River Manor Boutique Hotel: The quietest sleep in the centre of Stellenbosch
It takes just five minutes to walk to Stellenbosch University or the centre of town
- Sonya Schoeman
AT A GLANCE HOW THIS STAY REDUCES ITS IMPACT
Energy On municipal grid for now, moving to hybrid solar and battery across the collection; LED lighting throughout
Water Grey-water system feeds garden and laundry use; most rooms have showers over baths, with water conservation covered at check-in
Waste management No on-site recycling; council collection; group-wide plastic phase-out in favour of glass containers
Culture + community Above-market wages with annual increases; 2% of turnover ringfenced for training through the Ease the Journey fund
Biodiversity + ecosystems No formal conservation area or wildlife programme; no chemicals used in garden; manages light pollution
Carbon footprint To River Manor Boutique Hotel from Cape Town return = 0.02 tCO2
The lounge in River Manor’s heritage building has some gorgeous antiques IMAGE Courtesy River Manor Boutique Hotel
Why River Manor is Stellenbosch's best-located boutique hotel
River Manor Boutique Hotel in Stellenbosch is a perfectly lovely hotel. In fact, it’s a very lovely hotel, but the reason why it is The Living Journey Collection’s best performing property, according to the Group General Manager Desmond O’Connor isn’t only the pretty, spacious rooms; the perfect Eggs Benedict or the fact that a cake is baked daily for tea. It’s primarily the location.
The address is 6-8 The Avenue or, as the road signage states, Die Laan, because this is Stellenbosch, the heart of Afrikaans and home of Die Woordfees.
EXPERIENCE This Paternoster e-bike tour is accessible to almost anyone, no matter your fitness
Die Laan leads off one of the university town’s busy main tributaries, but River Manor is set at the point where the road bends away from the town and the traffic thins out (so it’s quiet). Yet it still took me exactly four minutes and 35 seconds to get to Church Steet, which—despite being one of the town’s shortest drags—has more than 10 restaurants, five galleries and two ice-cream bars.
There are 18 spacious rooms across the two buildings IMAGE Courtesy River Manor Boutique Hotel
Inside River Manor Boutique Hotel's two historic Stellenbosch houses
The Living Journey Collection has eight properties in the Western Cape, from Cape Town to Robertson. The collection favours houses with character, and River Manor Boutique Hotel is made up of two grand, old double-storey ladies standing side by side.
No 6 is owned by The Living Journey Collection, the second to the The Heritage Foundation. The latter was built in the late 1800s and also contains some furniture that are museum pieces.
There are 18 rooms, three lounges (two with fireplaces), two decent-sized pools (there’ll be no fighting over the loungers), a dining room with a breakfast nook.
The rooms are mostly spacious, in particular the upstairs rooms in both buildings, which look onto greenery and rooftops. Room 3 is the only one with a balcony, looking out over a part and to the mountains beyond. Room 7, which is in the Standard category, feels spacious thanks to its own patio overlooking the garden and pool.
The rooms outdoors are also lovely and spacious and have double doors that open onto the pools, but feel a little less private.
There are many convivial communal areas: the lounges (the two with fireplaces are popular in winter); the two pool areas with ample loungers, an outside table set between the two buildings, the couch on the heritage building’s stoep, and the breakfast nook.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The dining room walls holds a lovely collection of old and new plates; only one room has a balcony (Room 3); the bar has a solid offering of whiskies and gin; an beautiful antique cupboard in one of the bedrooms IMAGE Courtesy River Manor Boutique Hotel
Stellenbosch: A university town with rich culture
Stellenbosch is one of South Africa’s oldest towns, and has a super-charged tourism organisation, Visit Stellenbosch. In its 2025 annual Tourism Economic Impact Study it claims tourism generated R13 billion for the town that year. It’s a stunning figure. In addition, it stated international overnight arrivals increased by 12%, and domestic figures increased by 21%.
There has been strong tourism investment and development, which means the options for entertainment are extensive. It’s one of South Africa’s fine-dining hubs (see the options here), thanks in part to the cluster of wine estates in the area.
