Est. 1713 · 33 Church Street
The story
Three centuries at the table
Coopmanhuijs was built in 1713 as one of the first grand residences of Stellenbosch. Helena's is the newest chapter in a very old house.
The house
A National Monument, lovingly inhabited
Built by Albertus Bartholomeus Coopman in 1713 and proclaimed a National Monument in 1978, the iconic Coopmanhuijs at 33 Church Street underwent painstaking renovation before opening as a five-star, 16-room boutique hotel and spa in 2010. It has consistently ranked #1 on Tripadvisor among hotels in Stellenbosch ever since.
Upon entering the foyer one is enveloped by a gentle, unpretentious fusion of classic approach, contemporary design and a respect for the organic and the real. The dignity and charm of a bygone era is preserved and teamed with the skill of artists and craftsmen — with unexpected detail and quirky surprises, the result is pure enchantment.
Timeline
From Coopman to Helena
A grand residence rises
Albertus Bartholomeus Coopman builds one of the first grand homes in the historic heart of Stellenbosch, a short walk from the Braak and the Eerste River.
Proclaimed a National Monument
The house is recognised for what it is — one of the town's architectural treasures — and protected for the generations to come.
Coopmanhuijs opens its doors
After painstaking renovation, André and Helena Pieterse open a sixteen-room, five-star boutique hotel and spa. Helena, a natural at interior design, dresses every room herself.
Helena's Restaurant is born
A year after the hotel, the restaurant opens with a simple brief: heritage food with finesse, often with a subtle twist in the detail — turning the familiar into the spectacular.
More than 1 300 five-star reviews
Breakfast, lunch and dinner for hotel guests and the town alike, a Travellers' Choice award, and a team — Sbosh, Zimasa, Muzi, Gerda and friends — that guests name in review after review.
Vision & mission
What we stand for
Heritage, with finesse
Bobotie in phyllo, biltong in a soufflé, malva that floats. The flavours of South African cooking, treated with the respect of a fine kitchen.
Provenance first
Menus designed around the bounty of the Cape — fresh, seasonal, and traceable to the Swartland, the Overberg and the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
The pleasures of life
Good, unpretentious food and special wine, served by people with real smiles. Nobody is rushed at Helena's. A three-hour dinner is a compliment.
“A good meal soothes the soul as it regenerates the body. From the abundance of it flows the benign benevolence.”Frederick W. Hackwood