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The Royal Hotel

3.0 star property
Hotel in Pilgrims Rest with free breakfast and a 24-hour front desk

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Royal Hotel

Exterior
In-room safe, free cribs/infant beds
Restaurant
Bar (on property)
Twin Room | Exterior

Reviews

7.8 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Breakfast included
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Parking included

Explore the area

View in a map
Main Road, Pilgrims Rest, Mpumalanga, 1290
  • Place, House Museum
    â€Ș2 min walk‬
  • Place, Graskop Gorge Lift Company
    â€Ș16 min drive‬
  • Place, God's Window
    â€Ș23 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Twin Room

Twin Room | Exterior

Twin Room

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Twin Bed

Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Royal Cottage

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Twin Bed

House (Bank B1)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

House (Bank B2)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

House (Bank B3)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

Double Room (Montague)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Twin Room (Montague)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

Twin Room (Pilgrims)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

Double Room (Pilgrims)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

About the neighborhood

Pilgrims Rest

The Royal Hotel places you next to Central Garage Transport Museum and Printing Museum. This 50-room, 3-star hotel has conveniences like free breakfast, a restaurant, and free self parking.

What's nearby

  • Printing Museum - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • House Museum - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Alanglade House Museum - 4 min drive - 2.1 miles
  • Graskop Gorge Lift Company - 16 min drive - 10.2 miles
  • God's Window - 23 min drive - 15.5 miles

Getting around

  • Nelspruit (MQP-Kruger Mpumalanga Intl.) - 120 min drive

Restaurants

  • â€ȘGarden Shed - ‬14 min drive
  • â€ȘHarrie's Pancakes - ‬15 min drive
  • â€ȘPointers Rest - ‬16 min drive
  • â€ȘGraskop Gorge Lift Co. - ‬16 min drive
  • â€ȘDivine Foods At The View - ‬17 min drive

About this property

The Royal Hotel

Hotel in Pilgrims Rest with free breakfast and a 24-hour front desk
The Royal Hotel features free WiFi in public areas, a terrace, and laundry facilities. You can put free parking to good use if you drive. The 24-hour front desk has staff standing by to help secure valuables, and answer any questions about the accommodations. Additional amenities include a garden and a banquet hall.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • In-room crib
  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Laundry facilities
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel

More

  • Banquet hall

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Free crib

Bathroom

  • Bathtub
  • Free toiletries
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Heating
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 1 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • This property doesn't allow pets (service animals welcome)

Children and extra beds

  • Free cribs/infant beds are available

Property payment types

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards
  • Check-in: 1 PM
  • Check-out: 10 AM
  • Minimum check-in age: 18
The front desk is open 24 hours a day. Driving? This property offers free parking.

We should mention

Details about charges, deposits, or other important information:

  • This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
  • Charges for extra guests may apply and vary depending on the property's policy.
  • A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges, as well as a government-issued photo ID, may be required at check-in.
  • Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in and can't be guaranteed. Certain requests may come with additional charges.
  • This property accepts credit cards.

Additional information about polices, regulations, and more:

  • No rollaway or extra beds are available.

Property is also known as

Royal Hotel Pilgrims Rest
Royal Pilgrims Rest
The Royal Hotel Hotel
The Royal Hotel Pilgrims Rest
The Royal Hotel Hotel Pilgrims Rest

Frequently asked questions

What's there to see around The Royal Hotel?

This hotel is located in Pilgrims Rest, just steps from Central Garage Transport Museum and Printing Museum, and within a short walk of House Museum. You'll also find Alanglade House Museum and Diggings Museum within a short drive.

Is parking available on site at The Royal Hotel?

Yes, self parking is offered for free at the hotel. Accessible parking is also available for guests.

Does The Royal Hotel include a casino on the premises?

No, The Royal Hotel doesn't have a casino.

Will I find an indoor pool at The Royal Hotel?

No, there is no indoor pool at this hotel.

Is The Royal Hotel good for couples?

There are many amenities for couples at this hotel, including a bar and a restaurant plus some guestrooms feature fireplaces.

Are there hot tubs at The Royal Hotel?

No, this hotel doesn't have a spa tub.

Does The Royal Hotel have a restaurant with a breakfast menu?

Yes, The Royal Hotel serves free buffet breakfast each morning from its restaurant.

Does The Royal Hotel allow pets to stay free of charge?

No, pets aren't allowed at The Royal Hotel though service animals are welcome.

