A regular programme of special-interest group events and a hearty helping of Karoo hospitality may make this iteration of a Barrydale country hotel the one that finally succeeds.

The adage that to make a small fortune in the wine industry you have to start with a big one applies equally to running a hospitality offering.

Heavy competition from providers of Airbnb-type accommodation scratches away at room-rate earnings, while the growth in self-catering options and the increase in available convenience foods erodes restaurant income.

Not your typical B&B

The solution may be what the Karoo Art Hotel in Barrydale is doing. Here, they offer competitive room rates yet deliver more than a typical B&B in terms of style and comfort.

Here, too, the food offering is sufficiently affordable, tasty, and hearty in portion size to tip the balance in favour of dining out rather than in. And they welcome the whole family including one’s pets. Olden-time spoils include the option of a morning coffee tray brought to the room as a wake-up call if you’d rather not make it yourself.

Karoo Art Hotel chef Derek Louw knows his market well and delivers handsomely. Added to which, the relatively new owners, Sue and Rick Melvill, the founders and partners behind Melvill & Moon’s high-end safari accessories, have the business and social networks, as well as the marketing skills, needed to succeed.

From a bygone era

A mini showroom of Melvill & Moon items available for purchase sits in the hotel’s breakfast room and coffee shop, and a number of their furniture items, such as chairs in the dining room and the Roorkhee Campaign chairs, modelled on the original used by the British army and made from timber and canvas, are on the black-and-white ceramic tiled front stoep.

Look out for their safari wash-basin/ice buckets and luggage racks, too.

The Melvill & Moon motto, Laudator temporis acti, which loosely translates to ‘in praise of an age gone by’, is clearly evident.

Everyone we encountered, from the wonderful and generous staff to other guests, added to the enjoyment of our time there. And, having the chef’s two dogs around adds to the homeliness of the environment.

The 16 rooms and suites are all individually decorated and have en-suite bedrooms with king/queen-sized beds, tea/filter coffee-making facilities and free Wi-Fi, while some rooms have flat-screen TVs and private balconies, too. The Garden Suite has a separate living area and a private courtyard.

Farmer’s Weekly stayed in The Dog Box, which has direct access from the back parking area, and an enclosed courtyard.

A large timber four-poster bed with woven lattice work at the head and foot is the main feature of The Dog Box, which is a long and slightly narrow space with just about a metre from each side of the bed.

Very useful are the updated plug points with two USB connections at bedside-table height on both sides of the bed.

A Melvill & Moon canvas covers the two-seater couch in The Dog Box, and we were happy to have our dog sit on it with us.

Though there is a little kitchen, The Dog Box isn’t designed for self-catering. A microwave oven would be an added benefit. The bathroom is large and has a shower.

An electric blanket and a fan help maintain a comfortable temperature year round and the hotel has a swimming pool to enjoy on Barrydale’s many sunny days.

The hotel’s public areas, anchored by comfortable seating in different conversation set-ups on couches and Art Deco armchairs, also have working fireplaces. There’s a large farmhouse-style Aga wood burner in the dining room, too.

An agricultural landscape print with sheep sits behind the reception desk, and the table mats continue the agri themes.

The bar area, which is well supported by Barrydale residents, has a large fireplace, additional seating and a piano on a dais.

To ensure a steady stream of customers, the hotel has an ongoing programme of ‘Art of’ workshops on topics like writing, cooking, yoga, meditation, music, film and painting, all hosted by experts and leading facilitators.

It is a magnet for Harley-Davidson owners, rugby fans, and petrolheads alike.

The Map Room is the hotel’s excellent destination resource in which to plan your visit.

Consider splurging on a glamorous mountain picnic with Melvill & Moon gear, a ride in the branded 4×4 or, indeed, their classic Rolls-Royce.

As an example of their Art of programme, on 18 and 19 August, Craig Harper leads Lotus, Cobra and other sports cars through the nearby mountain passes in celebration of man and machine.

On 22 and 23 August, artist instructor Cathy Milner teaches painting, returning again in October for the ‘Art of the Monotype Oils’ workshop.

Sheep and stone fruit

Named after entrepreneur Joseph Barry, Barrydale is a well-known stone fruit and Klein Karoo sheep region. Today, it is just as famous for the Joseph Barry brandy distillery, founded in 1941, as it is for Barrydale Hand Weavers, which is adjacent to the distillery.

Ronnie’s Sex Shop on the R62, about 25km outside of Barrydale on the way to Ladismith just as you turn to the hot springs, is famous for its outrageous name, a prank played by Ronnie’s friends. It changed his roadside farm stall into a destination for road trippers and donated underwear.

The Warmwaterberg Hot Mineral Springs Spa, a five-minute drive from Ronnie’s Sex Shop on a gravel road, accepts day visitors by appointment. Note that when the spa is fully booked with campers and people staying in their accommodations, day-trippers are not permitted.

In the spa-pools enclosure, bathe in the 43°C pool or two other hot pools that are a few degrees cooler. The largest swimming pool feels icy by comparison.

There are excellent shower and changing facilities, sunloungers and a few tables under shade available too. A restaurant and bar are within walking distance.

The Tradouw mountain pass, built by the 19th-century road engineer Thomas Bain, connects Swellendam and Barrydale and is a pleasure to drive on after a relatively recent upgrade. Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve is nearby, too.

From hosted early-morning swims in a nearby mountain pool to Thursday nights for Barrydale residents, the Karoo Art Hotel continues to create reasons to visit. For those who enjoy the art of doing nothing, it is as appealing as for those who want active experiences.

Book your stay through Cape Country Routes, a collection of owner-managed four-star-and-up properties that exemplify country charm and hospitality.

Visit karooarthotel.co.za and capecountryroutes.com.