Message from the general manager
With spring almost at an end and summer less than a month away, we are thrilled to have started receiving some rainfalls of late. Our rivers are starting to flow, meaning fuller waterfalls and perfect river pools to take a dip in during the heat of the day. The surrounding mountains and foothills are turning bright green, wildflowers are blooming and large herds of eland have been spotted on the hills. Our gardens are teeming with birdlife during the day, the call of the giant eagle owl is heard at night and the red-chested cuckoo, synonymous with summer, has returned to our wooded areas. Our Heritage Weekend celebration was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by our guests and staff. An adult and children heritage-themed entertainment programme was run, our staff celebrated their culture with traditional singing and dancing and our Head Chef and his team put together a delicious lunchtime braai menu and South African-themed buffet dinner.
As the end of the year draws nearer, we are thrilled to have successfully achieved all our planned upgrade objectives for the year. One more upgrade was completed in September and our next project is well on its way, with completion planned for the beginning of December.
The festive season is just around the corner and our exciting preparations have already begun. All our decorations have been unpacked, our famous Christmas and New Year’s Eve buffet menus are being planned, mince pies will soon be ordered and our festive adults and children’s entertainment programmes are organised.
For those of you who will not be able to join us for our 83rd Christmas and/or New Year, on behalf of the van der Riet family, management, and staff of Cathedral Peak Hotel, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!
Bruce Botes
Exciting upgrades continue
Our tennis courts are looking fantastic after their recent facelift. For our tennis enthusiasts, don’t worry if you forget your racket and balls at home, borrow ours from our Reception Desk – free of charge.
Earlier this year we completed the renovation of all the 300s bathrooms overlooking the swimming pool. Our current task is the upgrading of the older bathrooms in the very popular 50s block with views towards Baboon Rock. Although these renovations have only just begun, we are excited to see how these will turn out, particularly considering we are doing something a little different to these.
Black Friday voucher sale coming soon!
Black Friday is just around the corner and with it comes our incredible Black Friday Voucher sale – available for one week only from Monday, 21st November! With these vouchers, you can stay for 5 nights and only pay for 3, or stay for 3 nights and only pay for 2.
For two adults sharing a standard room pay only R11,350 for 5 nights or R 7,590 for 3 nights. Rates are inclusive of all meals and children (4 – 12 years) will receive a 50% discount off rack rates at the time of booking. Free upgrade subject to availability on arrival only
Vouchers are valid for stays from 1st Dec ’22 to 31st Oct ’23, excluding peak periods. Payment must be made by EFT within 48 hours. T’s & C’s apply.
To purchase a voucher send your email address to reservations@cathedralpeak.co.za from Monday 21st Nov ’22 until Sunday 28th Nov ’22. All enquiries will be responded to within 48 hours.
Celebrate the festive season with us
Cathedral Peak Hotel offers the ultimate festive family holiday getaway – with something for everyone. Guests who visit again and again will attest to the lively atmosphere, and the excitement of celebrating with family and friends in a magnificent setting.
For those joining us for Christmas, children have the opportunity of participating in our nativity play and carols by candlelight on 24th December (with a special appearance by Santa – please drop off the gifts for your children at our reception front desk by no later than 4pm on the day), and on Christmas morning a service will be held in the hotel’s chapel. The end of the day will be marked by pre-drinks on the hotel terrace followed by our famous Christmas buffet in the hotel dining room with live music by Chris Jensen.
During the week between Christmas and New Year our festive adults and children’s programmes events will continue with free daily guided walks, family quiz nights, arts and crafts, tractor and pony rides, climbing wall, horse rides, mini adventure golf and so much more for the whole family to enjoy.
New Year’s Eve will be marked by complimentary sparkling wine, an extravagant buffet dinner and a live performance by Chris Jensen!
