The Queen’s Hotel by BON Hotels is located in the centre of Oudtshoorn, the global Ostrich Capital. It is South Africa’s oldest four star and – impressively – the third oldest of all hotels in the country, after the Oude Werf in Stellenbosch (established 1686) and the Houw Hoek Hotel near Grabouw (built 1779). Our Oudtshoorn accommodation uninterrupted since 20 March 1880, the Queen’s Hotel by BON Hotels is – today – an oasis of olde-worlde elegance and modern-day convenience located in the centre of the picturesque semi-arid Klein Karoo (Little Dry Region).
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
HOTEL STYLE
Business
Classic
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
5 Baron van Reede Street, Oudtshoorn 6625 South Africa
Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
561 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Spent three nights in Room 120 which is one of the biggest in the hotel and reputedly where Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret slept on a Royal Tour in 1947! The room was bright and airy with double aspect windows and a modern bathroom with tub and separate walk in shower. There is a magnificent staircase and a small lift. Staff are all lovely and we found very helpful. We dined one night in Colony restaurant (separately reported) and also had a snack lunch one day in Cafe Brule overlooking the street. Breakfast was served in the large breakfast room and was somewhat slender compared to all the other similar properties we have been staying in, no decent coffee and very limited choice with breads hard to come by. Some improvement needed there. The swimming pool area is potentially lovely but needs a massive clean up and some decent recliners, it did not seem to be used much but needs to be more inviting. All in all though this is a lovely hotel and very good value for money.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Some rooms are quite small, medium Room 120 is a good size
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was a bit perturbed that the outer doors into the hotel were left open at night. Especially as our country's unemployment is skyrocketing. Isn't it perhaps better to tighten up this kind of security in advance rather than react when something unforeseen does occur.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2022
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Elizabeth Pretorius, Marketing at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 14 Jul 2022
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback about your stay at Queens Hotel By Bon Hotels. We always appreciate hearing feedback about the experience that we provide, and your comments have been taken to heart. We hope to see you at Queens Hotel By Bon Hotels again soon! Kind regards, Queens Hotel By Bon Hotels
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We love the hotel ….its got wonderful character and charm. The staff are efficient, friendly helpful and knowledgeable. The little pool area is very nice but it needs cleaning and brushing on a regular basis. The covers on the sun loungers should be put out daily . The food in the restaurant is excellent and served nicely with smiles. Our room at the back was quiet and had all we needed.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hanri Odendaal, General Manager at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 28 Jun 2024
Thank you for the great feedback! Hope to welcome you back soon. Kind regards Hanri Odendaal
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So disappointed in this place. Best thing about it was the two members of staff who were usually at the reception and the one lady cooking the eggs at breakfast. Other than that I cannot recommend. It had several entrances that were always open and no security to be seen. Room was bland, rundown and very uninspiring as were the grounds and the pool which was filthy. There were signs everywhere telling you to keep off the grass which was virtually non existent. Scared to use the lift as the signage about load shedding never explained when it might happen and no one else seemed to know either. Restaurant was very formal but at the same time corporate so we didn't use it. Bar area was small and we were told we could watch the rugby WC on the TV there. It could have been a good experience but the barman closed the bar at 9.45 (half time) without asking if we would like another drink and everyone went home leaving us alone. Breakfast was awful - hardly anything on offer and no attempt to replenish a thing. We asked for bread and were pointed to a few stale slices of white bread on a plate. In the meantime, a manager and handyman went into the kitchen and came out with plates of pastries and full cooked breakfast to eat at a table nearby. There was a lot wrong with the room, no working light over the bathroom (and only) mirror, no hotel information pack for room service or reception number etc, dirty walls, ripped bed sheets, the list goes on...I did end up leaving a list with reception when I checked out. Sorry but this place is not worth your money. Has a good location but that's all. Find somewhere that cares about your comfort and security.
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Don't go!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Tiaan Fourie, General Manager at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 13 Nov 2023
Good day Alibalio I am very disappointed to learn about your experience. As a hotel, we strive for excellent comfort and best customer service for our guests. Clearly, we did not deliver these standards. Not only you experienced such an inconvenience but we (our staff) was not able to assist you and resolve situation. Please accept my sincerest apologies, as this is certainly not the level of service, we would like to provide to our guests. Kind regards Hanri Odendaal General Manager
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This hotel was not just tired? It was absolutely exhausted.
We were part of a tour group who had just stayed at a beautiful 5 star hotel in Graaff-Reinet and the Queens Hotel at Oudsthoorn definitely did not warrant its 4 star rating,
The staff were great and very obliging, but the rooms (our room was 209) were very grubby and warranted a deep clean. We saw photos of one of our travelling companion in 207 and it was more disgusting than ours, with black mould on the ceiling.
Shelves in the bathroom were misaligned, making them impossible to use. There was no toilet paper in the bathroom and we made sure we wore our travel slippers, as we were worried about the overall cleanliness. The ceiling was stained and the door lock was temperamental, taking 4 attempts to lock it.
Overall, a very disappointing experience.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Don’t go
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hanri Odendaal, General Manager at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 28 Jun 2024
Good day GillyS324, I am very disappointed to learn about your experience. As a Hotel, we strive for excellent comfort and best customer service for our guests. Clearly, we did not deliver these standards. Not only you experienced such an inconvenience but we (our staff) were not able to assist you and resolve situation. Please accept my sincerest apologies, as this us certainly not the level of service and cleanliness we would like to provide to our guests. Kind regards Hanri Odendaal
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Central location, very noisy from the street as the windows are single-paned and leaky!
