Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Family-owned Cathedral Peak Hotel offers unrivaled access to the Drakensberg Mountains within a World Heritage Site. The resort hotel caters for leisure, conference and weddings and offers an exceptional leisure experience, sumptuous buffet meals & warm hospitality. Accommodation is provided in family rooms, standard rooms, Superior rooms, seven honeymoon suites & the Presidential suite. Seasonal special offers cater for all budgets. A host of activities ranging from guided hikes, mountain and quad biking, helicopter flips, horse and pony rides, swimming pools, tennis, badminton, squash, lawn bowls, 9 hole golf course, floodlit mini adventure golf, in season children’s entertainment program and much, much more...
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.
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Nestled in a picturesque setting ideal for hiking, Cathedral Peak Hotel captivates guests with its charming atmosphere and spotless cleanliness. While the hotel's extensive amenities, including diverse dining options and family-friendly activities, receive high marks, some areas appear in need of an update. Travelers commend the generally friendly service but occasionally encounter disorganization.
Room comfort is acknowledged, though critiques of dated decor and poor soundproofing suggest a need for modernization. The value proposition, however, is frequently questioned due to pricey extras and a perceived lack of complimentary services.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Comprehensive
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The location of this hotel is ideal if one is wanting to do hikes or walks, easy and more strenuous. The food is served buffet style and there is sufficient choice even if you have a vegetarian preference. The staff are extremely friendly and are happy to accommodate most requests. Some of the rooms are a little dated but the beds are extremely comfortable and can be guaranteed a good night sleep.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2023
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 Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 05 Jan 2024
Hi Carina, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review of the Hotel. We are delighted that you and your family enjoyed your stay with us, and we do hope to see you again soon. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel
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We would definitely recommend a stay at Cathedral Peak Hotel. The location is beautiful with wonderful views and access to numerous walks. The staff were friendly and tried to make our stay as enjoyable as possible, with a special mention to Wiseman, who entertained us at every meal time and Jerome on the carvery. The food is outstanding, so much choice and the muffins are irresistible. Tea, coffee and cake on the terrace twice a day was a lovely treat.
We stayed in a standard interconnecting room. The rooms and the bathroom are plenty big enough for 3 people, had plenty of storage, charging sockets, a safe, so everything we needed. The rooms are a little dated but clean and functional and the beds are comfortable. Our only complaint is the soundproofing is not good between rooms so I would suggest bringing ear plugs.
The hotel is great for kids, and our son enjoyed the many activities and the pool and playing with the friends he met. It was quiet midweek with only a couple of children doing the table tennis and mini golf tournament but Happiness still ensured they had fun.
We completed walks with the guides Mandla and Zwlie, both of whom guided us at our pace, answered our questions and had fun with our son.
We took advantage of the helipad and enjoyed a helicopter flight over the Drakensberg, which is definitely recommended.
Overall, we had a relaxing and enjoyable week at Cathedral Peak, we definitely ate more than we should have but will be telling all our friends and family about this little gem.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Take earplugs as soundproofing in between family rooms is not good
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 Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 27 Aug 2024
Hi Jodie, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review of the hotel. We are absolutely delighted that you all enjoyed your stay with us, and we hope to welcome you back again soon. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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From the moment you walk through the front door you are welcomed like a long lost friend. The rooms are magnificent with buck walking past the patio each day.. The meals that are served in the dining room are feast and different each day. Old staff like Wiseman are kept on in the dining room to make it feel home. The guides leading the walks are encouraging and keep over 70ies entertained.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
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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 Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 21 May 2023
Hi lizandbas, It is always such a pleasure to welcome back our regular guests. We are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us, and we hope to see you back again soon. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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We enjoyed our stay despite the disappointing end to our trip. The food is excellent, views are stunning. Buildings are run down and need some maintenance. The Stable area is really run down and could do with some upgrading/ benches, walkway to the waiting area is muddy and past the back of hotel (could add some paving stones and plants to enhance the walkway) Gardens in some areas also need some attention and new potted flowers. Our room was lovely, the bathroom is mouldy though and needs a better clean / upgrade.
The most disappointing part of our stay was that we were not notified that I had left my laptop bag in our room. Housekeeping and reception took no initiative to immediately contact us so we could turn back to fetch it. When we got home 6pm that evening we realised and then it was almost impossible to get hold of reception and the manager on duty was constantly unavailable. Nearly 1.5 hours later they confirmed the bag was found.