Christmas is almost fully booked and we have limited rooms available for New Year, so make sure you enquire as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Plan your dream wedding at our exquisite mountain resort
From the majestic backdrop of the Drakensberg mountains, to a dedicated team committed to making your wedding a truly unforgettable day, Cathedral Peak Hotel is the perfect setting to start your new adventure together.
Vanessa and Bruce came all the way from the UK to get married at our hotel earlier this year and we were so delighted to be able to assist them in planning their wedding. Get a sneak peek of their special day in this beautifully shot and edited video by KOI Film Co. We wish them both nothing but the best!
Our Wedding Special, valid until 31st October 2023, offers a range of complimentary benefits and freebies to make your wedding truly memorable.
Our Wedding Special, valid until 31st October 2023,
offers a range of complimentary benefits and
freebies to make your wedding truly memorable.
Meet the Cathedral Peak Hotel Team
We are so privileged to have such a wonderful team that works together to provide our guests with the ultimate Drakensberg experience!
Sibusiso Dladla, our cheerful Maintenance Manager, has been working at Cathedral Peak Hotel for 8 years. S’bu loves being busy and working hard with his team as well as having a good working relationship with the rest of the Cathedral Peak Hotel Team.
We asked him what he enjoys doing in his spare time and responded saying: “I love to spend time with my kids and watching soccer, movies, cricket and rugby.”
Our very busy, hands-on Maintenance Team are the ones that ensure the successful running of our property from behind the scenes. They are responsible for keeping the lights on, maintaining the rooms and main buildings, ensuring our equipment is functional and well maintained and so much more, in order to keep our guests comfortable and happy during their stay with us. They are truly vital!
A very special mention goes to our talented welder Raphael Mpinga for dedicating 40 years of service to Cathedral Peak Hotel. He is currently our longest serving employee.
Thank you, Raphael, for your hard work and exceptional loyalty.
A visit to our local communities
A huge thank you to all our guests who have donated various items as part of our Pack for a Purpose campaign over the past few months! These items along with the donation of food parcels, sanitary items and clothes from Harvest Time Ministries were handed out to over 40 adults and children as well as 7 crèches in the local community leading up to the hotel.
The appreciation and gratitude we received was overwhelming and a reminder of the importance of giving back.
Cathedral Peak Hotel invites guests to celebrate the spirit of giving
We are dedicated to taking care of both the natural environment and the people who make up the communities surrounding our hotel. Through our involvement with Pack for a Purpose, we work to uplift local schools and provide them with the suitable equipment and tools needed in their schooling.
“The future depends on what we do in the present” – Mahatma Gandhi
Please join us this holiday season by finding a little extra space in your bag for some sorely-needed supplies to enable us to share the festive spirit. The Pack for a Purpose project will benefit children from preschool to high school, from ages 3 to 18 years old, living in the valley leading to the hotel.
Cathedral Peak Hotel selected as barn owl custodians
Earlier this year we installed two owl boxes; one for a pair of our resident spotted eagle-owls and the other to attract a pair of barn owls to our area.
Unfortunately, the attracting of barn owls was unsuccessful. However, we are excited to share that we were selected by the FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre as temporary custodians of a pair of juvenile barn owls. One juvenile was found in Mooi River with a severe concussion and the other was admitted as a chick from a damaged nest in Nottingham Road.
On the 9th of August, FreeMe came up to the hotel and installed a temporary enclosure for the pair of owls to enable us to feed them over a two-week period in preparation for their release.
An owl’s appetite is very much weather dependent meaning on warmer days they will eat less than on colder days. Whilst still in captivity we were required to feed them each evening with 2 to 3 day old chicks per owl. Any leftover food was removed as once it starts to rot, it can cause disease and illness.
By the end of August, they started to show signs of behavioural changes, becoming far more active and continuously looked for ways to get out of the enclosure. They were now ready for release. We left the enclosure door open on the evening of release to enable them to find their own way out once confident enough to do so.