Does The Royal Hotel have connecting rooms?

No, there aren't connecting guestrooms at this hotel.

Are there rooms with balconies at The Royal Hotel?

No, there aren't any guestrooms with balconies at The Royal Hotel.

Reviews

The Royal Hotel Reviews

7.8

Good

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

5.0/10

Eco-friendliness
Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 35 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 20 out of 35 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 35 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 35 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 35 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

E

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Highly recommended

Lovely accommodation, room nicely appointed and comfortable!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

Nick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great historic location with real character, hotel needs some TLC
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

FASAN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Gideon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place to visit!!

We were not sure what to expect, but it is a great little place to spend a night.

10/10 Excellent

Dianne, Auckland, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A haven in Pilgrim's Rest

To put this review in context, I lived in Pilgrims Rest for a couple of months in 1979 and have returned for holidays many times since. The village has had negative reviews over the last couple of years so I was very pleasantly surprised. The Royal Hotel is just as it has always been and staying the Royal Cottage was great, it made me want to live there again! The cottage has two bedrooms, a lounge and a bathroom with an authentic ball-and-claw bath; its own private garden with wrap around decks and awesome views. There's safe parking in a field at the gate and the hotel gives you a notice to put on your dashboard so that you don't get an unsolicited car wash. The staff were friendly, efficient, informative and professional. Free wifi is available in the hotel lounge (again, decked out in period furniture and just as I remembered it) and the complimentary breakfast really good. Negatives - which are not the hotel's fault - include being hassled to buy souvenirs by street vendors, have your car washed etc. so that you don't feel comfortable to walk around too much. The Royal Cottage is a haven, apart from the odd tourist wondering in to take photos! Just remember to lock your doors and close your windows when you do go out - there really are monkeys around (see my photos).

4/10 Poor

David

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beware of the car wash thieves

Be very careful when you book the Royal Hotel as we were sent up the street to the Annex or Pilgrims Hotel...not at all what we booked for. Really disappointing from my last visit to this place.

6/10 Okay

Zelda, Cape town

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

Old world charm

old world hotel but very quaint.

6/10 Okay

Christopher, Hoedspruit

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

I am sure it was good once.

Stayed one night. Saw reviews but took a chance. Unfortunately they were correct. We had dinner (nowhere else to eat in PR) and breakfast. Both were cold, and poor quality. The highlight of the evening was the arrival of the kitchen staff, who imposed themselves on the 18 guests by singing (poorly and in an unco-ordinanted manner), and then demanding money by putting a basket on the table. Unwanted and embarrassing. Service was indifferent, especially breakfast, as staff were outside sunning themselves, with little interest in ensuring service. The bar should have been good (old church imported from Delagoa Bay, signs and scribbles from previous patrons etc), however some patrons smoked, and the barman made no effort to ask them to go outside. We went to the lounge, and witnessed the spectacle of the fire being lit. This involved lighting a cardboard box, putting burning gel on, and some thick logs. This went out in five minutes, and despite our efforts could not be relit. No further attention was given by the staff to reignite it. Management needs to take control, and get effective, well trained staff before this interesting piece of history goes down the pan for want of neglect. On the plus side, the rooms were good, fitted out with old furniture, plenty of hot water, and an excellent old bath. We all slept well in very comfortable beds. Won't be going back.

6/10 Okay

Jimmy

4/10 Poor

Felix

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Food was cold- supper as well as breakfast. Will not stay in this venue again.

8/10 Good

burton k, Hillsborough, NJ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great Ambiance and Value!

This was my second time to stay at the Royal Hotel in the past couple of years. It's a great place to stopover for the night from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park. I would describe the property as a bit "rustic" in the good sense of the word. It has the feel of steeping back in time. There is a large lounge and dinning room. The bedrooms are very clean and comfortable. There was a great variety of menu items at breakfast which is provided with your stay. There was an entertaining troupe of Vervet Monkeys all over the road in the morning. The Royal Hotel is a great launching pad for enjoying the Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, and Kruger National Park!

8/10 Good

Andrew, Ingwavuma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Pleased in Pilgrim's

We enjoyed our stay. The room was clean and comfortable, the bath was tremendous! The décor was quaint and it was enjoyable to stay in a national monument. The staff at reception were friendly and welcoming, other staff could have been a bit zippier, but not a major issue.

8/10 Good

tasneem, Fairfax

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort

Quaint, rustic gem

Lovely, rustic place. Great service and unexpected comfort in the middle of nowhere.

