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Reviews of theLAB Franschhoek

4 out of 5
theLAB Franschhoek
15 Nerina Street, Franschhoek, Western Cape

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 45 out of 76 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 22 out of 76 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 6 out of 76 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 76 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 76 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location, amenities, decor and staff all absolutely perfect. Beautiful bathroom, fantastic breakfast and a wonderful wine cellar. Couldn’t have loved it more.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

CHRISTINE

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We really enjoyed our stay at TheLAB. Gerard and the team were fantastic, they went over and beyond to make our stay special. We forgot a bag and they went the extra mile to help us retrieve it. And, they helped us with dinner reservations at the last minute (we had no clue they went like hot cakes!). The whole team were lovely and everyone was so smiley. Looking forward to going back! Thanks again!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from theLAB Team on 19 Mar,2024
Hey Christine.Thank you so much for this wonderful review and the pleasure is all ours.See you again soon!Kind regardsGerald and theLAB Team

8/10 Good

Yolandre

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Annina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful, quiet hotel
We've had a great stay here- all the staff are so friendly and helpful, the property is beautifully furnished and decorated, and having a pool to use (especially in summer) was the cherry on the cake. It's also wirhin walking distance to the town center. Would highly recommend staying at the LAB.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
Loved the property, the concept, the shower and the service. Loved Franschoek in general and would definitely come back again
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Glenn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 9 Aug,2023
Hi GlennThank you for the amazing review hope you see you again in the not so distant future Warm Regards

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic Hotel
Fantastic hotel with a very friendly staff and an amazing breakfast.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Gerald/Jodine and theLAB Team on 11 Apr,2023
Thank you so much for your positive review.

8/10 Good

Marinus

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sheliza

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We loved staying at the LabFranschoek. The staff especially Gerald and Jodi were very helpful. The breakfast was wonderful and cooked to order. The communal areas were lovely as well. The guest rooms were tech savvy with touch shower, automated blinds and more. Close walk and closer drive to the Main Street in Franschhoek. We would return again.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Gerald/Jodine and theLAB Team on 11 Apr,2023
Dear Sheliza, thank you for your review, we at theLAB appreciate so much.kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Simone

Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

R

Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great stay, staff were friendly. Highlights include a spacious room with bath, honesty wine bar and drinks service, and the jacuzzi.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stephen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ftanschhoek Literary Festival weekend
We really enjoyed our stay at theLAB. Gerald, Candice and the team were incredibly hospitable and the accommodation and facilities are top notch. We'll definitely be back. Thank you
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022
Response from Gerald/Candice and theLAB Team on 16 May,2022
Hi Stephen Thank you for choosing to stay with us it was a, pleasure hosting you and hope to see you in the not so distant future

10/10 Excellent

jeremy

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 12 Apr,2022
Hi Jeremy Thank you very much for the amazing review Warm Regards Gerald/Candice and theLAB Team

8/10 Good

Brad

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 25 Jan,2022
Hi Brad Thank you so ,much for the review we hope to see you again in the not so distant future Warm Regards Gerald

10/10 Excellent

Barry

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 1 Dec,2021
Hi Barry Thank you so much for the review it was a pleasure to host you, and hope to see you again in the not so distant future

10/10 Excellent

Patrick

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location and friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 1 Dec,2021
Hi Patrick Thank you for the lovely review and we are very glad you enjoyed your stay

10/10 Excellent

Carol

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021
Response from Gerald and theLAB Team on 13 Nov,2021
Hi Carol Thank you so much for your review and we very glad you had a good stay Warm Regards Gerald

10/10 Excellent

Wilna

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great fun with all the tech. Not all the tech worked all the time
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jenna-Lee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay
It was honestly so lovely!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from Gerald on 8 Aug,2021
Hi Jenna-Lee Thank you so much for the review and hope to see you again in the not so distant future

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Lab is awesome.
Great stay at the lab. Fantastic place with great service. Freindly staff and very well appointed accommodation. We will definitely return soon for another stay. Highly recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2021
Response from Gerald on 8 Aug,2021
Hi Rob It was pleasure hosting you and we glad you had an excellent stay

