About this property

Comfortable Accommodation: The Aloes Farm - The Studio & The Gallery in Hilton offers a spacious apartment with a garden and terrace. Free WiFi is available throughout the property. Modern Amenities: Guests can enjoy a hot tub, family rooms, and barbecue facilities. Free on-site private parking is provided. The apartment includes a private bathroom, kitchen, and dining area. Local Attractions: Located 23 km from Pietermaritzburg Airport, the property is near Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve (15 km) and Howick Falls (17 km). Hiking and cycling activities are available. Guest Satisfaction: Highly rated by guests, the host is praised for excellent service.

Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 10 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

Property highlights

    • Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.7)

    • Free private parking available on-site


Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

Accommodation Type
Number of guests
 
Bedroom 1
1 large double bed
Bedroom 2
1 large double bed
Bedroom 3
2 single beds
Bedroom 1
1 large double bed
Bedroom 2
1 large double bed
Bedroom 3
1 single bed
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Guest reviews

Categories:

Staff
Facilities
Cleanliness
Comfort
Value for money
Location
Free WiFi

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Guests who stayed here loved

  • Keely
    South Africa South Africa
    The Studio is like a home away from home. Everything is so thoughtfully put together. Decent size coffee mugs, glasses etc. The extra touches with the milk, coffee, tea, hot chocolate! Even marshmallows to roast in the fire. Wood, charcoal and...
  • Mthembu
    South Africa South Africa
    I had a really pleasant stay. I liked everything about the place. It was comfortable, easy to find and move around. Host shared some great recommendations for local activities.
  • Ria
    South Africa South Africa
    The peace of the location is truly unmatched. The cottage has everything you could require!
  • Jason
    South Africa South Africa
    The Studio is impeccably clean. They have every appliance you might need, top quality cooking equipment and utensils. The decor is detailed and the outside table under the awning is a beautiful place to eat meals together. The fireplace is well...
  • Yvonne
    South Africa South Africa
    The place is spacious and has everything one would need. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we are comfortable.
  • Alexandra
    South Africa South Africa
    Such a comfortable and relaxing place to stay. Hosts were amazing. Beautifully decorated and well appointed with everything you need. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a break away from home. Dogs welcomed.
  • Roodt
    South Africa South Africa
    The hosts were super friendly and the house had everything we could possibly need.
  • Vaniera
    South Africa South Africa
    A truly amazing and peaceful stay in this beautifully decorated studio . It has a fully stocked kitchen , comfy beds and the personal touches of chocolate on each bed and a welcoming. It definitely has a country feel with the gentle mooing of the...
  • Lynette
    South Africa South Africa
    Awe inspiring!! I could easily live at the Gallery! Just up my alley! Tastefully furnished, spacious.. had everything we needed and more! Loved waking up to the sight of beautiful cows outside our bedroom window… Loved the attention to detail...
  • Denise
    South Africa South Africa
    We absolutely loved our stay at The Gallery. It was easy to communicate with Shelagh from the first email that I shared with her. She was there on our arrival and her friendly and kind welcome set the tone. The facilities were very good:...

Quality rating

Booking.com rated the quality of this property as 4 out of 5 based on factors such as facilities, size, location and services provided.

Hosted by Shelagh Lechmere-Oertel

9.8
Host review score
Shelagh Lechmere-Oertel
The Aloes Farm has two well appointed, stylish, pet-friendly 5 and 6-sleeper cottages bordering the Hilton College farmlands. The modern decor styles in each cottage complement the original art on the walls. The luxury beds are made up with crisp 100% percale cotton linen. The large patios bask in the afternoon sun & you can enjoy spacious views of farmlands & the Berg whilst sitting on the patio couches. Both cottages have Jetmaster fireplaces and are supplied with wood for guests to enjoy. The Aloes Farm doesn't experience any load shedding so guests can relax and have a break from worrying about loadshedding schedules! Unlimited Wi-Fi & a Smart TV with Netflix is provided in each cottage, along with an HDMI cable so that guests can use their own streaming devices. The excellent variety of Hilton restaurants and coffee shops are 5-10min away. One of the unique features of The Aloes Farm cottages is that all art works are originals painted by your host, Shelagh. All paintings are available for purchase, so the next time you visit there will probably new art on the walls! Both cottages also have their own organic vegetable gardens from which guests can pick fresh produce. You can enjoy freshly picked lettuce, herbs and spinach with your meals.
Richard and Shelagh Lechmere-Oertel have owned and lived on The Aloes Farm since 2013. Richard has worked from home as a consulting grassland ecologist and Shelagh has home-schooled their four children. With two children now at university, there has been more time available to develop the two cottages. Richard loves doing carpentry in his spare time, and most of the furniture in both cottages have been hand-crafted by him. When Shelagh isn't being a fulltime mum, she loves being creative and painting. Richard and Shelagh absolutely love meeting new people! Making people feel at home is a goal of theirs, and the thought of sharing their beautiful, peaceful surrounds with guests, invigorates them.
The Studio & The Gallery Cottages are situated on The Aloes Farm, which is an active 10 ha small-holding, bordering the Hilton College estate. This stunning property provides a unique combination of rural living just 5km from the N3 highway. Sitting astride the main dolerite ridge that extends from Hilton, the farm has spectacular panoramic views to the east overlooking Albert Falls Dam, & to the west towards the Drakensberg where The Giant can be seen silhouetted against the sunset on clear evenings. All these natural features contribute to an amazing sense of space and peace, and guests are welcome to walk through farmlands and natural veld. In the evenings guests can enjoy the call of jackal, the burble of fiery necked nightjars or the sharp whistles of reedbuck. One of the features that make one feel you truly are ‘getting away’ when you stay at The Aloes, is the fact that the last 2km you travel on before arriving at the cottage is dirt road. Despite having a rural atmosphere, The Aloes Farm is conveniently close to Hilton Village and the N3 highway, where there are plenty of excellent restaurants and coffee shops. The Aloes is conveniently situated close to many Hilton-based schools.
Language spoken: English

Property surroundings

House rules

The Aloes Farm - The Studio & The Gallery takes special requests - add in the next step!
Check-in
From 14:00
You'll need to let the property know in advance what time you'll arrive.
Check-out
Until 10:00
Cancellation/ prepayment
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check the conditions of your required option.
Children and beds

Child policies

Children of any age are welcome.

Children 3 years and above will be charged as adults at this property.

To see correct prices and occupancy information, please add the number of children in your group and their ages to your search.

Cot and extra bed policies

0 - 2 years
Extra bed upon request
Free
Cot upon request
Free

The number of extra beds and cots allowed is dependent on the option you choose. Please check your selected option for more information.

All cots and extra beds are subject to availability.

Age restriction
The minimum age for check-in is 21
Payments by Booking.com
Booking.com takes your payment on behalf of the property for this stay, but make sure you have cash for any extras once you get there.
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed.
Parties
Parties/events are not allowed
Quiet hours
Guests must be quiet between 22:00 and 06:00.
Pets
Pets are allowed. Charges may be applicable.

The fine print

Need-to-know information for guests at this property

When travelling with pets, please note that an extra charge of ZAR 250 per pet, per stay applies.

Please inform The Aloes Farm - The Studio & The Gallery in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.

This property will not accommodate hen, stag or similar parties.

Quiet hours are between 22:00:00 and 06:00:00.