E-book this South Africa wine nation lodge utilizing Hyatt factors

Some of the frequent complaints I hear about lodge factors is that folk assume they’ll solely earn and redeem them at cookie-cutter motels which are part of massive chains.

Up to now a number of years, nevertheless, most of the main lodge loyalty applications have began branching out with acquisitions of, or partnerships with, quirkier boutique motels.

Hilton, as an illustration, now companions with Small Luxurious Lodges of the World, Marriott acquired Postcard Cabins simply over a yr in the past and, maybe most fascinating, Hyatt acquired Mr & Mrs Smith in 2023.

Mr & Mrs Smith is a reserving platform for over 1,800 luxurious and boutique motels world wide, and since its acquisition, it has now turn into potential to guide a whole bunch of those motels by means of Hyatt and earn and redeem factors identical to you’d on some other keep.

Due to its Mr & Mrs Smith affiliation, World of Hyatt has truly turn into my go-to lodge factors program for reserving stays at offbeat (however upscale!) boutique motels world wide.

That’s how I ended up at one in every of my favourite wine-country motels, Leeu Home, within the hamlet of Franschhoek in South Africa’s Cape Winelands over Bastille Day final summer season. Removed from a normal lodge expertise, my keep encapsulated simply what I admire a lot about Hyatt’s linkup with Mr & Mrs Smith.

What’s Leeu Home?

With simply 12 rooms and suites, Leeu Home is an opulent boutique lodge alongside Franschhoek’s foremost drag of Huguenot Avenue.

The lodge includes a number of Cape Dutch-style buildings with lovely, sculpture-filled gardens and even an inviting pool with beautiful views of the dramatic Drakenstein Mountains.

Its location within the coronary heart of city means you don’t even want a automotive in case you don’t wish to hire one. You may stroll to all of the eating places and boutiques on the town, and the lodge has shuttle service to close by wineries and its sister property simply outdoors the village, Leeu Estates.

Leeu Home looks like simply that: a home the place you merely cool down by the crackling fire within the entrance front room and have a glass of wine from the area as you admire a number of the items from Leeu Assortment founder Analjit Singh’s spectacular artwork assortment.

Most rooms are set off a central courtyard, so you’ll seemingly run into fellow visitors right here and there, although there’s a good quantity of privateness within the expansive rooms.

Because of the small dimension of the lodge, and thus the restricted visitor depend, each workers member will know you by title just about as quickly as you arrive, they usually’re additionally available to supply assist reserving eating places and vineyard visits and recommendation on the very best close by mountain climbing trails.

Rooms at Leeu Home

My Traditional Room was simply subsequent door to the foyer and had a set of glass doorways that I might curtain off for privateness. Although within the beginning class, it was almost 400 sq. ft and had a big foremost bed room space with a king-size mattress wearing Egyptian cotton sheets.

There was loads of closet house, a minibar that included coffee- and tea-making services, and a desk by the door, plus a flat-screen tv and cute blue and white tile accents.

A big a part of the room’s footprint was taken up by the lavatory, which was positively palatial. It had good-looking black and white harlequin tiling and an unlimited glassed-in bathe, plus a separate country-style, clawfoot bathtub and twin marble vanities. The lavatory was stocked with South African-made Therapeutic Earth tub merchandise.

Spacious and luxurious, my room felt like a bit of cocoon for enjoyable after a day of mountain climbing and wine tasting.

Eating at Leeu Home

Leeu Home has a small bar within the public front room simply inside the road entrance, and a foremost restaurant adjoining to the backyard referred to as The Conservatory that’s primarily the place for breakfast, although there’s an all-day menu with a smattering of normal dishes, together with some sandwiches and pasta choices.

Although small, the breakfast buffet consists of attractive fresh-baked pastries, loads of seasonal fruit and a selection of espresso drinks, teas and fresh-squeezed juices. Friends may select from scorching alternatives like avocado on rye toast, creamy native mushrooms on toast, eggs Benedict and French toast.

Apparently, charges bookable by means of Hyatt embrace breakfast, and while you redeem factors in your room, additionally it is included, which is a improbable bonus given the standard of the meals.

As a substitute of sticking to The Conservatory for lunch or dinner, most visitors have a tendency to go out to the assorted wine-tasting rooms within the space that serve meals — and a complimentary tasting at Mullineux & Leeu Household Wines at Leeu Estates is often included with stays at Leeu Home as nicely.

The Leeu Assortment additionally consists of a number of different eating places, a few of that are at Leeu Estates, just like the much-lauded La Petite Colombe, in addition to outposts on the town together with Protege and Epice on the close by Le Quartier Francais (one other boutique property on the town, although not bookable through Hyatt).

You can even merely stroll throughout the road from Leeu Home and dine at a number of elegant institutions from chef Ryan Shell, together with Eleven for seasonal modern Cape delicacies, Oku for Asian-influenced tasting menus and Yama for easy however hearty sushi.

Facilities at Leeu Home

Given its dimension, there aren’t a ton of different on-property facilities at Leeu Home to talk of, apart from its improbable artwork assortment and its peaceable pool.

Nonetheless, visitors can head to Leeu Estates, which is a five-minute drive away, to make use of the fitness center there in addition to to make use of the Leeu Spa by Therapeutic Earth.

There’s a quiet rest space with a plunge pool.

The remedies, in the meantime, make the most of Therapeutic Earth merchandise with African-sourced components like marula oil and Kalahari melon. Among the many signature experiences are a restorative hydration facial ($75 for 60 minutes) and a vinotherapy physique scrub and therapeutic massage that includes antioxidants distilled from domestically grown pinotage grapes plus a clay physique masks.

Reserving Leeu Home

If you wish to earn or redeem factors in addition to take pleasure in any elite advantages to which you’re entitled, one of the simplest ways to guide Leeu Home is thru Hyatt.

Relatively than a set chart with off-peak, customary and peak dates, like Hyatt makes use of for its personal properties, Mr & Mrs Smith properties are priced dynamically by way of factors.

That’s each excellent news and unhealthy information. The excellent news is that you would be able to guide just about any obtainable room or suite you probably have the factors and are inclined to take action. The unhealthy information is that you simply received’t be getting the very best worth in your factors.

Throughout my go to, nightly charges began at $524 or 40,250 factors per night time for a Traditional Room, yielding a worth of 1.3 cents per Hyatt level, nicely beneath TPG’s January 2026 valuation of Hyatt factors at 1.7 cents apiece; this appears to be the usual worth you may get at this specific property, irrespective of the date or kind of room or suite you guide.

Nonetheless, in case you are swimming in Hyatt factors, redeeming them right here is usually a good strategy to save on in any other case costly stays.

If you happen to do wish to pay a money charge, profit from your keep by utilizing a Hyatt-branded card just like the World of Hyatt Credit score Card (see charges and charges) or World of Hyatt Enterprise Credit score Card (see charges and charges), each of which provide profitable welcome bonuses, automated elite standing and elevated incomes charges at Hyatt properties.

Alternatively, if you wish to redeem Hyatt factors for a keep, you’ll be able to switch Final Rewards factors earned on playing cards just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges) on to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, which can put an award keep inside attain.

Backside line

Because of Hyatt’s acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, it’s now potential to earn and redeem World of Hyatt factors at fabulous boutique motels world wide, together with boutique motels just like the 12-room Leeu Home within the Cape Winelands.

That’s why World of Hyatt stays one in every of my high loyalty applications, and why I’ll be maintaining a tally of my factors as much more Mr & Mrs Smith motels turn into bookable by means of Hyatt.

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