E book this South Africa wine nation lodge utilizing Hyatt factors

Probably the most frequent complaints I hear about lodge factors is that people suppose they’ll solely earn and redeem them at cookie-cutter resorts which might be part of giant chains.

Previously a number of years, nonetheless, lots of the main lodge loyalty applications have began branching out with acquisitions of, or partnerships with, quirkier boutique resorts.

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 attention-grabbing, Hyatt acquired Mr & Mrs Smith in 2023.

Mr & Mrs Smith is a reserving platform for over 1,800 luxurious and boutique resorts around the globe, and since its acquisition, it has now grow to be attainable to e-book lots of of those resorts by Hyatt and earn and redeem factors similar to you’ll on every other keep.

Due to its Mr & Mrs Smith affiliation, World of Hyatt has truly grow to be my go-to lodge factors program for reserving stays at offbeat (however upscale!) boutique resorts around the globe.

That’s how I ended up at certainly one of my favourite wine-country resorts, 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 respect 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 Road.

The lodge includes a couple of Cape Dutch-style buildings with stunning, 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 automobile if you happen to don’t wish to hire one. You possibly can 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 calm down by the crackling fire within the entrance lounge and have a glass of wine from the area as you admire among the items from Leeu Assortment founder Analjit Singh’s spectacular artwork assortment.

Most rooms are set off a central courtyard, so you’ll probably run into fellow company 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 rely, each employees member will know you by title just about as quickly as you arrive, and so they’re additionally readily available to supply assist reserving eating places and vineyard visits and recommendation on one of the best close by mountaineering trails.

Rooms at Leeu Home

My Basic 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. toes 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 amenities, 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 toilet, 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 toilet was stocked with South African-made Therapeutic Earth tub merchandise.

Spacious and luxurious, my room felt like slightly cocoon for stress-free after a day of mountaineering and wine tasting.

Eating at Leeu Home

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

Although small, the breakfast buffet contains engaging fresh-baked pastries, loads of seasonal fruit and a selection of espresso drinks, teas and fresh-squeezed juices. Friends also can select from sizzling picks like avocado on rye toast, creamy native mushrooms on toast, eggs Benedict and French toast.

Curiously, charges bookable by Hyatt embody breakfast, and whenever you redeem factors in your room, it is usually included, which is a incredible bonus given the standard of the meals.

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

The Leeu Assortment additionally contains 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).

It’s also possible to 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 incredible artwork assortment and its peaceable pool.

Nonetheless, company can head to Leeu Estates, which is a five-minute drive away, to make use of the health club 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 substances 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 regionally grown pinotage grapes plus a clay physique masks.

Reserving Leeu Home

If you wish to earn or redeem factors in addition to get pleasure from any elite advantages to which you’re entitled, the easiest way to e-book Leeu Home is thru Hyatt.

Quite than a hard and fast chart with off-peak, normal and peak dates, like Hyatt makes use of for its personal properties, Mr & Mrs Smith properties are priced dynamically when it comes to factors.

That’s each excellent news and unhealthy information. The excellent news is that you may e-book just about any accessible room or suite you probably have the factors and are inclined to take action. The unhealthy information is that you simply gained’t be getting one of the best worth in your factors.

Throughout my go to, nightly charges began at $524 or 40,250 factors per evening for a Basic Room, yielding a worth of 1.3 cents per Hyatt level, nicely under TPG’s January 2026 valuation of Hyatt factors at 1.7 cents apiece; this appears to be the usual worth you will get at this explicit property, regardless of the date or sort of room or suite you e-book.

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

In case you do wish to pay a money fee, take advantage of 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, computerized elite standing and elevated incomes charges at Hyatt properties.

Alternatively, if you wish to redeem Hyatt factors for a keep, you possibly can 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

Due to Hyatt’s acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, it’s now attainable to earn and redeem World of Hyatt factors at fabulous boutique resorts around the globe, together with boutique resorts just like the 12-room Leeu Home within the Cape Winelands.

That’s why World of Hyatt stays certainly one of my prime loyalty applications, and why I’ll be maintaining a tally of my factors as much more Mr & Mrs Smith resorts grow to be bookable by Hyatt.

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