The Winchester Boutique Hotel Refresh
The Winchester Boutique Hotel Unveils Art-Driven Refresh and Expanded Event Spaces
The Winchester Boutique Hotel on Cape Town's Sea Point Promenade has completed a comprehensive update, refreshing all 78 guest rooms and significantly expanding its meetings and events capacity. The project, carried out between May and October 2025, brings locally-created art and modern finishes to the heritage property without altering its core character.
Rooms Reimagined Through Local Art
The standout feature is custom wallpaper designed by Cara Saven Wallpapers in collaboration with Cape Town visual artist Hermien van der Merwe. The approach is location-specific: sea-facing rooms feature palm motifs reflecting the iconic Promenade palms, while mountain-facing rooms showcase fynbos designs drawn from van der Merwe's oil paintings of Table Mountain's indigenous flora.
Interior designer Francois du Plessis led the refurbishment, which focused on new furnishings, added texture and colour, and a more cohesive visual identity—all while maintaining the Winchester's established aesthetic. The wallpapers are produced locally on seamless, wipeable, Green Tag–approved materials and were custom-designed for each room's proportions.
"These fynbos pieces began with time spent observing the landscape, and it's rewarding to see them form part of the hotel's design story and guest experience," says van der Merwe, who signed selected walls during a special ceremony.
General Manager Walda Lloyd notes that guests are responding immediately to the changes: "The rooms feel updated and more inviting, but still very much in line with the Winchester's classic character."
Exhibition Opening This Month
An exhibition of van der Merwe's fynbos-inspired works will run in the hotel's Constance Room from 16 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, open daily 11h00–16h00 (closed 25 December and 1 January).
Corporate Offering Expands
The Winchester has substantially upgraded its meetings and events infrastructure with a redesigned Constance Room and the addition of the new Francon Room. The Constance Room now includes acoustic treatment, upgraded AV systems, double-glazed doors and windows, and a new acoustic divider allowing it to function as one large space or two separate breakaway areas.
The Francon Room is purpose-built for high-level corporate use, equipped with a 75-inch interactive touch display, video-conferencing technology, floor-box connectivity (HDMI, USB, USB-C), adjustable lighting and original artworks by Max Wolpe and Rossouw. The space features panelled walls, luxury wallpaper, carpeted floors and stone-top coffee stations—designed for executive meetings, hybrid sessions, incentives and exclusive dining.
"This project honours everything people already love about The Winchester, while strengthening its relevance in a rapidly evolving hospitality landscape," says Neil Markovitz, CEO of Newmark Hotels & Reserves.
