Hogsback Arminel Self catering Cottages

Beautiful views,tranquil and safe.

Firstly it goes without saying that the staff are amazing, we received a really warm welcome and check in was simple and easy.The views especially when misty were top notch. Overall it was really good. Unfortunately the hotel is what brings it down.

My family has stayed at the Arminel for over 25 years. It is the only place we have ever stayed when visiting Hogsback, for both personal and professional trips, so the property holds a huge amount of sentimental value for us. I have incredibly fond childhood memories of running around the property in freezing temperatures and getting a hot chocolate from the dining room. For us, the Arminel was never simply a hotel; it was part of our family memories and our Hogsback experience. Unfortunately, we hadn't been back in a while, and although our previous visit wasn't perfect, we were still extremely excited to return. That excitement quickly disappeared when we discovered the hotel had been closed for some time. We booked the self-catering side instead, as it was the closest experience we could get to what we remembered. Sadly, the neglect of the property is impossible to ignore. The once-beautiful hotel is essentially boarded up apart from reception. The restaurant, bar, lounge and spa are gone, and even the pool has been severely neglected. It looked more like something I'd expect to see a crocodile swimming in at a zoo than a pool belonging to what was once a four-star hotel. Several amenities are also no longer available. The cottage itself was in a beautiful setting and reasonably pleasant, but it was extremely sparsely equipped and the furnishings felt cheap and completely out of place for a property of this calibre. Some of the cabinets looked like they belonged on Temu rather than in a multi-million-rand property. What makes this even more disappointing is that the Arminel is not exactly a budget option. We paid a fairly substantial rate compared with other accommodation options in the area, yet received none of the amenities or experience that would normally justify that price. There was also no discount or adjustment to the rate despite so many of the facilities no longer being available.

Location was fabulous. Accommodation was clean, comfortable and well maintained.

There was no hot water to shower. Eventually discovered on day 2 the geyser was not turned on. Choose a place specifically for a swimming pool during the month of January. The pool was not clean to swim. Unfortunately, I left my salt & pepper set as well as my potato peeler in the kitchen. Nobody contacted me about it.