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The true Drakensberg experience still exists

The Nest does it best…

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The Nest Hotel is a delightful family resort and one of the best places to stay in the Drakensberg. Our family run hotel is located in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Since opening our doors in 1933, we have built up a loyal following of guests who return year after year. Come and stay with us and experience delicious country style food, spectacular gardens, wonderful facilities, relaxing accommodation and friendly staff. We offer great value and are one of the few hotels that offer breakfast and dinner plus morning and afternoon teas at excellent rates.

The Central Drakensberg is one of the favourite holidays, wedding and conference destinations in the country. There is no doubt that the Drakensberg is special and what makes it special is the most magnificent mountainous wilderness areas in Africa. Famous for popular hiking routes that draw thousands of adventurous souls every year and trails suitable for families too. The Drakensberg is home to towering cliffs, magnificent waterfalls and ancient rock sites. It is an impressive year-round destination with enough adventure activities to keep the whole family entertained.

Relax and enjoy exquisite views over the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Mountains or partake in one of the many activities on offer. The Nest Hotel is a special place in the Valley and it is steeped in history and adventure.

What We Offer

Dining

Conferences

Weddings

Spa

See what our guests say

You don’t need to book a room with a view to enjoy your stay. We stayed in a lovely rondawel for an evening and absolutely loved it. The location is ideal, close to all the Monk’s Cowl camp ground and surrounded by beautiful farms and scenic mountain views. Eventhough it was too cold for a swim, the pool was clean and inviting. The lounge was filled with kids watching a projected movie on the big screen while moms and dads enjoyed the adjacent restaurant and pub. The walking path to Hippo pools was marked well once you’re away from the rooms, but it would have been nice to sit at a table and bench to enjoy the view.

Nikita Nel

Spent the night there to watch the Drakensberg Boys Choir, it ticked all the boxes, cosy, friendly, great service, stunning, and I mean stunning views, everything you need for a good night’s rest in a beautiful setting. The staff were very friendly and helpful as well.

Ken Waterhouse

Wow 10 out of 10 the views from the beautiful resort are absolutely stunning, not to mention the friendly and helpful staff. The service and food was excellent and the owners will always go out of the way to come and great you. I cant wait for my next hoilday. Well done Team Nest

Belinda Meyer

Oozing with old world charm lies this delightful hotel at the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. We’ve been a couple of times over the years and this time around we stopped over for the night and it must surely be the best of them all. The rooms are homely, very spacious and even have a radio built into the wall which I absolutely loved. You don’t get that anymore with all the technology around these days. The food was of an exceptionally high quality and the service we received from OD was topnotch. In fact all the staff members were just so warm and friendly that they were an absolute pleasure to be around and engage with. This quick overnighter had to be one of the highlights of our trip. Thank you for a very memorable stay and we will most definitely be back for another dose of pure nostalgia.

Dena

Awesome stay with our family! Excellent service, quality food, super clean rooms, unmatched value! There are many hotels and accommodation venues that could learn from The Nest. We will DEFINITELY be back!

Quinn Raut

I always love staying at The Nest Hotel. The gracious old dame is beautiful, the rooms are always well appointed and pristinely clean, the meals are wonderful and the service is always warm and friendly. Home away from home. Bring your family and enjoy what this beautiful resort hotel has to offer.

Gus Behn

Absolutely superb hotel nestled in the heart of the Drakensberg mountains. We stayed there over the weekend with the family and we had the greatest time. The food and service were especially excellent as despite having a large group (11 people) and several dietary restrictions and some fussy kids. The dining manager and chef went above and beyond to ensure we all enjoyed our food. The meals we had there was truly superb and one of the highlights of our trips. The rooms were well furnished and clean, even including luxuries such as underfloor heating and heated towel racks. The pool and playgrounds were a great source of entertainment for the children, with the bowls greens providing great entertainment for the adults. We absolutely loved staying here, would highly recommend!

