Kiara Lodge

South Africa , Free State
Dihlabeng, Golden Gate Road
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46 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2026

ADETTE

I was pleasantly surprised. We had an awesome weekend and everyone at the lodge were so friendly and helpfull.
Already made our next booking for Kiara Lodge.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2024

Ettiene

It was hood

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2024

Kaspar

Very good value for money

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2023

Steve

Stop over

It’s a lovely place very family friendly

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2022

Craig

Great stay at Kiara Lodge

I had a great two night stay at Kiara Lodge. My apartment was well appointed, clean and well serviced.
Wi-fi and amenities all worked well.
Recommended place to stay.

Self

4/10

Poor

17 Aug 2021

Disappointing

We booked at Kiara Lodge because of the facilities they offered (cause no one just stay 12km out side of the nearest town) The hot water pools (which was supposed to be open on 1 Aug) was still closed on 13 Aug. The game room was disappointing. the xbox dont have remotes and if you have kids you know an xbox without a remote is usless. The other game console is a PS2 which is very out dated. The rest of the games in the game room was either broken or missing parts.
There is absolutely no signal at this lodge and the \"Free wifi\" they advertise is only 100MB :(
They (over) charge for absolutely everything. I am surprised that we did not get a bill for the oxygen we breathed over the weekend. This place is over rated and way over priced. Honestly we could have stayed at the Protea Hotel in Clarence and paid less.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2021

Joy

Great mid-week getaway for the family

Very unique and picturesque location with a quiet, comfortable feel. Children are safe to go to the play area while the adults enjoy a cappuccino at the restaurant. Many outdoor activities kept us busy all week.
The accommodation was modern and clean and offered a cosy rest at the end of a long, busy day with a beautiful roaring fire.
The staff are amazing, friendly and ready to assist.
I am booking my next stay there very soon.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Lots of activities, great for a family/friend get together. Very scenic and picturesque.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

Great resort but a bit disappointed that some facilities for kids like the jumping pillow was broken and there kids activities were not taking place .

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

11 Jan 2021

Vickash

Big Dissapointment

We saved for an entire year to be able to go to a nice place. The checking took a long time. We finally got to our unit and settled in... the Channels on the decoder was not working. The maintenance guy was not able to fix it, The wifi stopped working was never, The games room was locked, The jacuzzi in the pool area never worked. When we asked the pool guy he was very rude and said it comes on automatically, which it never did. None of this was rectified our entire stay. We spoke with some other familys and they had been there 2 or more days before us and they cinfirmed, that it was the same way since their arrival.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jan 2020

Ashlin

Awesome Weekend Break

Excellent Stay at Kiara Lodge, the facilities at the resort are excellent and the staff very accommodating.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2019

Colin

Comfortable, modern apartment

We enjoyed our stay here, despite the terrible summer weather! It was a family trip, and the 3 bedroom apartment we stayed in was very high quality with lots of new, modern fittings. Also appreciated the DSTV channels. On site restaurant was good, and enjoyed the walks on the property and mini golf. Clarens and the Golden Gate National Park are both a very short drive away. Only thing I would criticise is service levels could sometimes be lacking. But would definitely stay again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

The unit we stayed in was clean, modern and well furnished with just about everything one needs. The resort caters perfectly for families!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2019

Mmanko

Best accommodation ever

Family

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2019

Izak

Happy 30 anniversaty

Good and clean friendly service ,very good at restaurant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

The property is located just outside the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, in a beautiful area. We stayed in a family chalet, that was really nicely furnished, clean and tidy. There was plenty to do for my 2-year-old niece - outdoor and indoor play areas, indoor swimming pools, and rabbits. We enjoyed nice walks in the area, BBQ facilities in or chalet and peacefulness.

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

05 Jan 2019

Christa

Great Location

Great Location

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2018

Venessa

Picture Perfect

Gorgeous rooms, comfortable very modern. Loved the fire place and electrical blankets.
Definitely going again soon, one of our favourite places. Beautiful views.
Butternut soup was Devine!
Close to the beautiful little town.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2018

David

Kiara Lodge review

Great weekend breakaway and quality time spent with family.

Kiara always consistent in terms it top class facilities and service.