The next morning we had the same problem reaching the manager on duty as we had to now drive back all the way from Johannesburg. I ended up asking to be transferred to the lady in the Hotel shop who assisted me promptly and with such care and efficiency. The reception and housekeeping team did nothing. We were not even offered a complimentary coffee or breakfast after being on the road for 5 hours, collecting the bag and having to drive straight back to JHB. It left us feeling disappointed with the hotel management and staff in housekeeping and reception.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 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 Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 17 May 2024
Hi Meander02015038364, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of the Hotel. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced with your luggage. This matter has been taken up with the senior management team. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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A gorgeous location with nice, clean rooms and good food, but facilities are tired and staff were unhappy.
We didn't have a the warmest welcome. We arrived 10 mins early for check-in and we were asked to wait until 2pm exactly to get our room. 10 mins later, a queue formed at check-in with everyone wanting their keys, and loads of people needing their bags taken to rooms, causing congestion and confusion.
It's definitely not a customer/guest focused culture at Cathedral Peak Hotel. Generally speaking, service was bad. The front desk staff in particular were little to no help when asking questions about activities, hikes, petrol, and parking. We did have a wonderful guided hike with Samson, our walking guide, but otherwise we didn't find the staff very friendly. It was rare to get a hello or smile from any staff walking by.
On the positive side the food is abundant and delicious. There is something for everyone in the main dining room.
There is a lot to do at this resort, but the PDF doesn't do the best job of explaining what's on offer or of enticing guests to attend. A suggestion for this resort would be to hire some activity coordinators. E.g. people walking around getting to know the guests and informing them about what is going on at the resort and what is available to do - this would be especially nice on rainy days (which we had a lot of).
A lot of the included activities were tailored towards groups with children. I can see how this would be more of an enjoyable stay for families, rather than couples or solo travellers. While we didn't play mini golf, the course definitely looked like it needed a bit of maintenance. We did play badminton and we were given a broken birdie and rackets that were full of rust.
Overall, we made the most of our stay. We enjoyed the nature, hikes, food, large rooms, and facilities for what they were worth. Though, for the price, it's not great value and the service does not reflect the 4-star rating.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Response from Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 08 Jan 2025
Hi LaurenbU8139YF, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of the Hotel. We always appreciate getting feed back from our guests and your comments have been noted by our management team. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused during your stay with us. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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My family and I came for a day hike on the weekend. The hike itself was stunning. However, the service at the hotel was atrocious. The treatment of day guests was noticeably different to overnight guests. They were dismissive and indifferent towards us. Staff seemed uninformed and reluctant to disclose the prices of services that were exclusive to day guests. I would expect a hotel that has 4 stars to give at least an impression of hospitality, I would hate for future tourists and hikers have the same experience we did. Should Cathedral Peak Hotel like to contact me for more information regarding our experience please contact me via email taliaraynekatz@gmail.com
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Lower your expectations
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 Bruce Botes, General Manager at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 14 May 2024
Hi sam_conradie, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent visit to the Hotel. We are deeply sorry to hear that you were disappointed in the service we have to offer and your comments have been noted by our management team. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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We booked into Cathedral Peak to fulfil a ‘bucket list’ dream and were very very disappointed. We presumed that a Superior Room, listed by the Hotel just below Presidential Suite and Honeymoon Suite, would be really be ‘superior’ and offer the views which the website had intimated we should enjoy – but no! We felt our room was dark, and in what we can only describe as a concrete barrack block, offering a view from the balcony/patio not of the valley and the mountains but of a corrugated iron roof behind tired plants. Had a room offering what we had expected been available we might have stayed for the full seven nights booked, but in the event we stayed just two nights. To be fair to Cathedral Peak, they did refund us those five nights – thank you. However, our wider experience was also not positive; we didn’t appreciate the canteen-style nature of the dining room where the service was polite but impersonal – not warm and friendly – and the vegetables provided with the main evening meal were undercooked and lukewarm. We discovered some wines listed in the wine list were not actually available; that should not be so. As we only stayed just over 36 hours we didn’t have time to avail ourselves or assess some of the activities, but we felt such guided walks as were listed might not have met our expectations. Overall we could not avoid the feeling that everything about Cathedral Peak was more functional than personally and warmly engaging, and that the hotel was living on a reputation established in a different time.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023
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.