10/10 Excellent

Elethu

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

4/10 Poor

Charlene

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service
Unhappy stayer at The Lab
Firstly I booked at The Lab not a room opposite the lab, I have a 6 year old daughter which loved the jacuzzi and had to upgrade to a room inside the house. I was put in Room1, and was happy.... I had to pay an extra R900 which I didn't budget for cause that was part of my spending money. I gentleman never informed me that the premises has a sauna either a theatre... I mean I have a 6 year old with me, who loves movies... The couple on the other room paid R599 the 2nd night and got a room opposite the road but was offer to stay in there room which was close to the pool because of their honeymoon.... Come on am a single parent...whats good for one guest is good for the others
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Refilwe

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Catherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great service. Wish I stayed for longer to enjoy all the facilities- will definitely be back
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2020
Response from Gerald on 28 Mar,2020
Hi Catherine Thank you so much for the lovely review it was fun having you around and we hope to see you again in the not so distant future when all has settled

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Gerald andtheLAB team on 19 Feb,2020
Hi Thank you so much for your review we are very glad you had a pleasant stay and we hope to see you again in the not so distant future

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The hotel tries to be modern and cutting edge. Unfortunately a lot of the very basics don't even work (e.g. no hot water at times, no electricity at times, switches that don't work, Alexa that doesn't work, TV that takes ages to work). Perhaps walk before you can fly.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from Gerald and theLAB team on 19 Feb,2020
Hello Thank you for your review and we apologise that you did not have a pleasant, but we really appreciate your insight as it helps us improve

6/10 Okay

Kf, Usa

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Desk staff did not make me feel welcome, shower heads simply waste water and flood the room and most of the high tech capabilities in my room did not work.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020
Response from Gerald on 1 Feb,2020
Thank you for your feedback and we are sorry you were not made feel welcome. We take your feedback at heart and will address this appropriately. We hope we can make it up to you some other time. Thank you for staying with us. Warm regards Gerald

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Gerald on 28 Jan,2020
Much appreciated, thank you so much, warm regards Gerald and the team

8/10 Good

Charlie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good new idea
Cool new concept which can take a little while to get use to. Nice pool and jacuzzi and great base as only 5 mins from town.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Gerald on 24 Dec,2019
Thank you for the encouraging words as we work hard to provide guests a wonderful and different experience. Glad you enjoyed it. Warm regards Gerald and the team

6/10 Okay

ML

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Carole Ann on 22 Dec,2019
Good day, we thank you for your feedback and look forward to seeing you again in the future.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Sweet but techy Hotel. Good service. Close to town. Has scooters you can ride about on. Can sunbathe outside
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Gerald on 30 Nov,2019
Dear Guest Thank you so much for staying with us we are glad you had a lovely stay and hope to see you in the near future

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Gerald on 30 Nov,2019
Dear Guest Thank you so much for your review we are glad you had a lovely stay we hope to see you again in the near future

10/10 Excellent

Ciaran

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Gerald and theLAB team on 24 Nov,2019
Hi Ciaran Thank you so much for your review we are glad you had a lovely stay

10/10 Excellent

Dougie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Gerald on 5 Nov,2019
Hi Dougie Thank you so much for the review we glad you had a pleasant stay and we hope you visit us again in the not so distant future

8/10 Good

Yvette

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Experience was wonderful
The experience was wonderful. The service was warm and accommodating. There are tiny maintenance issues that could easily be fixed which when left unattended detracts from the overall experience. The shower was not clean at all. The water was also not very hot.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from Gerald on 28 Sept,2019
Hi Yvette Thank you so much for your review it was a pleasure having you stay we us and we appreciate your input and it helps us to improve Warm Regards Gerald