Family

8/10

Excellent

04 Apr 2018

Nabil

Stay was great

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Mar 2018

Jane

Very pleasant stay

Very good resort, in lovely surroundings and close to attractive town of Clarins. Only complaint was that I emailed resort before arrival (having unsuccessfully tried to ring a couple of times) with a query and request and email was neither responded to or acted upon

Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

The place we had was excellent .service was excellent too .facilities for little kids was excellent too bonus its indoor play area .

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2018

Gareth

Nice location and units

We arrived for 2 nights, reception staff could not find our booking (they did eventually)
The unit was clean nice amenities comfy bed etc
our main issue was a leaking boiler necessitating a room move on day 2.No help moving all our stuff including fridge and groceries.No apology for the considerable inconvenience and no token of compensation.
The wi fi was never available in the unit

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Family Holiday

The Hotel was excellent and clean. Three facilities for family and children are great. The only downside was that there is no lifeguards as the pool area and no warning signs that the steps rapidly lead to a deep end. The last point was some of the reception staff are rude and some are racist, which has been a complaint from other patrons.

Family

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2018

Fantastic resort with the worst reception staff

Fantastic resort with the worst reception staff

Fantastic resort, stunning location, great scenery, Kiara Lodge is probably the best resort I have been to in ages, this stay would have been so much greater had it not been for their most foolish bunch of racist reception staff, the most unfriendly and unwelcoming reception staff in any resort. Many people at the resort had similar complaints but to no avail because there seems to be a strong link between reception staff and management. I will definitely take up this case to the owners of Kiara and hopefully they will sort this issue. For now all I can say is that Kiara Lodge is probably the most beautiful resort in its region and definitely I would rate it as 5star had it not been for the most unfriendly and unhelpful reception staff. I can say more regarding them but I don't wish to further embarrass them. The truth will soon be exposed to the board of directors who will hopefully handle this bunch of guys who fail to display good character especially to guests of the resort.
Sorry I just forgot to mention that the rest of the staff from security to the house keeping etc were amazing, wonderful and great people....
Thanks

Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Jan 2018

John

Beautiful surroundings

Clean and well maintained.
Good beds.
Not all units have good views...best check .
Conveniently located...2 kms to Golden gate & 15 kms to Clarens

Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Nov 2017

Janet

Lovely stopover place

What a lovely site. Family friendly with mix of activities , lovely pool .
Local walks and climbs.
Nearest place( Clarens ) is a drive away so restaurant on site is useful.
Lodge we stayed in was very nicely decorated and cosy in the thunder storm.
Would stay again on a trip to Durban

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Oct 2017

Cathy

Finally made it~

The stay was way too short! We stayed at one of the self catering unit. It really would have comfortably catered for a family of 6 if they don't mind the sleeper sofa~
The only catch is that is that it's so far from local grocery store. If one forgot something, you need to drive about 18km to buy it.

Family

8/10

Excellent

31 May 2017

Andre

Good stay near Clarens

Comfortable stay in a beautiful area with lots to do. Just be warned that the restaurant closes early for dinner due to staff's transport.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2017

Haili

The two night stay was nice

The two night stay was nice. Located at the entrance of Golden Gate. Generally the area was a bit cold in end of May. But the facilities were perfect - inside the unit or in the resort. Indoor heated pool and the Jacuzzi is definitely the selling point even we didn't use it. The view and the hiking trails are also very good. Enjoyed our stay. The only disappointing thing was that I booked for a family of six including two kids but only got a four-sleeper unit and was blamed for overloading until I showed the receptionist my confirmation letter. Also you have to pay for WIFI.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2017

Sydney

Well accepted , stayed in comfort , Clean unit , over all clean on the resort. Food at the restaurant highly recommended.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Apr 2017

Alfred R

We were disappointed that the pool was not available when we were there due to refurbishment. It would have been good to receive some warning about this, or compensation, as it was an imprortant part of our holiday, and we had particularly chosen a venue with a pool

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Mar 2017

Francois

The resort is just getting beter and beter. Fantastic holiday destination

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2017

ernie

Had a good few days, enjoyed the ambiance and good service. Restaurant excellent

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

31 Oct 2016

Chad

No pool available- disappointing

Disappointing that there was no advice that outdoor pool was under construction and not available. What was worse was being told on check-in that the indoor pool would be available, and then find out when we go down there that it's closed for private function. Not great for two toddlers who were excited to go swimming.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Oct 2016

