Royal Hotel Bethulie

Reviews

• "Bethulie"

  14 April 2021

  "A delightful place to stay. Anthony was very interesting and Henrole gave us a wonderful tour of the town. Rooms could however do with updating!"

• "The host's stories"

  07 January 2020

  "Very interesting hotel with an attentive host who regaled us with stories on the history of the area. Dinner was a bit pricey for what was on offer so would eat elsewhere if I go back. No credit card facility so cash or EFT only for payments. Rooms basic but clean and comfy."

• "Anthony is a fantastic host and hotelier"

  02 January 2020

  "A very different and interesting visit Anthony is extremely informed and well-read his storytelling and conversations about South Africa and the Bethulie is most enlighting. Another visit is required to join him on the historic tours about Bethulie and surrounding area is a must"

• "Tour of the village with Anthony"

  06 September 2018

  "Informative and fascinating tour of the village, with a charming host."

• "A Unique Experience"

  25 June 2018

  "We enjoyed being shown around Bethulie and hearing entertaining stories from the past and the present from an authority like Anthony Hocking . We also felt very welcome at all times. The experience of staying amongst all those books and that vast record collection is also special. We stayed for two nights, and a trip to Gariep Dam wall is to be recommended. If you are interested in the history of this area and exploring an out of the way part of the country, you will not be dissapointed. There is a great possibilty that there will be fellow guests with similar interests who will make entertaining company."

• "20th dec. 2017"

  22 December 2017

  "a wonderful evening spent. Anthony is great host and the staff always had a smile. Most enjoyable dinner and breakfast. Don and Ryan"

• "Very good host"

  18 December 2017

  "A pleasant overnight stop"

• "A hidden gem"

  31 October 2017

  "On our way to Kruger Park my wife and I decided to stay over in Bethulie as we had heard about the amazing collection of books and LP records belonging to owner Anthony Hocking . It turned out to be far more than that, it is like stepping back in time. Anthony took us on a tour of Bethulie after our arrival and gave us an in depth description from the first house built in the Free State in the 1820s by French missionaries to the concentration camp and memorial of those who perished in them during the Anglo Boer war.What an incredible day, thank you Anthony, we will forever remember our special day in your hotel, completed by having breakfast to the LP of our choice from your collection of 80000 plus"

• "Nostalgic visit"

  30 August 2017

  "What a memorable experience. A hotel so special and unique, an owner so friendly and caring. Thank you for showing us Bethulie and for sharing so many interesting stories, I wish we could have stayed at the Royal Hotel for at least a week. Warm hospitality, fine wine, good music, scrumptious food all in a setting so reminiscent of the past. Thank you Anthony you made our stay so special. Your hotel is one of those places a person starts missing before you even leave, and once you have left, you know without any doubt, you will return."

• "Facinating review of the history of Bethulie & Boer war"

  16 July 2017

  "Delightful host and very interesting."

• "Best in Bethulie"

  09 July 2017

  "Best choice for Bethulie."

• "Historical tour of the town"

  23 June 2017

  "We enjoyed the ambience and the information about the area; the environment of books and music also very much to our taste. This is not a 'conventional' hotel, but a special experience for guests with such interests. We will certainly return for a different guided tour."

• "Talking to Anthony Hocking about Anglo American"

  02 June 2017

  "Loved the old Hotel with all the books"

• "Records, books and history."

  13 May 2017

  "Anthony is a great host, sharing his immense history knowledge with us and gong the extra mile. He showed us round Bethulie and arranged a classical piano recital for us. His collections of books and vinyl records are immense. The rooms are very comfortable. The Royal Hotel Bethulie is well worth a visit."

• "Wonderful experience"

  19 December 2016

  "What a surprise, lovely place, excellent hospitality"

• "Great Hospitality and a Unique Stay"

  14 October 2016

  "Anthony is a wonderful host and the staff are pleasant and efficient.<br/>Our room was very comfortable and the hotel is quite unique ! Loved the little town of Bethulie and Anthony even threw in a tour of the town's historical sites. A very unusual stay - highly recommended.<br/>Toni and Mike<br/>"

• "What an experience!"

  22 August 2016

  "Our host was amazing, helpful and friendly. We got welcomed by a tour of the town which was so great! The hotel was amazing, with all the books and records. We then got to sit around a fireplace and listen to records. What a spectacular experience!"

• "The special experience !"

  15 August 2016

  "If you are looking for a normal modern 5-stars rating than it is a rating that we cannot give. But we can give 5 Stars because the Hotel brought us back to the old times.Never before we could enjoy the show of so many books, a great library, everywhere in the Hotel .The room was excellent, also the dinner, and in particular the owner Tony was a wonderful person and guide, knowing the history of the Anglo-Boer War and Bethulie. Nobody else would do it better than Tony. Thanks ! We hope to go back to the Royal Hotel."

• "Quirky Bethulie Hotel"

  27 May 2016

  "We had a great overnight stop at the Royal Hotel in Bethulie. The rooms are basic but spacious and comfortable and good value for money. The hotel's main decoration appears to be literally thousands of books and LPs. Our host, Anthony Hocking, ensured that we were made welcome and took us on an informative and interesting tour of the town - he really knows his history, especially as regards the Anglo-Boer war. We'll be returning to Bethulie."