Wi-Fi, as is often the case in South Africa, is inadequate! The evening meal is inedible except for the salad! The shower is finally warm enough, but the water doesn't drain away! No hairdryer! The room is extremely small! Difficult with 2 suitcases, unfortunately, as is often the case, no shelves! The bed is adequate, but there is no blanket, just several individual light blankets that then came loose at night! Breakfast wasn't bad, the coffee was not enjoyable!
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I decided to take my mom on a roadtrip, and made Oudtshoorn our second stop. We found the Queens Hotel to be filled with historic photo's which was very interesting, and found it great to know that the Queen once visited this establishment. Sadly I doubt if the Queen will choose this hotel again. The location is great with a small shopping complex, little shops and the Spur around it. It is sad to see that Covid-19 has forced this hotel to drop their staff from 40 to only 10, and it is clear to see. There was not really a porter service to mention as the guy who helped us with the luggage, was called from the Brulee restaurant to help with the bags. There was a maintenance person who also had to do a night shift at the reception desk, water the gardens, does housekeeping and had to run all over the hotel one night looking for toilet paper when we asked for some, he helps at the Brulee restaurant to set out chairs etc in the morning and seems to be the go to person to take care of anything and everything. We visited 3 four star hotels of which Queens Hotel was one of them, but you can't compare it to the other two. We've found that the curtains needed to be washed, the back of the TV in our room was very dusty, the bathroom door handle had a minor issue. The hotel's dining lounge area were clised for hotel guests as we were told there's not enough guests to have it opened. We were offered breakfast at the Brulee restaurant and had limited choices. The gardens are beautiful but we found that the pool area are not kept neat as the paving around the pool are not swept, making it impossible to walk barefoot around the pool from the twigs and seeds falling from the trees. My mom and I never saw any cleaning staff. The lady working at reception was very friendly. This hotel can be a real historic gem, but we feel that they need to look at their amount of staff to enable them to get to every little aspect.
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Alie Killian, General Manager at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 11 Jan 2021
Queen Elizabeth of England visited Oudtshoorn and the Queens Hotel in 1947 when she was 21 years old. Queens Hotel is the third oldest hotel in South Africa and is still operating since 1880. Sadly, a week before its 140 anniversary, the country was put under lockdown on 27 March 2020. It was the first time in its history that the hotel had to temporarily closed its doors. As soon as essential workers were allowed to travel in May 2020, we open our doors slowly but surely. Due to no income and deposits to be refunded, we had to reduce our staff by 75%. Some of the issues you mentioned is a direct result of COVID19. We are constantly striving keep our guest happy and give them a good experience.
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Driving the North Garden route the M62 in the Cape Region of South Africa, the small town of Oudtshoorn is situated about an hours drive from the coast. Famous for its Ostrich farms this interesting town is worth a stop over, at the Queen's Hotel.
This hotel is over 100 years old and is well situated in the town centre and nicely refurbished. When entering through the main doors, an old word charm of dark wood and furniture greets you and is like stepping back to the 1930/1940 period. The hotel is covered with black and white photos of the Royal family who actually visited the town in 1947!! The hotel is charming and modest, with a very special "Resident's" Lounge, a pleasant patio and small outdoor pool.
The rooms are small and comfortable. Breakfast is served in the adjacent cafe under the colonial arches of the hotel.
A very nice time capsule in which to stay at an incredibly attractive price.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had high expectations, based on reviews and photographs, but this experience conjured thoughts of Faulty Towers. Our check in was odd, to say the least. When asked what time the rugby was (British Lions vs Sprigboks), the gent replied "No idea, I haven't got a TV".
We had had to pre-order our dinner - no problem with that, but bar was closed, so the gent on duty had to disappear for 5 minutes to get a list of wine available, which was very limited. We were asked what time we wanted to eat, as apparently only 1 table could be served at a time, so we were allotted a 6.30 slot.
Our room was OK, however, it had not been vacuumed after the previous guests had left, as there was rubbish lying on the floor and a row of plugs conveniently placed for charging cellphones etc, were all broken. The coffee making machine was also broken. The DSTV bouquet is limited and we were unable to watch the rugby, and was advised that only the TV in the bar could show rugby, but that was closed, even though our relaxed Level 3 allows on-site consumption until 9pm, we were told "I am sorry, but you can't go there to watch".
The shower was great, but leaked, so most of the towels had to be put on the floor to mop up water. Bathroom was modern and nicely decorated.
Dinner was tasty, but we had an entire restaurant to ourselves and most of the lights were switched off, so it lacked atmosphere and warmth. Our "receptionist" was also our waiter, night porter, pool cleaner, etc, etc and admitted that it was only him and the chef on duty.
This is definitely not 4 star service or standards and having spent the previous night at the 3 star Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein, which far exceeded our expectations in every way, we couldn't wait to leave the Queens Hotel and will not consider returning.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Alie Killian, General Manager at Queen's Hotel By BON Hotels
Responded 21 Feb 2022
Noted
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This hotel exudes a charming-old style. Small corridors with wooden doors, which you really traditionally have to lock with the key. A cozy bar, and nice corner with stove where you can sit with your drink. The hotel and rooms are neatly cared for and maintained. Beds of excellent quality. Single glass in the rooms, still ours, so there is a lot of noise coming in from the street side, and also heat / cold quickly find their way into the room. The air conditioning / heating solves this, and we were so tired from our travel day that we did not really suffer from the street noise itself. But something to keep in mind (earbuds, always handy to carry in your luggage). In the evening we ate in the hotel restaurant. Very tasty, correct prices. Highly recommended, although patience and nice company is definitely a plus if you are waiting for your order. Although the hotel is on the main street, and it seems attractive to walk through, it doesn't feel so safe. There are some people who hang out on the street, talk to you and beg.
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Automatically translated
Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Oudtshoorn area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 1,203 - RÂ 1,517 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
queens hotel oudtshoorn
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Queens Hotel
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeOudtshoorn
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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