Inside The Royal Portfolio’s World of Art

A Journey Through Art

Paintings that tell stories, African artworks that inspire and sculptures that start conversations are as much part of The Royal Portfolio experience as personalised service, spectacular food and luxurious accommodation.

Mohau Modisakeng’s Ditaola VII at The Silo Hotel

It might be the mesmerising works by Cyrus Kabiru that will stop you in your tracks when you visit The Silo Hotel, or perhaps it’s Mohau Modisakeng’s striking photographic series, or the Haldane Martin chandelier in the lobby. It’s hard not to lose yourself in a world of creative inspiration when you visit this iconic “art hotel” situated at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.

While there has always been a strong focus on art and local artworks at all of The Royal Portfolio hotels, lodges and villas, the opening of The Silo Hotel above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) took it to the next level.

Michael Jacobs, The Silo Hotel’s Art Curator, says. “Our founder, Liz Biden, has a keen eye for curating luxurious spaces that combine African contemporary design and art. This allows for an engaging guest experience, and it also gives guests access to the city’s vibrant creative culture.”

Due to popular demand, Michael takes guests on guided tours of The Silo Hotel, highlighting the intimate Vault gallery that supports up-and-coming and established artists through curated exhibitions.

Gabrielle Kruger, one of the artists who exhibited in 2025, feels that The Vault is the perfect incubator, making art accessible and approachable and providing an element of surprise and wonder for those who come upon it from the hotel’s parking lot.

She says, “There’s a very talented group of artists who have shown at The Vault, and for every artist that exhibits there, Liz Biden includes one piece for their collection, which I think is absolutely amazing. I’m so lucky to be included in that.”

Celebrating art is integral to The Royal Portfolio’s design language. The collection is anchored in contemporary African art, but the works are a generous mix of styles, periods and mediums.

Left: Michael Jacobs, Art Concierge and Guest Liaison at The Silo Hotel;
Right: Liz Biden (left) and Gabrielle Kruger (right) in The Silo Hotel’s Vault gallery

Contrasting Combinations

La Residence in the Franschhoek winelands showcases an impressive collection of works from around the world. Beezy Bailey’s “Moonlight Sonata” takes place of pride above the fireplace in the main hotel lounge, flanked on one side by Scottish artists – Norman Edgar’s “Caldwell Bay” and George Rowlett’s “Cornfields in the Rain” – and bronze sculptures by Kevin Roberts, an award-winning South African artist, on the other. The mirrors, the chandeliers and the carefully chosen antique furniture set the stage and the abundance of visual treasures invites one to linger a while and take it all in.

This journey of discovery is not limited to the lounge and dining areas; art makes it way down passages, on staircases, into rooms and suites, and even the bathrooms feature the likes of etchings by Sara-J and bold works by Dezireë Smith.

In the same vein, Franschhoek House (the newly opened exclusive-use villa at La Residence) is a living gallery that delights in contrasts, from 18th-century Flemish tapestries and Victorian artworks to the spontaneity of Franklyn Dzingai’s collages, the melancholic paintings of “ordinary life” in the Cape by Kobus Louw, and Thierry Poncelet’s whimsical dog paintings.

Left: Beezy Bailey’s Moonlight Sontana at La Residence;
Right: Thierry Poncelet’s Ancien Regime at Franschhoek House

Where the Ocean Meets Expression

Heading to the Overberg town of Hermanus, while the starring role at our Birkenhead House property goes to the incredible ocean setting, the artworks are also remarkable. Samuel Allerton’s giant stone “Togetherness” sculptures offer a gracious welcome at the entrance. Lisette Forsyth uses newsprint in her commentary on everyday life and pieces by Maketo, Selwyn Pekeur, Sasha Hartslief and Lucky Sibiya add layers of visual narrative, fuelling curiosity and intrigue around every corner. Take, for example, the portrait of the woman by Filipino artist Romeo Enriquez in the bathroom of Room Four. Her soft features and blue eyes hold one’s gaze, and you just know there is a story to be told.

A standout feature at this Hermanus property is a collection of vibrant framed accessory scarves made by the children of the Lalela Project, owning their space proudly against a green-and-white striped wall. The Lalela Project provides arts education in safe spaces for children in under-resourced areas.

Left: A woman’s portrait by Romeo Enriquez at Birkenhead House;
Right: Framed accessory scarves by the Lalela Project in the dining space at Birkenhead House

Wild Landscapes and Fresh Inspiration at Royal Malewane

Farmstead in the Greater Kruger National Park also proudly showcases works by the Lalela students, as well as a collection of contemporary African art featuring the works of James Jana Amimu, a self-taught Zimbabwean artist, and Phozisile Mini from Mossel Bay, among others. As the name suggests, the roomy Africa House villa is a celebration of contemporary African art against a colourful backdrop of textures and mood. The unapologetically colourful Tafadzwa Tega painting in the Long Room is a central talking point, and there is even artwork in the villa’s gym.

The latest offering in the Kruger, Masiya’s Camp, takes the Liz Biden art effect even further, with a mix of antiques and treasures from Morocco, India and Europe. A mid-century porcelain cheetah sculpture by Giovanni Ronzan, one of Italy’s most famous ceramicists, is in good company among Dezireë Smith’s vivid pageantry, Nandipha Mntambo’s social observations, Caddelle/CC Faulkner’s botanical art and Sy’s (surname unknown) pieces on the “why” of cultural storytelling. A portrait of the late Wilson Masiya by Isabella McAdam stands out, a tribute to the modest Master Tracker who the camp is named after.

Left: Tafadzwa Tega’s Lonely Together at Masiya’s Camp;
Right: Wilson Masiya by Isabella McAdam at Masiya’s Camp

The collection is huge, and the love of beautiful things is shared between the four destinations and multiple properties: a Kate Gottgens will appear at The Silo Hotel and another will hold space at Masiya’s Camp; a Ralph Krall portrait will find a home at Farmstead, and likewise Tafadzwa Tega’s work holds court at Franschhoek House and Africa House, and on it goes.

While guests love what is already there, The Royal Portfolio collection continues to grow and evolve, always seeking new ways of combining art and hospitality, beauty, discovery and the element of surprise.

As Michael Jacobs says, “We are always looking for ways to celebrate the creative community, particularly artists from Africa. Our walls tell a story and guests don’t need to go anywhere to appreciate art; it’s woven into every aspect of their stay.”