8/10 Good

charlene, Johannesburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

enjoy

Enjoyed it allot.

8/10 Good

charlene, Johannesburg

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Perfect stay

It was very relaxing and we enjoyed every moment.

8/10 Good

dan, Vic Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Pilgrims Rest July 2015

Staff were friendly and welcoming. It was a new experience to stay in a village where almost everything is maintained as it was 100 years ago. To stay in the former bank managers residence, with period furnishings was delightful.

10/10 Excellent

Marie

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Jolie Ă©tape

Ancien hĂŽtel plein de charme. Personel efficace et Ă  l'ecoute.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Berit

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Historisk stad i omrÄde med mer sevÀrd natur.

AnlÀnde dit frÄn Johannesburg via lÄnga strÀckor med pÄgÄende vÀgarbeten. DÄligt utmÀrkta vÀgar men m gps lyckades det försÄs. Staden liten, lugn och gammaldags, hotellet likasÄ. Finns ej mycket annat intressant att se Àn byggnaderna frÄn guldruschtiden. NÀrheten till Blyde river canyon osv motiverar den lilla omvÀgen till Pilgrim,s rest
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Wil, Caen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

HĂŽtel trĂšs correct pour une nuit

Lieu atypique (ancien village de mineurs) HĂŽtel conservĂ© comme en 1920, propre Personnel accueillant, nous avons mĂȘme eu chacun une boĂźte bien remplie pour le petit dĂ©jeuner que nous ne pouvions prendre sur place car nous reprenions la route Ă  6h00 TrĂšs bon rapport qualitĂ© prix ArrĂȘt recommandĂ© Ă  cet endroit Restauration possible pour le dĂźner en rĂ©servant
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Anna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely place!

We stayed in one of the cottages across the street and it was a delight!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018

8/10 Good

Mitja

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Wie in GoldgrÀber-Zeiten

Ort und Hotel bieten sich an fĂŒr einen Zwischenstop zwischen Jo'burg und KrĂŒger Park. Vom Airport ca. 4,5 Stunden Fahrtzeit, bis KrĂŒger via Panorama Road mit Fotostops nochmals ca. 5,5 Stunden. Das Hotel vermittelt wunderbar die alte GoldgrĂ€ber-AtmosphĂ€re, sehr stimmungsvoll sind die Details wie Kerzen.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

6/10 Okay

Alice, Frankfurt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Séjour court mais agréable

Nous avons passé la nuit dans cet hÎtel un peu par hasard puisque c'est Expedia qui nous y a relogés suite à un souci de réservation dans l'hÎtel initialement prévu sur Graskop. Mais pour autant, nous n'avons pas été déçus. Le style de l'hÎtel vaut franchement le détour, on se croit plus dans une maison de style colonial anglais que dans un hÎtel sud-africain ! Il ne manque plus que les chercheurs d'or. Malgré une déco un peu désuette, la chambre était spacieuse, la literie confortable. Seul petit hic, la baignoire dans la salle de bain, sans rideau de douche et donc avec risque de mettre de l'eau partout... Le gros plus de cet hÎtel est le petit-déjeuner : plusieurs buffets remplis de bonnes choses, diverses et variées, salées et sucrées ! On a mangé comme des rois et pris l'énergie nécessaire pour affronter la grosse journée qui nous attendait. En bref, un bonne expérience au Royal Hotel de Pilgrims Rest !

8/10 Good

Etienne, Bruxelles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Hotel trĂšs bien mais FUYEZ le restaurant !

Quand on arrive ici, on sait gĂ©nĂ©ralement Ă  quoi s'attendre, donc on n'est pas vraiment surpris. On se sent bien Ă  l'Ă©poque des chercheurs d'or (mais qui auraient dĂ©jĂ  trouvĂ© des pĂ©pites !). Certaines chambres sont plus grandes / spacieuses que d'autres, mais les plus petites seront plus rapidement "Ă  tempĂ©rature" s'il fait froid. Sinon, c'est plutĂŽt original de se retrouver Ă  prendre son bain dans une baignoire sur pied, quasi au milieu de la chambre :-) Par contre fuyez le restaurant de l'hĂŽtel, bien trop habituĂ© Ă  recevoir sa clientĂšle captive. Cela nous a mĂȘme valu la rĂ©flexion "vous n'avez pas faim ce soir ?" lorsque nous avions dĂ©cidĂ© de faire sans eux !