News and Events

It promises to be as hot as our AGA

We're headed for the 4th fabulous year of this great writing workshop experience. The workshop will run from 8-10 May The retreat from 11-15 May

We're hugely excited to be hosting the wonderful Donna McKellar for a landscape workshop.

Heidi Ansley is a gifted glass mosaic coach. We've seen living proof of it. She sends examples of the work of her mosaic school students to the hotel and they sell like hotcakes. Particularly to foreign visitors. But there's something more here. She's suggesting you bring your pet to the workshop. Dogs we are good for: We're dog friendly . And gold fish too. Cats, being cats, are little more challenging -...

This will be the fourth of the annual hotel take overs where the inspirational Stormers coach and Renaissance man John Dobson takes the conductors baton of the Karoo Art Hotel for a rugby and entertainment weekend of note combined with a powerful development agenda for Barrydale rugby

Cathy Milners workshops at the hotel sell out for good reason, she's an extraordinarily gifted art teacher. She limits the class to around 18 participants. Claim a space at the 20-23 August workshop now as there are not many spaces left

It was a month of celebration that included the SA Small Town of the Year award and ended with a street party where we could give a nod to a great year now past and the real promise of 2026.

A working AGA in the dining room = an A for authenticity Bartro’s Christmas pudding’s out of the AGA = an A+. A ++’s for story driven year ahead

It’s been a year of great reviews for the hotel and, bar none, the staff get a nod for their genuine pleasantness and goodwill.

The festive season is a wonderful time to be curating an art hotel.

HOW TO BUILD A HOUSE IN THE MOUNTAINS. Roger Lucey will be in song and story telling mode in the Belanti in wonderful opportunity to share in the journey of an extraordinary artist on Friday night the 28 November.

The poster is out ! Barrydales arty , hands on celebration of the art of analog photograpy runs from the 19th -20th December.

With this event going from strength to strength this is a brilliant weekend to be in Barrydale. The hotel is fully booked but this is just a heads up re the program

Prauge, Athens, Moscow...Barrydale. Who would have thought

We've chosen the Beatles 'When i'm 64 as the theme track for our 64+ incentive program. Unlike Paul McCartney who was just 16 when he wrote 64 we know a thing or two about being 64....

After a long wait we finally get to host Tim Plewman in the Belanti. He'll be performing his new show, Epilogue co written with John Smeddle. A piece of work that reviewers have described as 'sweaving an often hilarious web, intertwined with life, death and everything in between'.

Announcing an expansive new idea. If the hotel is the hub what are the spokes that surround us ?

It's the one room name that befuddles people (unless they are out of the advertising industry). "What is GVW?" we are sometimes asked. "It's not a 'what' it is a 'whom'. GVW = Graham Victor Warsop, the celebrated creative director and South Advertising icon. He's a friend. When we bought the hotel he offered to do a bedroom room". Or was it the other way around ?). It's one of the 17...

"Drawing is not what one sees, but what one can make others see." ~ Degas

If you look out from the hotel front verandah or one of the upstairs room balconies, across and beyond the lavender field right across the street you'll see a broad field of green (mainly olive trees), that's the home of Yamu Botanicals and the Karooljie property which is currently under a rapid transformation into a world class herbal resource.

We look forward to a late September return of the recipes from Cranemere farm near Pearston Graaff Reinet. It's all part of our ongoing celebration of the Art of Karoo cooking.

It's a perfect Sunday thing to do. Take a Sunday lunch cruise through to Barrydale in blossom and catch up with a legendary blues-rock guitarist.

It was the 3rd year in a row for a not to be missed sporting, food, music, lightness and laughter weekend conceived and conducted by the legendary Stormers coach.

Klein Karoo Winter Special - Enjoy a winter getaway of peace, tranquility and the home away from home hospitality of the Karoo Art Hotel.

After an iconic visit by Bobby Kennedy to Stellenbosch University's Simonsberg residence in 1966 they started calling themselves 'Die Withuis'. The name has stuck. When Die Withuis alumni (76-80) visited us we followed suite with our own name change.

Barrydale to Heidelburg and back via the Tradouw Pass (98km) is the perfect training ride to put miles in the legs while earning points with your non riding partner

702 Talkshow host Reuben the Screwman returns with LBB2 (Life Before Barrydale 2).

One of the joys of owning SA's leading Art Hotel is the grand parade of fascinating people who pass this way. And here comes the blues legend Doc Maclean to etch another memory into the hand hewn beams that seperate the bar from the Barrydale room above. This is one night when the sound of the bar below wont be an issue - it's Doc's room

The Barrydale Poetry Club staged a homage to the Scottish poet Robbie Burns. There were some brilliant readings of Robbie Burn's work by members of the club and Derek and the kitchen did a magnificent job of the prep of the Haggis which was the feature of traditional Burns night menu.

