Kedar Heritage Lodge, Conference Centre & Spa — Hotel in Rustenburg Local Municipality

This is mostly a positive reveiw of Kedar Lodge. The good: This lodge is a wonderfully peaceful place to stay. This is where you come when you want to get away from the world and just relax in a beautiful environment. The staff are all extremely friendly. They are not "Stepford" friendly, they seem to genuinely be lovely people. The gate guard, porter, receptionist and all the staff treated me with nothing but kindness and professionalism. The facilities are great. The pool is clean, safe and easily accessible. The pathways between units are clean and neat. The restaurant is cosy. The rooms are beautiful and tidy with enough space and I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that not only did my unit have a bath and a shower, but there was also a lovely private outdoor shower. There is also a fridge in the room. The food served is generally good, but from the food I saw being served, I think there are some items that would have been a let-down if I had ordered it. I had a curry, and it was really good though.

The not so good: Although the staff were very friendly, they were also remarkably inattentive. I was at the Hero Bar on the site. There were only two other tables with customers at the time, yet there were no menu available for me and the waitress had to take a menu from one of the other tables who were actually still using it. Throughout my time at the restaurant, I had to stand up and go to the waitress, each time I needed something, because she was not really aware of the tables. Again, When she did interact with me, she was extremely friendly, but she did not seem to be watching the tables to see if anyone needed anything. There seems to be a crisis with spoons and glasses at the restaurant. I ordered a curry with spparkling water for my evening meal, and at an up-market place like this, I was surprised that my sparkling water was simply given to me in the bottle without a glass. I did (stand up) to ask for a glass, but it never came. When my (delightfully saucy) curry was served, it did not come with a spoon, neither did the yoghurt it was served with. Yet again, I had to stand up to ask the waitress for a spoon. The following morning, when I had breakfast, there was a small buffet, which included scones and jam... but no spoons with which to scoop jam. Yet again, I had to stand up and ask for a spoon. Also, if you sit outside on the patio (like I did) itt seems you also have tto stand up to ask for salt and pepper. Then when I was given the salt and pepper, the salt shaker was empty and I ended up with dry rice bits on my eggs. Although the room was nicely decorated and comfortable, there were small things that again indicated a level of anattentiveness: one of the bedside lamps did not work. There is apparently a "No food or drink from outside" policy which I was not informed of when I made my booking. So when I got at the gate I was told that I had to literally throw my snacks in the trash before I could enter the property. Yet, there is no 24-hour shop or restaurant, so if you are a midnight snacker, of have specific eating habits, this might not be the place for you.

So to summarise: This is really a nice place to stay and my experience was overwhelmingly positive, yet there were small, easily fixable things that slightly marred...

Review: Kedar Lodge – A Beautiful Disappointment||It’s rare to visit a place where the potential is so tragically squandered. Kedar Lodge, with its rich history, beautiful grounds, and genuinely lovely staff, could and should be a gem in South Africa’s hospitality crown. Instead, what guests experience is a cold, disconnected, and poorly managed relic that’s being preserved more for its museum-like value than the comfort or satisfaction of paying guests.||Let’s start with the good, because the people working here deserve recognition. The staff are, without exaggeration, exceptional. Warm, helpful, and visibly doing their best under strained conditions. It’s unfortunate that they are clearly working under management who appear more concerned about the preservation of colonial-era memorabilia than the basic needs of their employees—or their guests.||The bathrooms are clean and modern, the rooms are decent, and the ambience of the estate itself is serene and picturesque. But that’s where the positives end.||Now, the problems:| • No Wi-Fi in the rooms. In 2025, this is unacceptable, especially for a lodge that positions itself as an upmarket escape. You’re effectively cut off unless you’re sitting in the cold lobby, huddled like the staff under blankets.| • The lobby is freezing. Not just mildly chilly—bitterly cold. And while there’s a fireplace right there, staff are apparently forbidden from using it because it may “damage the Anglo-Boer War photographs.” That’s right: human beings, including guests and hardworking employees, are left to freeze to preserve century-old pictures. The management’s priorities are truly stunning.| • Facilities are crumbling. No remote for the TV. Toasters that don’t work. And most disturbingly, a shower head that launched itself from the wall and struck my father on the head. The lack of attention to basic maintenance borders on negligence.| • No phones in the rooms. So, when the shower exploded or anything else went wrong, we had to physically walk back to reception to ask for help (in the cold, again).||Now let’s address the dishonesty. I was lied to by a so-called “manager” who dismissed my complaints and seemed more interested in covering up the cracks than fixing them. It’s infuriating to be treated like you’re the problem when you’re pointing out things that any reasonable guest would expect to be in working order.||The truth is that Kedar Lodge could be magnificent—but instead, it’s a place where great staff are used as human shields to protect ownership and management from accountability. The infrastructure is neglected, guests are treated as afterthoughts, and any warmth comes solely from the people—not the facilities.||Final verdict:|Unless serious changes are made, Kedar Lodge is little more than a cold museum with beds. Stay for the history if you must—but don’t expect comfort, connectivity, or management that cares. A frustrating experience in a location that deserves...

Kedar Heritage Lodge North West Province - On the way to Sun City Review by Wanita Sparrow

Tripping on Our Heritage - To create a better future, it is a good thing to understand the past.

The gang recently spent a lekker weekend, at what we initially thought was going to be “typical game lodge” experience. We honestly did not expect to arrive at a lodge where heritage, diverse history & warm service were all on the menu. Kedar Heritage Lodge's African style juxtaposed beautifully with the wildlife found on the property, that was once owned by Paul Kruger himself. I bet I was not the first to wonder if the Kruger millions were buried somewhere on the property.

The idea to incorporate our South African heritage and events, into a game lodge with such charm, will certainly capture the imagination of many local and international guests. It was the first time we stayed at a local venue where we actually acted like tourists, trying to capture absolutely everything, there is just so much that you want to remember. All the historical relics, everywhere on the property, made us feel like true historical explorers, whether it was in the reception, the restaurant, our absolutely elaborate “Presidential Suite” and even on our tour of the museum.

The décor and attention to detail in the “Presidential Suite” is antique and exquisite. The beds were super comfy, our own private pool and jacuzzi was a delight but our own “wildlife lookout tower” with a comfy bed swing, was absolute perfection for sundowners.

The spa in the bush, is neatly tucked away for privacy and was definitely a sublime affair. The kids loved the “Date Shakes” (milkshakes made from dates) and we have all been craving the steak rolls we had for lunch, since. One could sense that we were being hosted by a team with great camaraderie and a sincere understanding of hospitality, which made our stay most homely and unpretentious.

After an arvie of rugby in the pub, by Saturday evening, our dinner table had delightfully increased in size, with five new friends - this is why I love being a South African because this is what we do. Choice wine was flowing, served with well-prepared venison and lots of South African stories filled with laughter, chats about the past and hopes for the future was shared. Kedar is one of those spellbinding places, that leaves a nostalgic footprint in your heart. A MUST stay-over if heritage...