Cathedral Peak has a fantstic location and a lot to offer. We are an active family and were kept well busy with the wonderful hiking options, mountain biking, golf, tennis, bowls, horse rides and many kids activities. Organising a babysitter was also very convenient so that someone could look after our 6 year old while my husband and I hiked more strenuous hikes (my daughter enjoyed her time so much, so asked for more time with the babysitter).
The golf course is really beautiful and the greens and fairways are in good condition, I was surprised it was not busier? Hardly anyone was playing golf despite the hotel being full.
The hotel is old, and that is part of its charm - it has a lot of history! Despite this, I think some of the facilities and interior could be modernised a bit. Nothing was run down or anything, but just a bit old fashioned and could use an upgrade.
I would also say that the mountain biking options need a bit more work. The trails are very technical and really only suited for very experienced riders. If would be great if there were some easier trails that are suited to beginner mountain bikers / kids. We had to take our daughter on the road to Didima because the MTB trails were too advanced for her. This is a pity because MTBing was one of the reasons we signed up for Cathedral Peak in the first place.
Food is plentiful and amazing - I was so impressed! Catering for children with a kids meal at mealtimes was also a welcome and pleasant surprise.
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Date of stay: June 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.
Response from Bruce Botes, General Manager at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 09 Jul 2024
Hi MegKing89, We're thrilled to hear that your active family enjoyed the variety of activities we offer at Cathedral Peak, from hiking and mountain biking to golf and horse riding. It's wonderful to know that our babysitting service added to your convenience and that your daughter enjoyed her time with the sitter. We also value your feedback regarding the facilities and interior. While we cherish the historical charm of our hotel, we understand the importance of modern updates and will take your suggestions into consideration for future improvements. Regarding the mountain biking trails, your input is invaluable. We're sorry to hear that the current trails were too technical for beginners and children. We'll definitely look into creating more accessible trails to ensure a great experience for all our guests. We're delighted that you enjoyed the plentiful and amazing food, and we're pleased that the children's meal options met your expectations. Thank you again for your feedback, and we look forward to welcoming you and your family back for another active and enjoyable stay at Cathedral Peak Hotel! Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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It was my first experience at the hotel, overall, it has been a great experience of nature, history, tranquility at the waterfalls and friendly staff, as a group we have had a blast with all the activities around the venue, Golf was a highlight for most of our members and the course was great. The staff at the clubhouse was very friendly and accommodating and golf carts where is good condition.
The quad biking trail was good but could do with a bit further trail and/or development, the pricing for 1 hour was rather high and is more for the less experienced riders, I think a more (technical) trail would also be an attraction for more experienced riders, but overall tit was good, the quads where is good condition and well maintained.
The horses where in very good condition and well trained overall it was a great experience.
All the hiking trails lead to its own unique place, which is amazing, for first time hikers it is rather friendly on the legs with not too many obstacles to get to the basic falls, the next experience will definitely be the more technical and longer trails, the trail indicators could do with a bit of an upgrade to display the area better (indicator stones on the paths) nonetheless the experience was GREAT!
The food was AMAZING! there was a very large selection food to choose from and the chefs did an amazing job, Well done.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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 Bruce Botes, General Manager at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 05 Dec 2023
Hi tjaart2023, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review of the hotel. Your comments have been noted by our management team. We are delighted that you all enjoyed your stay with us and we look forward to welcoming you back again in the near future. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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Having visited this Hotel at least 10 times now, we can only continue to sing its praises. The scenery is spectacular and offers a selection of activities and walks to suit all tastes and levels of fitness. The buffet meals likewise cater to every palate - with the only danger being the impulse to over-indulge. The staff are genuinely friendly and willing to help with one’s requests and the rooms are beautifully appointed and kept spotlessly clean. We will be back.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023
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 Michelle Victor, Marketing at Cathedral Peak Hotel
Responded 30 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review of the Hotel. It is always such a pleasure to welcome back our regular guests and we hope to see you back again soon. Kind regards, The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
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Botha's Hill, South Africa20 contributions2 helpful votes
Yes, your booking will include full board, and a king-size bed in a very comfortable room. This is a wonderful, world-class hotel and the cuisine is memorable and generous.
Hi Keanunu,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
Unfortunately, we are not permitted to allow pets on the Hotel property as we are based in a World Heritage site.
Kind Regards,
The Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
There are more places to choose from in the Winterton area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 3,604 - RÂ 4,432 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hotel cathedral peak
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalDrakensberg RegionWinterton
NUMBER OF ROOMS
104
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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