Fraser Jones and still owned by the family today. The farm shares its rich heritage by offering Boutique accommodation in two of its historical buildings namely, De Wagenhuis and Frazer-Jones.
Breakfast baskets and Braai Baskets is on offer for delivery to your room or make use of our own in house Restaurant.
The Restaurant and Bar area for dinner is only open by appointment and on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday`s.
The Trophy Room at Rotterdam is filled with old memorabilia and prizes won by the late Mr. Ian John Fraser Jones. He was one of the first and only South African Racing drivers to take part in the Grand Prix from 1950-1960. Mr Fraser Jones led a full life and left lots of memories and highlights, that is shared in this beautifully established private family museum. The trophy room can be opened to guests with a prior arrangements and you might even be lucky enough to get a private tour from the farm owners.
In Room Facilities:
The farm shares its rich heritage by offering Boutique accommodation in two of its majestic buildings namely De Wagenhuis and Fraser-Jones. De Wagenhuis boasts with seven luxury rooms. On the top floor you will find three rooms that is en-suite private, sun drenched balconies overlooking the pastures. The family unit on the top floor consists of two rooms with their own private lounge. Perfect for that long anticipated family holiday. On the ground floor there is a two bedroom cottage lovingly named after the late Jan Auger, head gardener in the Cape Town Company gardens. This tastefully decorated cottage boasts with a wonderful collection of antiques that celebrates the life of the botanist that retired peacefully on the farm. The Fraser Jones building has twelve spacious en-suite rooms that sleeps one couple per room. Four rooms on ground floor walks out onto the courtyard with the soothing sound of a water feature and the fragrance of fresh citrus from the trees marking the entrance. The luxurious two large 72 m2 rooms face the Buffeljagsriver and expansive green pastures respectively. On the top floor you will find four balcony rooms facing the courtyard with two East facing rooms also very large in size, similar to bottom floor. All rooms are equipped with the finest Egyptian cotton and fresh, soft towels to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
The picturesque little town of Swellendam is just off the N2 about 220 km outside of Cape Town and connects the Southern Overberg with the Garden Route. Swellendam lies at the foot of the Langeberg Mountains and has become popular in recent times as a place to retire and as a retreat for artists seeking a lifestyle outside of the city rat race. One of the oldest settlements of colonial times, Swellendam is seeped in history and buildings such as the Drostdy date back to the time when Swellendam was declared a magisterial district in 1743 and named after Governor Hendrik Swellendgrebel and his wife, Helena Ten Damme. The Tourism Bureau in Swellendam provides a brochure, aptly entitled ‘Swellendam Treasures’, full of appealing snippets of information about the various National Monuments in Swellendam and the surrounding area and the Drostdy Museum is definitely worth a visit to ogle the amazing collection of late 18th and early 19th century Cape furniture.
Today Swellendam, apart from being a peaceful and certainly an appealing town with its numerous restaurants and pubs that make it such a popular stop-off en route to the Garden Route, is also a flourishing agricultural village. Swellendam is the largest youngberry growing area in the world, due mainly to the unique microclimate of the Hermitage valley just a few kilometres outside of Swellendam, and includes farms such as Wildebraam Liqueur farm, which offers liqueur tasting and a cellar tour. The foot of the Langeberg is home to a number of fruit and dairy farms whilst the dryer and flatter region, further in from the mountain, is predominantly sheep and grain farming. Only 6 km outside of Swellendam is the Bontebok National Park, home to the rare and beautiful antelope of the same name and dedicated to saving it. 126 different species of bird have been identified here and there are other small buck and charming picnic spots on the banks of the Breede River.
The Marloth Nature Reserve offers gorgeous examples of the local wild flowers and fynbos and the hiking trails alone make it worth the visit. The 81 km Swellendam trail provides a number of stopover huts at regular intervals and there are several day walks. Swellendam has retained its ability to refresh both gastronomically and cerebrally - it began its life as a refreshment station for those undertaking the rather tedious journey up the coast - with the beauty of its surroundings and the fine fare provided by its coffee shops and restaurants.
The Trophy Room at Rotterdam is a carefully curated collection of personal memorabilia, artifacts and prizes won by the late Mr. Ian John Fraser Jones.
He was one of the first and only South African Racing drivers to take part in the Grand Prix from 1950-1960.
Mr Fraser Jones led a full life and left a true legacy that is shared in this beautifully established private family museum.
The trophy room can be opened to guests with a prior arrangements and tours are conducted by one of the Fraser Jones family members.
Rotterdam Activities
Trophy Room Tour R80/pp
Led by one of the Fraser Jones Family members (1 hour) | Book at reception
Farm Trip R100/pp
Experience Dairy & citrus farming on Rotterdam (2 hours) | Book at reception
Sunset Game drive
At Kwetu Guest Farm | Book directly with Kwetu Guest Farm: 063 560 9390
Barge Cruise at Buffeljagsdam R110/pp
At Umshanti Watersport (Min 10 people) | Book directly with Umshanti: 028 512 3787
Kos Okkasie Cooking class and Demo
Rate R550/person includes 3 course meal. Min 10 People
If cancelling 7 days before arrival, forfeit 100% of the booking total.
If cancelling 14 days before arrival, forfeit 100% of the deposit.