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a unique property as it is all linked up to Amazon via Echo. We visited during low season so were upgraded without extra cost to a room that had a huge bed and bath tub. We stayed here in order to visit the Franschhoek Wine Tram so the big breakfast in the morning was appreciated. This hotel has a great staff team who could not have been more helpful.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Gerald and theLAB team on 7 Aug,2019
Thank you so much for the review we very glad you had a lovely experience we hope to see again in the near future

10/10 Excellent

Deanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant
Loved it!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Gerald and theLAB team on 7 Aug,2019
Thank you Deanne We really glad you had a pleasant stay and hope to see you in the not so distant future

8/10 Good

Sabrina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden gem
This hotel is a hidden gem. Located in a neighborhood (vs. a busy main street), it is unpretentious and eco-friendly. It relies on solar power during the day and is serious about its footprint on the environment but not having plastic water bottles (glass are available) in all the rooms. There is a spa, hot tub and outside area to enjoy a peaceful garden after touring the wineries. The high tech makes this place super friendly for those who are already used to this ("Echo" is their version of Alexa) or for those who want to learn. The breakfast is delightful and the wine bar selection is outstanding. A home away from home--the manager is excellent--friendly, techy, sommelier, knowledgeable. Thank-you for a wonderful stay in Franschhoek valley!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from FH Management on 28 Jun,2019
Thank you so much for the kind words and the elaborate summary of our facilitities, it is much appreciated and we look forward to seeting you again! Warm regards Gerald and theTEAM

10/10 Excellent

Grant Goodwin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Gerald on 2 Apr,2019
Thank you for your review it was a pleasure having you stay with us

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Problem one night of stay due to internet down impacts greatly at automated hotel room
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Gerald and theLAB team on 2 Apr,2019
Thank you for the review, and our apologies for the internet being down, we are trying to improve that it never happens again

10/10 Excellent

Maria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Nienke on 14 Mar,2019
We're glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay. It was a pleasure having you.

8/10 Good

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Value for money boutique hotel
TheLab is about a 10 minute walk from the centre of Franschoek with easy parking. It’s a modern comfortable boutique style hotel with spacious rooms and attentive service. The frustration is their choice to use “Alexa” in the rooms which we found gimmicky and not very reliable.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Nienke on 9 Feb,2019
Dear Helen We're glad to hear that you liked our modern style. We're sorry that you were experiencing issues with Alexa. We do provide an alternate switch / remote for each Alexa function. We will ensure that the staff adequately explain this to our guests. Alexa also functions best when you speak to her clearly and slowly. Our main issue is our internet connectivity - unfortunately Franschhoek still does not have fiber so we are reliant on a line of sight Wifi connection. Even though we have the biggest and best package available, the connectivity whilst good, is not as constant as it needs to be for our room automation. We've heard that the municipality is in the final stages of giving a provider permission to lay the fiber cables, so we are eagerly awaiting this development (it's been on the cards for a year) as it should greatly improve the room automation functionality.

8/10 Good

Sue

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable Boutique B&B in Franschroek
We enjoyed our stay at the LAB Lifestyle in Franschroek.However ,we struggled with the Alexa controlled room,when the blinds went up instead of the shower going on,because the Wi-fi signal was intermittent on occasion.Speaking to other guests,we were not alone in experiencing this.Also our bedroom,although large was very miminalist as regards furniture and we found there was little room to store toiletries etc.The staff were very helpful and the breakfast was good and the coffee was great.As I have Mobility issues,Iwe had chosen this B&B as it was described as being located a 10 minute walk to the Main Street, ,but I found that it was further away than I had thought to walk to the maiinstreet in Franschroek, and so we drove to eat in the evening.Outside pool and deck was great and their beer on tap was a great idea.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Gerald on 16 Jan,2019
thank you so much for staying with us it was a real pleasure, and hope to see you in the near future, i do apologies for the blinds going instead of the shower, we are in the process of perfecting it everything