'All Together Now'. The NYE Mardi Gras Street Party. 2025

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of fun, food, and festive cheer!

Live in the Anna-Jordaan Bar On November 7 @ 7pm: MURDER BALLADS And other less cheerful cadences from the Afrikaans poetic archives

Escape to the Karoo Art Hotel this December for a unique festive getaway, where art, comfort, and countryside charm create an unforgettable experience.

Critically acclaimed virtuoso guitarist and singer Moodship (aka Gary Thomas) is touring South Africa next month and will be performing at the Karoo Art Hotel for the first time.

Our New Year's Eve Street Party is back

A chilled ride through 6 glorious farms with many an out

It's an Art hotel. But is it an Art bar ? The thoughts of Anais Ninn the famous mid 19th century writer and author of an outrageously erotic personal diary that shocked society gave us some direction.

Karoo Art Hotel Recognised as a Traveller-Favourite Hotel

It took many nights out and at least two World Cup finals, but Greg Bax has invented the cure for any hangover.

Prior to kick-off our distinguished rugby panel will discuss this important fixture.

The highly anticipated reopening of the cycle loop.

The myth, the legend, the one and only Jack Parow will be performing at the Karoo Art Hotel on July 5 at 9pm.

From the 5 to 7 July the Stormers coach takes the baton once more to conduct a weekend of his own spectacular design.

It was our first proper wedding since taking over this fine establishment, but the wait was definitely worthwhile. Jacques Du Plessis from Mr Cat & the Jackal and Tara Bakkes, creative at Jumpin' the Gun, hosted the most incredible wedding with the liveliest crowd ever. They definitely owned the space.

We have the luck of hosting a celebrated avant garde artist out of the blue - correction, out of the dead of night. And Angel the hotel cat gets herself immortalised on the hotel 'quote of the day' sandwich board.

The Conductors of the Karoo Art was a new idea for 2024. The concept ? To hand the hotel over to a leading creative or else event for a weekend of very specific focus. It started with a bang with a Cathy Milner art weekend and that was followed by an extraordinary program put together by writer Rian Malan, photographer Guy Tillim, Dance instructor Hannah Loewenthal and film maker Lloyd Ross. More...

March 2024. It's only our 2nd birthday. Thinking back on the journey we went through with the building and the impact of Sue as a decorator

Geoff Bayman will be leading a weekend workshop for adventure bikers looking to conquer any unease they might have about sand riding.

Up close and personal with our executive who just loves presenting the best the Karoo has to offer

The natural beauty of Barrydale creates the perfect setting for photography enthusiasts to explore new possibilities and we are again anticipating that some of the country's best lensmen to showcase their work over the next few weeks when the Barrydale Analog Photo Festival gets underway on 8 December.

The Karoo Art Hotel is delighted to host another musical legend on September 28 when Louise Carver performs in the Belanti as part of the Seven7 Drive, powered by Kia South Africa, in aid of children suffering from cancer.

Since the restoration and reopening of the Karoo Art Hotel, Barrydale, in March 2020 we’ve been blessed with a magnificent procession of car and bike club visits.

The Karoo Art Hotel has joined forces with Harper Sports Cars in creating a weekend getaway in August that will attract car manufacturers and fanatics from all corners of the country.

Die skrywer Maryke Roberts het onlangs in Barrydale besoek afgelê en sy meen dat diè dorp en sy mense altyd vir 'n onvergeetlike wegbreek uit die groot stad sal sorg

It is our pleasure to announce that we have been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award winner.

Amazing things happen when kindness is mixed with Jack Daniel's and Coke and the first ride out to Barrydale was no exception.

2022 opened to the beat of Kansas' haunting song 'Dust in the Wind' as we entered the new year as construction site. We'd eventually only opened our doors for accomodation in March. 2022 9 Months later we look back at an incredible journey with thoughts on how to raise the bar in 2023.

The scadonks and farm bakkies of Van Riebeek Str, Barrydale held their collective breath for the arrival of the Cape 1000 Rally. Fortunately the Barrydale Honey Sucker never came. And sadly neither did the Blue Train.

We bid farewell to Charl Barry later today. In the hall below the old Bioscope where he ran his Friday night movie club from.

Ultra distance Barrydale cyclist Alan Hardaker has been thinking about something while peddling down the endless roads of his multi day (and nights) ultra distance endurance events ; He's been thinking about how to make last years Dorp2 Dorp cycling event even better this year !