Adrian Green

We had a wonderful stay during my daughters birthday, she had a bed full of balloons and a cake waiting for her. The meals were great and lots to do for the children.
When it was time to leave, Durban was hit with looting and fires and we tried to get back home and were stuck in the middle of it, we turned around and The Nest welcomed us with open arms, we had to stay a few more nights and they were so accommodating. Putting on special activities to keep the kids busy and the adults too, it was an extremely stressful time for all but the hotel did everything they could to help, even going out of their way to tell us where to get food from.
Such an amazing staff and hotel. We are forever grateful for your help.

Jen

The Nest is one of the best hidden treasures in KZN! We had a weekend stay in celebration my mom’s birthday this weekend and we didn’t want to leave! From the glorious mountain views, to the most enthusiastic and friendly service I have ever received to very delicious food that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Thank you Londiwe for always responding to me when I was querying about my booking, thanks Zama for entertaining and caring for my 8 year old who won’t stop raving about you, thanks Lethi and the manager of the dining facilities (sorry I can’t recall your name) for always being on hand and giving the best food and service. I can’t wait to come back.

Thandiwe Mthethwa

Great old school setting. Love that they made it through the lockdown etc. Dinner, bed & breakfast so an ideal base to explore the region. For us, Grotto trail tomorrow followed by an hour on quads biked. Sunday morning an early canopy zip line followed by a trail, yet to decide which. Plan to chillax Monday morning then a hop, skippity, jump, 3 1/2 hours and we’re home. Get out here, it’s not ‘larney’ but it’s ‘lekker’ and it’s certainly earned its place under the African sun.

Darren Cooper

We got exactly what we were after, a relaxing, stress free, informal setting! All of the staff with whom we had contact, gave us great service, e.g. reception (all the ladies), dining room (Jacques and Heidi, and the gentleman who was on duty on Monday evening), cleaning service ladies, security guards, grounds staff (the pool cleaner), and everyone whom we bumped into. Everyone was friendly and wanting to please. We were very impressed with the service! Oh yes, and the food was excellent!

Vernon Anley

GOOD: Everything. The place is clean and stunningly beautiful and the staff are all amazing. Lots and lots of things to do for every age but also perfect as a quiet get away. Food was excellent, service was excellent and the rooms were charming and comfortable. BAD: Having to go home!

Nicole

We absolutely loved every moment of our stay at the Nest Hotel. It is situated in a great location and has the most exquisitely kept gardens with the most beautiful flower beds. Every member of staff was super friendly, professional and friendly. Our room was spotlessly clean and comfortable with a lovely view over the mountains. The food was incredible! Our dinner was superb with a delectable red lentil soup, followed by a Caprese salad starter and then a fabulous fillet steak with mushroom sauce. We were too full to even try the dessert! I went on a 20km trail run from the hotel the next morning which was glorious – part of the Cathkin Trails. Well marked route and not too many hectic hills. There are lots of jungle gyms and trampolines to keep children busy as well as beautiful sparkling blue pool for those hot summer days. We cannot wait to visit again!

Julie Q

The Place was breathtaking. absolutely beautiful. the staff and employees were professional, helpful and very friendly. The food was delicious. will definitely be going back and would recommend to everyone.

Vilencia

A wonderful location with idyllic views of the berg, the Nest provides unbeatable value for money in today’s day and age. The staff, to a man and woman, are exceptional and are the heartbeat of this owner run, charming establishment, built on traditional values of service and hospitality. It would be unfair to single any one individual out, but for the record, Heidi is a gem. The food, both in quality and variety is top drawer and plentiful, whilst the accommodation, although a little dated, is well maintained and spotlessly clean. The Covid protocols are thorough and diligently observed, without being overly intrusive. In closing, if you want the Ritz, go to the Ritz – however if you want a “Home from Home” go to the Nest. We have been before and we will return again.

Mike K

Wow, what a gem in the Drakensberg. Friendly, way beyond what is expected, food is really good home cooked type meals, served with love. Rooms are more than comfortable, everything is spotlessly clean. A place to relax for a few days looked after by really stunningly dedicated happy staff. Thank you to the Nest for an exceptional Christmas stay.

R Gray-Wilson

Accommodation

Nest Rondavel rooms

Garden Rondavel

Family garden rondavel

Family Garden Unit

Mountain view rooms

Mountain View

Family Mountain view rooms

Family Mountain View