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The Royal Hotel

3.0 star property
Enjoy free breakfast at this 3-star Pilgrims Rest hotel

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Royal Hotel

Exterior
Restaurant
In-room safe, free cribs/infant beds
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, Central Garage Transport Museum
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Printing Museum
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, House Museum
    ‪2 min walk‬

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

In Pilgrims Rest .Steps from the hotel, you'll find Central Garage Transport Museum and Printing Museum. Also, House Museum is within half a mile (1 km) and Diggings Museum is within 2 miles (3 km).

What's nearby

  • Central Garage Transport Museum - 1 min walk - 0.0 miles
  • Printing Museum - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • House Museum - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
  • Diggings Museum - 17 min walk - 0.9 miles
  • God's Window - 23 min drive - 15.5 miles

Getting around

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

Restaurants

  • ‪Garden Shed - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Harrie's Pancakes - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Pointers Rest - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Graskop Gorge Lift Co. - ‬16 min drive
  • ‪Divine Foods At The View - ‬17 min drive

About this property

The Royal Hotel

Enjoy free breakfast at this 3-star Pilgrims Rest 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 safes and coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms include bathtubs and complimentary toiletries. Cribs/infant beds (complimentary) are also available. Housekeeping is provided daily.

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Property amenities

Family friendly

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

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

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

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

  • No pets allowed, but service animals are welcome

Children and extra beds

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

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
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

How close is The Royal Hotel to the airport?

The Royal Hotel is 68.2 mi (120-min drive) away from the Nelspruit (MQP-Kruger Mpumalanga Intl.) airport, the closest popular airport to the property.

Does The Royal Hotel have an airport shuttle?

Airport shuttle services are not available at The Royal Hotel.

Does The Royal Hotel offer free breakfast?

The Royal Hotel offers free buffet breakfast every day from 7 AM to 10 AM.

Is there a casino at The Royal Hotel?

No, there is no casino at this hotel.

What time is check-in at The Royal Hotel?

Check-in begins at 1 PM.

Is there free parking at The Royal Hotel?

This hotel offers free self parking.

Does The Royal Hotel have a pool?

The Royal Hotel does not have a pool.

Does The Royal Hotel have a restaurant?

Yes, there is a restaurant on site.

Does The Royal Hotel have a spa?

There are no spa services available at this hotel.

How close is The Royal Hotel to downtown Pilgrims Rest?

The Royal Hotel is 1.2 mi away from Pilgrims Rest.

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

5.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled 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 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 étape

Ancien hôtel plein de charme. Personel efficace et à 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 område med mer sevärd natur.

Anlände dit från Johannesburg via långa sträckor med pågående vägarbeten. Dåligt utmärkta vägar men m gps lyckades det försås. Staden liten, lugn och gammaldags, hotellet likaså. Finns ej mycket annat intressant att se än byggnaderna från guldruschtiden. Närheten till Blyde river canyon osv motiverar den lilla omvägen till Pilgrim,s rest
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

Wil, Caen

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

Hôtel très correct pour une nuit

Lieu atypique (ancien village de mineurs) Hôtel conservé comme en 1920, propre Personnel accueillant, nous avons même eu chacun une boîte bien remplie pour le petit déjeuner que nous ne pouvions prendre sur place car nous reprenions la route à 6h00 Très bon rapport qualité prix Arrêt recommandé à cet endroit Restauration possible pour le dîner en réservant
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 Goldgräber-Zeiten

Ort und Hotel bieten sich an für einen Zwischenstop zwischen Jo'burg und Krüger Park. Vom Airport ca. 4,5 Stunden Fahrtzeit, bis Krüger via Panorama Road mit Fotostops nochmals ca. 5,5 Stunden. Das Hotel vermittelt wunderbar die alte Goldgräber-Atmosphäre, 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 hôtel un peu par hasard puisque c'est Expedia qui nous y a relogés suite à un souci de réservation dans l'hôtel initialement prévu sur Graskop. Mais pour autant, nous n'avons pas été déçus. Le style de l'hôtel vaut franchement le détour, on se croit plus dans une maison de style colonial anglais que dans un hôtel 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 hôtel 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 !