Conrad

A good place to stay

We had a very lovely stay at Kiara. The rabbits add character to the place. Gardens are lovely and well looked after. Room was always tidy and clean after being serviced. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Kiara is less than 5 minutes away from golden gate national park, and 15 minutes away from Clarens. I would happily recommend Kiara to my friends and family and will return for a future stay. :)

A few negative but addressable comments:
1. Significant pressure drop of water during shower. Two taps couldnt be fully open simultaneously. Install booster-pumps to ensure constant pressure?
2. Warm water took an awful long time to arrive at the taps (what a waste of water in a country where water scarcity is a real issue, sorry I'm pedantic about our environment).

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2016

Julie

A magic weekend away

We had a lovely peaceful time. The only thing wrong was the trip was way too short as there is so much to see and do in the area. Will definitely be back.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2016

Nomboniso

Hidden gem at the entrance to the Golden Gate

This place is just outside the city center of Clarens just before you get to the Golden Gate and it's designed to take you out of the mad rush and helps you find your centre, the rooms are spacious with full kitchens and there is some renovations happening so it will get prettier as time goes.

8/10

Excellent

04 Jan 2016

jason

free state countryside

Great location for Golden Gate park and Clarens

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2015

Anton

lovely retreat

Lovely retreat nestled in the mountains with great views and comfortable accommodation.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2015

Yannis

Quite, clean, and pleasant lodge

Very pleasant stay. Impress with the cleaness. All conforts that you need.

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2015

Enver

family breakaway.

It was awesome, very nice place to stay.

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Nov 2019

Michaela

Die Bungalows sind hervorragend ausgestattet, das Bett war bequem, die Lage ist super nur das Wifi lässt zu wünschen übrig. Kostenfreie Datennutzung ist auf täglich 100 mb begrenzt und im Bungalow war gar kein Empfang.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Es hätte so schön sein können

Die Apartments sind ganz gut, schöne Küche, 2 Schlafzimmer, 2 Bäder, Balkon. Aber harte Betten, wackelnde Toilettendeckel. Beim Einchecken bekommt man die Inventarliste, die man kontrollieren soll. Ist das nicht Aufgabe des Reinigungspersonals? Viele Zusatzkosten wie WLAN, Billard, Minigolf, Tischtennis. Check out schon um 9.00 Uhr morgens! Jede Stunde, die man länger bleibt, wird in Rechnung gestellt. Schönes Hallenbad, aber es gibt keine Umkleiden und der Hottub ist zu kühl. Um 8.30 Uhr morgens, wir saßen gerade beim Frühstück, wollte ein Hausmeister in unserem Apartment irgendwas montieren. Kann man das nicht machen, wenn wir wieder weg sind?

Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2017

Verified traveler

pretty good but...

the Lodge is located in a resort, offering good services, you can play snooker, mini golf, tennis... all included. a good restaurant is also available.

I don't have many complaints but :
- the bathroom un our unit had ni shower option. we had to take Bath the morning to get clean... pretty confusing. but the unit was great, with every go needed for self catering, New equipement (fridge, TV..)

- the main concern was the reception. I didn't feel welcomed, pretty rude explanation of how to get to the unit. i asked to repeat, i got the feeling to have insulted the woman, it went tense. Bad experience.

8/10

Excellent

13 Jun 2016

Tsu Tzu

品質佳的SPA中心，CP值高的飯店，飯店內設施應有盡有

2年前就經過這個飯店，當時就想以後要來住，後來Hotel訂房網站上隨便找的，沒想到一到達才發現是我2年前想住的飯店，最棒的是，你可以一整天都待在飯店裡不用出門，因為飯店裡設施應有盡有，且老少咸宜，有小型高爾夫球場.孩童遊戲區.大人視聽娛樂區.XBOX三台等等，以及飯店內設有一家餐廳和酒吧。飯店著名的還有一間SPA中心，服務品質很好，算是在南非數一數二。選定好SPA療程後，會進去蒸氣室20分中，服務很周到，還提供茶水以補充蒸氣室流失的水分，接著才會帶入SPA房間。

Family