Stellenbosch benefits hugely as home to the eponymous university. Stellenbosch University’s Department of Music runs Endler Hall, a modern, acoustically engineered concert space. It stages everything from solo organ recitals to the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in July each year, and also gives young South African musicians a professional stage to grow into.
The university also co-sponsors Die Woordfees, the town’s biggest arts festival every October, running a free public hub with talks, a science café and evening sets from the Maties Jazz Society. And the university’s arts also spill over into the streets and galleries.
No visitor to this town needs go unstimulated.
The pool in the heritage section is but one of two on the property IMAGE Courtesy River Manor Boutique Hotel
The Eersterivier Park, trail and Stellenbosch Art Mile
Just in front of River Manor Boutique Hotel across Die Laan is a park, home to the river that gives the hotel its name, the Eerste Rivier. The Eersterivier Park is what ensures a quieter stay for visitors to River Manor.
It’s a great little park to explore. There’s a trail for running or cycling, a network of walking paths. It’s also home to numerous art installations, part of the Stellenbosch Art Mile. The park is a lovely place to take a stroll or grab a blanket and read a book next to the river.
River Manor's approach to sustainable operations
The Living Journey Collection has started its sustainability accreditation process with Fair Trade Tourism, and gaining that is its long-term goal. The collection’s greatest emphasis is, without doubt, on investing in its staff. The ‘Ease the Journey’ fund ringfences two percent of annual turnover for staff training, and staff are encouraged to envision their own career development and goals.
River Manor’s assistant operations manager and duty manager are part of a leadership programme for middle-management. No-one has come forward with a special request for training, says O’Connor, but they know the door is always open.
DETAILS
Stay There are 18 rooms at the hotel. My favourite were on the upper level. The suites on the pools were gorgeous and spacious, but I found them less private. That said, access to the pool is ideal in summer. Prices start at around R3 100.
Need to know The hotel is literally a hop away from the centre of town and it’s safe to walk. There’s also a delightful park right in front of the hotel.
Activities There is just so much to do in this town and the surrounding area that it would be wisest to direct you to the tourism site, which lists everything.
Website thelivingjourneycollection.co.za
RIVER MANOR'S APPROACH TO LOW-IMPACT OPERATIONS
Energy River Manor Boutique Hotel currently draws from the municipal grid; however, all hotels in the collection are moving to a hybrid solar and battery system. The properties have all been assessed and the process of implementing the system across them is in motion, says O’Connor. Besides this LED lighting is fitted throughout, and the kitchen runs on gas.
Water Water is drawn from the municipal supply, and the hotel also harvests water for the gardens. A grey-water system is in places, and used for washing and gardening. Most rooms have showers, not baths, to reduce water use, and buckets are kept in the showers so water is collected for use in the garden. Guests are walked through the property’s water conservation approach at check-in, with a dedicated card used as a prompt and part of the standard arrival process.
Waste management There is no recycling on site and waste is collected by the city council. Bathroom amenities are all in glass containers, reusable baskets are used for laundry, not plastic bags, and reusable bags are used for shopping.
Culture + community The Living Journey Collection’s strongest emphasis is on staff development. Wages are above market rate with annual increases, says O’Connor; he believes a trained, fairly paid team earns more, and that income flows into the communities they live in, benefitting a greater circle. The ‘Ease the Journey’ fund formalises the Collection’s commitment to training, ring-fencing two per cent of annual turnover specifically for staff training and development. Team members across each property are assessed individually, and upskilling happens across the board. This year, River Manor’s assistant operations manager and duty manager are part of a leadership programme for middle-management. No-one else has applied for special training yet, says O’Connor, but they know the door is always open. Every year, all employees’ children receive starter packs for the new school year—supplies and shoes. The group also considers requests from schools or community organisations connected to staff families.
Conservation + Biodiversity The property is not within a formal conservation area and, being in a city, has no active wildlife programme. The gardens were inherited, and not all plants are indigenous. O’Connor says the hotel is cognisant of light pollution and keeps lighting low (bright lights are also not great for sleeping, he says). At night lights are turned off in any areas that aren’t being utilised. Cleaning materials are biodegradable and no are pesticides are used on the property, he added.