We are thrilled that the release was successful and look forward to being involved in more FreeMe Rehabilitation Projects in the near future
Magnificent views in all directions
For those wanting to take a shorter, easier yet extremely rewarding walk, head off to the Lake Jarred viewpoint. The path leads you towards our beautiful mountain range where one can find benches situated above Lake Jarred, named after William’s son.
Most popular in the early morning or late afternoon, this site gives you the opportunity to relax and take in the breath-taking views, whilst keeping an eye out for eland, bushbuck and an array of birds. It is also ideal for enjoying a bottle of sparkling wine while watching the sunset behind Cathedral Peak.
The Cathedral Peak Hotel Story continued
Entertainment was and always will be an extremely important feature of our mountain resort. The development of the 1500-acre farm as a nature-lover’s retreat required the planning and implementation of a system of paths which Albert started during the war years.
With paths having been cut to enable guests to climb up the mountains, take dips in rock pools and marvel over beautiful waterfalls, “Pete” – a very popular Zulu guide – was employed to take guests on these walks. Horse-riding was also made available. One of the lounges was a popular place to gather in the evenings to listen to the war news broadcast over the wireless and then dance to music on the gramophone.
The hotel’s first cook was Abiziah and the first head waiter was Jeremiah. Food was in short supply due to the war and the hotel relied heavily on its own produce. A dairy, piggery and a couple of chicken runs were built, a vegetable garden was laid out and an orchard attempted. The orchard was unfortunately not a success because of the baboons residing in the area.
Today, many of the original lemon trees still thrive in the old vegetable garden, providing the hotel with lemons most of the year. The chicken runs have been extended and modernised, and an orchard of pecan nut trees planted by William van der Riet provides the pecan nuts used to make our famous pecan nut pie.
Some very satisfied customers
We are thrilled to continue to receive amazing reviews from our faithful regulars and our many first-timers. Giving our guests an idyllic and enjoyable experience is what we live for, and we look forward to welcoming you back again as soon as possible.
“What an amazing little golf course in the mountains. One of the most beautiful and well kept courses in South Africa. I have been around the country and this scenery is not to be beaten anywhere in South Africa. Well done to the staff and course designer.”
– 219jannied
“The most beautiful holiday for families! One thing we know for sure, they will never let you go hungry! If anything, you will be skipping meals because they supply an abundance of food throughout the day, best thing for kids as they get hungry at odd times. The hike was the best!! and i usually hate hikes – i did a short one to the waterfall – it was absolutely refreshing and rejuvenating! Can’t wait to go back!!”
– leeanne373
Escape to the mountains at discounted rates with these special offers
November Special
Valid from 1st to 30th Nov ‘22
Revel in long days perfect for exploring the majestic peaks and valleys around us, with the chance of epic afternoon thunderstorms, at an incredible 25% discount off rack rates. Discounted rates start from just R1420 per adult and R460 per child (4-12) per night, inclusive of all meals.
Min 2-night stay. New bookings only. Full prepayment within 48 hours via EFT only. T’s & C’s apply.
Summer Special
Valid 1st Dec ’22 to 31st Jan ’23, excl. 15th Dec ’22 to 2nd Jan ’23
Experience the majesty of summer in the Drakensberg at discounted rates with our Summer Special, seeing a 15% discount for adults and a 50% discount for kids (4-12) sharing. Discounted rates start from just R1610 per adult and R305 per child per night, inclusive of all meals.
Min 2-night stay. New bookings only. Full prepayment within 48 hours via EFT only. T’s & C’s apply.
Seniors Special
Valid 11th Jan to 28th Feb ’23, excl. 10th to 12th Feb ’23.
Join us for our Seniors Special, seeing a 30% discount off rack rates for all guests aged 60 and above. Discounted rates start from just R1325 per person per night, inclusive of all meals.
Valid for new bookings only. Full prepayment within 48 hours via EFT only. T’s & C’s apply.