• "A place of amazing interest"

  01 May 2016

  "A rare find where past meets present through the tales of the owner of the hotel. Anthony Hocking is an amazing source of knowledge about Bethulie and the surrounding areas.&nbsp; He has a storyteller's way of making a memory come alive.&nbsp; The hotel has a character all of its own. Books line the walls, the fire roars at night and a nightcap is spent chatting to fellow guests. Dinner and Breakfast are in true "farm" tradition, hearty and tasty and wonderfully filling. My partner adds "Yummy".&nbsp; Do not look for "Banting" here. This food is so much better. While the rooms are basic, they have all that you need to be comfortable and they are extremely clean. Our short visit to this hotel has created a desire to come back for a longer stay and to explore more of the area in and around Bethulie.<br />"

• "Life enriching experience"

  16 April 2016

  "Our little stay at the Royal Hotel in Bethulie was one we will never forget. We were welcomed by the owner and host, Tony, The Book Man of Bethulie. He then offered to show us around this little gem of a town, oozing with history. We hopped on the back of Tony's bakkie and zoomed off to the best view spot in town on top of the hill. Tony also showed us the spot where the devastating concentration camps had once been as well as the memorial built for those who lost their lives.<div><br /></div><div>The rooms of the hotel are clean and spacious and the halls are decked, wall to wall with books and Vinyls. Select a vinyl and enjoy your home cooked "boerekos" . Tony has a wealth of knowledge to share and if you are interested, he is an amazing dinner mate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Certainly so much more than an overnight stop for us and we cannot wait for our second experience with Tony.</div>"

• "Something different"

  31 March 2016

  "What an awesomely interesting hotel. Warmly welcomed by the owner, charming old style hotel with a twist. Got wonderfully lost in all the books. Could stay a week!"

• "Delightful stay"

  11 January 2016

  "We had a delightful stop over in Bethulie in our way. Delicious food and full of history ! Tony is a wonderful host with lots of knowledge of the area. A definite must."

• "Well worth a stop over at this little gem !"

  18 February 2015

  "We could have so easily passed through Bethulie had it not been for an article in the Go Magazine featuring Tony and his beloved BOOKS and LP collection - from ceiling to floor throughout the Royal Hotel.The moment one arrives you have a trip down memory lane - particularly with the LP's. The rooms are very comfortable and the dinner was home-cooked and delicious. To our amazement and delight Tony took us for a 2 hour tour about Bethulie's history offer - the highlight for us was hearing the Anglo-Boer war tales and in particular all about the concentration camp that was positioned in Bethuliie -we went to the original site where it stood and also saw where they exhumed the bodies of many women and children, we also went to the station where these poors souls were bought in by train- all the original buidings still standing - Tony certainly knows his history and is a story teller of note - we could have listened to plenty more tales- but we have to keep some for next time!<div>thanks Tony for a fantastic stay - highly recommended.</div><div>Kevin and Debbie Byrne</div><div>Kloof</div><div>Kwazulu Natal.</div>"

• "GREAT EXPERIENCE, FABULOUS HOSTING"

  06 January 2015

  "If you are looking for something different, this is it. Made or journey fun to be on instead of just racing to our destination. Definitely worth the 30 or so kms to take a turn off to Bethulie for an over night stay on the road between Jhb and Cape Town."

• "A readers treasure"

  05 January 2015

  "The rooms are basic but clean and spacious, the food is home cooked meals that were delicious, but the hotel with wall to wall books and vinyls is a treasure and Tony Hocking provides a wonderful perspective on various aspects of the region and its history. We were lucky to also experience a classical pianist show for an hour that was truely memorable."

• "Good"

  30 October 2014

  "Great place to stay. Lots of information on the area. Good food."

• "The Hotel with no Name!"

  20 January 2014

  "The Royal Hotel has no sign outside to indicate that it is where it is! That is the first sign that it is something special and different. Tony is a charming host and a knowledgeable guide who gives a great deal of his time to his guests to make them feel welcome."

• "See it to believe it"

  08 January 2014

  "This is an exceptional hotel which has to be seen to be believed. Yes, the food is delicious, the rooms comfortable and the service superb, but it's the legendary walls of LPs and books, and the delightful owner Anthony, that make it so special. Try to leave a day spare to see some of the history of Bethulie - we had to leave, alas, and so are already planning another visit to this unique space. No description can do it justice - see it for yourself."

• "Interesting experience"

  05 January 2014

  "A thoroughly enjoyable experience!"

• "We had a lovely stay"

  27 November 2013

  "We had a lovely stay at the Royal Bethulie Hotel .We found the dcor of wall to wall books and vinyl records most unique .The room was old style large with high ceilings ,the huge double bed was just what we needed after a long journey.We really enjoyed the delicious home cooked supper and Anthonys knowledge of the local history including the concentration camp was fascinating. Value for money we rate our experience as 5 star."

• ""Do yourself a favour""

  13 November 2013

  "We received the "Royal" treatment at this hotel. The bedroom was clean and fresh with a King sized bed. En-suite bathroom with large shower. Crisply clean towels provided. Nelly's supper was tasty and nutritious - main dish and dessert. Breakfast- good selection of cereals, fruit and option of egg/bacon etc.Five star attention from our host Anthony whose knowledge of and passion for local history made our stay not only thoroughly enjoyable but deeply meaningful as well. The rates for this package are very reasonable. Our stay was too short but can honestly recommend the Royal experience at the Royal hotel."

• "Wonderful stay"

  27 September 2013

  "Thank you Tony for a wonderful stay! We certainly enjoyed ourselves very much indeed! See you again soon!"

• "Royal Hotel Bethulie"

  26 September 2013

  "It`s a very interesting place, especially all the books and LP`s in the passages, Tony is a very fascinating host and the food is also good, thank you for a very interesting stay."

• "Anthony Hocking is the best!"

  25 June 2013

  "The best of our very pleasant stay at the hotel was the personal attention of the owner, Anthony Hocking that we enjoyed. He told numerous stories about the town, the war, his books and previous connections in such an entertaining way. Wish we could stay much longer."