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The Royal Hotel

3.0 star property

Photo gallery for The Royal Hotel

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

Reviews

7.8 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Restaurant
  • Bar
  • Laundry room

Explore the area

View map
Main Road, Pilgrims Rest, Mpumalanga, 1290
  • Place, Central Garage Transport Museum
    â€Ș1 min walk‬
  • Place, Printing Museum
    â€Ș2 min walk‬
  • Place, House Museum
    â€Ș2 min walk‬

Room options

View all photos for Twin Room

Twin Room | Exterior

Twin Room

  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Single Bed

Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Royal Cottage

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed

House (Bank B1)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

House (Bank B2)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

House (Bank B3)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

Double Room (Montague)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Twin Room (Montague)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

Twin Room (Pilgrims)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

Double Room (Pilgrims)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

About the area

Pilgrims Rest

At The Royal Hotel you'll be within steps of Central Garage Transport Museum and Printing Museum. Highlights at this hotel include free buffet breakfast, a restaurant and free self-parking. .For a drink, you can stop by the hotel's own lounge bar. Added amenities include free Wi-Fi in public areas and laundry facilities. Each morning free breakfast is served. .Places within a short walk of this 3-property class Pilgrims Rest hotel include House Museum and within a 20-minute walk you'll find Diggings Museum.

What's nearby

  • Central Garage Transport Museum - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Printing Museum - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • House Museum - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Diggings Museum - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
  • God's Window - 18 min drive - 24.9 km

Getting around

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

Restaurants

  • â€ȘHarrie's Pancakes - ‬15 min drive
  • â€ȘGraskop Gorge Lift Co. - ‬16 min drive
  • â€ȘPointers Rest - ‬16 min drive
  • â€ȘGarden Shed - ‬14 min drive
  • â€ȘRiders Rest Stop Pub - ‬15 min drive

About this property

The Royal Hotel

There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Free breakfast is available daily. WiFi is free in public spaces.

The Royal Hotel also features a terrace, a garden, and laundry facilities. Self parking is free.

  • 50 guestrooms or units
  • Buffet breakfast (free)
  • Childcare (surcharge)
  • Self-service laundry
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Front desk safe
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
The Royal Hotel offers 50 accommodations with a safe and coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms include a bath and complimentary toiletries. Cots/infant beds (complimentary) are also available. Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.

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Exterior detail
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  • Pool
  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Restaurant
4.1 out of 5, Very good, 121 reviews
The price is NZ$151
includes taxes & fees
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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

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

Food and drink

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

Family friendly

  • Babysitting (surcharge)
  • In-room cot
  • 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 cot

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
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Free cots (infant beds)!

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
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. This property accepts Visa and Mastercard.

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

Is parking available at The Royal Hotel?

Yep, The Royal Hotel has a free self car park.

Is The Royal Hotel family-friendly?

You bet! With amenities such as babysitting services and laundry facilities, as well as free infant beds in the guestrooms, it's no surprise that The Royal Hotel is a hit with families.

Does The Royal Hotel serve breakfast?

Sure does, free buffet breakfast is on offer daily between 7 AM and 10 AM.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Royal Hotel?

No, The Royal Hotel does not offer an airport shuttle service.

Is there a bar or restaurant at The Royal Hotel?

Yep, they've got a lounge bar and an onsite restaurant.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Royal Hotel?

Check-in begins at 1 PM. Check-out time is 10 AM.

Are pets allowed at The Royal Hotel?

No, only service animals are allowed.

The Royal Hotel Reviews

Reviews

7.8

Good

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

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

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

Closed for refurbishment!!

Your response is unacceptable. The Royal Hotel was closed for refurbishment at the time of my booking — a fact that should have been known to Hotels.com before confirming any reservations. It is embarrassing that such a booking was confirmed in the first place, and the stress caused is entirely due to your company’s failure to ensure the property was operational. I will be taking this matter up with my travel insurance provider and expect Hotels.com to review its internal processes to prevent this from happening to other customers.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

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 traveller

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

Travelled 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

Travelled 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 traveller

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 !