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay
Great stay , friendly helpful staff , tech worked well , good fun and a relaxing stay .
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Nienke on 20 Dec,2018
Dear Mark We're so glad to hear that you had a great, relaxing stay with us ... and that you enjoyed the technology. We hope to have you stay with us again in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A day in the wine country
A really lovely place to stay with great staff. We had a wonderful time and the owner gave us some excellent tips as we travelled further on the next day too! Would recommend
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Nienke on 20 Nov,2018
Thank you for your compliments. We're glad that you enjoyed your stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A couple of days at the Lab
This is a boutique hotel on a hill 4 blocks up from the main street in Franschhoek, where there are restaurants, shops & the wine tram booking office. Free water, tea & coffee all day and beer on tap payable. Also snack items in the room to buy. Electric scooters & bicycles for rent. Meals available for lunch & dinner as well as free breakfast. Food is good, the staff are excellent. Room 1 needs a mirror near the electric socket in the bedroom to see what you are doing when you dry your hair. Only Netflix on the tv in the room, but another tv available in the hotel sitting area. Small pool & flies are a problem. Futuristic controls for lights, blinds & tv - Alexa doesn’t always respond. Eco controls music. Coffee dispensed using Alexa as well. We are in our 60’s so we found it too far out walking back up hill in the dark from the main street/ getting to the wine tram/ restaurants. Cyclists would probably enjoy it as they can go up the mountain & young people- especially honeymooners. Mixed nationalities stay here. No radiators in the room & water in the bathroom tends to go everywhere as it’s a wet room as well as having a bath. The toilet in Room 1 is right up against the washbasin shelf, which we found really awkward & it could have been turned around to fit in properly. Hot tub as well as pool, but pool feels cold. Obscured windows not appealing. Free parking outside
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from Nienke on 20 Nov,2018
Thank you for your detailed review. We like your suggestion of where to place a mirror and will arrange this for Room 1. We are also looking at the water issue in the bathroom. Based on previous suggestions from guests who valued their privacy without always having to put blinds down, we put white vinyl on the windows overlooking the back of the water feature and contravision on the other windows which allow you to see out but not in. With regards the water temperature of the pool, we're doing our best to get an optimum temp. We've had days of 40 degrees Celsius followed by days of 12 degrees, which both require very different pool temps. We're continually striving to ensure that guests are completely satisfied so your input has been valuable.

8/10 Good

Bruce

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hi tech and quirky
Hi tech place with an Alexa in the room which controlled most things and probably had us out of our comfort zone a little. Very friendly and helpful staff with great cooked breakfast. About a 15 minute walk to the centre which is fine during the day but a taxi is recommended when heading back at night.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Nienke on 8 Nov,2018
Thank you for your review and for your compliments regarding the staff and breakfast. We're also happy to recommend a taxi for those who prefer not to walk back to the guesthouse in the evening.

8/10 Good

Chris, Joburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely charming staff who were very helpful. The hotel which has been opened for about 10 months is very tasteful and has very good facilities. Part of the essence of the hotel is reliance on technology and this is the only area where it falls down slightly. Relying on 'Alexa' does not quite work - when she does not play music or turn the a/c up or down.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Nienke on 11 Oct,2018
Dear Chris We are sorry to hear that Alexa was not being as responsive as you she should be. This is largely due to Franschhoek not (yet) having fibre, so we're reliant on a line of sight Wifi connection which unfortunately lets us down from time to time. Together with our IT technicians, we do our utmost to keep the rooms fully functional at all times. We ask that guests alert us should they experience any difficulties so that we can address the issues as quickly as possible. We are however glad to hear that you liked the staff and facilities.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really enjoyed our 2-night stay at LAB LIFESTYLE. The use of technology in rooms was very unique and fun. Entire property feels very new and clean. Location is great it is walking distance to multiple wineries as well as downtown Franschhoek and the wine tram. The staff was very friendly and accommodating providing recommendations on everything from restaurants, wineries, transportation, etc. One site wine selection was great and very reasonably priced. Breakfast in the morning was very simple but good.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Nienke on 17 Sept,2018
Thank you for your great review. We're glad you enjoyed our unique guesthouse. We'll look at expanding our breakfast offerings in the near future but for now we're trying to perfect what we have. We hope to have you stay with us again in the near future.