• Jo-Anne Richards and Jo-Anne Hitchens running the Art of the Memoir workshops at the Karoo Art Hotel Barrydale
    The Hotel Blog

FINALLY, AFTER A YEAR OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE THE STAFF GOT TO LET THEIR HAIR DOWN.

Posted on Tue December 9, 2025.

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.

"their staff are an absolute delight to interact with: friendly, helpful, welcoming and cheerful. In the Karoo Arts kitchen you will find Katriena who bakes the most delicious rusks, scones, bread and cakes in a genuine wood-burning oven. Thank you to all who made my stay so happy. I would name you each personally, but there would not be enough space in this review. I look forward to visiting again." -Simonstown July 2025

https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Hotel_Review-g472518-d1400495-Reviews-Karoo_Art_Hotel-Barrydale_Overberg_District_Western_Cape.html

Trip Advisor is the place to go for guests detailed reviews. But the one above from Simonstown in July 2025 is typical.

Regular hotel guests and party animals will surely enjoy these images of our team at play and on the customer side of the bar – appropriately at Ronnies Sex Shop. Ronnie & PJ are regular visitors to the hotel so it was great to be customers in their establishment for this years Karoo Art Hotel staff Christmas party.

 

Further Reading

Helen Van Stolk took our ideal of the hotel as a creative salon and made it a reality Tue August 4, 2026

At the flick of a switch Cape Town artist Helen Van Stolk filled the entire hotel with a group of top artists and sculptors with no agenda beyond just a shared time of inspiration and talent, fulfilling a long held dream that we'd become a home from home for people of this ilk.

Read This Article
A reason to book into Barrydale, The Karoo art hotel's early morning swim club in the Tradauw Pass
The Karoo Art's Barrydale To Do list is leading to longer stays Tue August 4, 2026

When you read our Trip Advisor reviews there's still many a client wishing they'd made more of a stay of it. But it's less and less as case or a one night stand these days thanks to a bulging village To Do list

Read This Article
The town of the year is worth more than just a one night stop Mon August 3, 2026

Two journalists had checked in the night before. It was a our Christmas party. We were closed for the day. But at breakfast they were so full of questions that Wayne never boarded the party bus to Warm Waterberg and committed the morning to showing them the dorp. Only later did we find out why they were in town. The things he showed them are why the town is changing from a...

Read This Article