Email is the preferred contact – info@rorkesdrifthotel.com
You are welcome to call the hotel on (South Africa + 27) (0)79 259 2663 or (0)79 090 5252
Choosing to book direct will avoid misleading information from third parties, enables direct contact for tours, excursions and special requests; discount for stay of over two nights; deposit payment and balance at checkout.
To make life easier, you can now check our current availability for the next 12 months. You can judge how busy we may be when you wish to come, and thus judge if the premium price for a River View room is worth it; we will always allocate the best rooms at check-in. We will acknowledge with our formal Booking Confirmation.
Making planning easier still we offer you on-line deposit payment, direct to our bank to secure your booking.
Some of the reservations may be unconfirmed so if they coincide with your preferred dates, please check with us. Tour Operators are also welcome to use this access for reservations.
From the courtyard in the centre of the Fort you enter each spacious room which has a double or twin beds (please state your preference) and furnishings that include an occasional table and easy chairs beside the French window, which leads to an individual deck or outside seating area.
Guests may unpack into the hanging wardrobe and shelf storage cupboards which frame the well lit vanity that has a universal plug for personal electrical items. A writing desk completes the furniture with a hair dryer, clock and tea making set in each room. The fridge contains fresh milk and chilled water, and we offer a small selection of fresh fruit. Our tap water is drinking quality.
The ensuite shower room has double hand basins, a walk-in shower and separate toilet, all with ceiling over and modern lighting.
The lofty ceiling gives an open aspect and the ceiling fan and stable doors give a cooling flow of air if required. We supply a room heater for the winter but our regular sunshine and construction style makes the rooms cosy.
You can chose the name of your room from characters of the era of the battle from Dunne, Dabualamanzi, Reynolds*, King Shaka*, Byrne*, Schiess and Fynn in Fort 1; Durnford, Sihayo*, Chard*, Victoria R*, Dalton, Bromhead, Addendorf, Henderson & Hitch in Fort 2. Each room has full biographical details of the character, and a composite book with all names is available in the Library, so you can read all the detail without having to stay in every room!
*Indicates River View tariff.
All our accommodation is half board, meaning Dinner and Breakfast are included.
Lunch can be provided, with reasonable notice, at an additional rate.
Packed meals are also available with reasonable notice.
Dietary requirements must be mentioned prior to guest arrival.
All meals are served in the Shiyane Restaurant in the main building. Normal meal times are:
Supper is normally a set menu at 7pm and guests are invited to join up if they wish by gathering at The Kwa Jim Bar at about 6.30. Arrangements for meals outside these times should be made in advance; the all-day snack menu is available. Should you wish for a Safari packed lunch for the next day, kindly place your order before supper. Guests are respectfully requested not to consume food or drink that has not been provided by the Hotel. Should you wish to consume your own wine we ask for a corkage fee of R50 per bottle which will be added to your Bar Tab.
For your convenience, hospitality supplies are available for use in your room including fresh milk. Service in the Lounge is a chargeable menu item.
We have arrangements with local guides for visits to the Battlefields. The normal programme is to visit Isandlwana in the morning, take lunch here at the hotel and visit Rorke’s Drift in the afternoon. Rates per person depend on the number of guests and are available at Reception. Historian guides with their own transport are available from Dundee. Hotel staff will be pleased to guide you on The Bridle Trail; our local trails by the river; or up Shiyane, and we make a charge for these services. Your attention is drawn to the list of Activities, Local Trails and Local Destinations which form a part of this folder. Requests should be made to reception before 1700 daily for the following day.
Kindly vacate your room by 10:00 on the day of departure. Should you wish to extend your stay kindly contact reception, so that we may accommodate you or look after your luggage. Rooms are available for occupancy from 14:00 daily.
We regret that Wifi is not available at The Hotel but the good Vodacom signal will service data-enabled phones. Guests are welcome to access the internet for emails and bookings etc from the computer on the Mezzanine (service permitting). Use of IT devices in the dining room is discouraged.
All bills are settled at Reception and we accept cash and cards, but not Amex or Diners Club. The Bar will ask for your signature on your daily account which will become a part of your bill at checkout.
The Hotel has 18 staff in full and part time employment and they share equally all gratuities, since there are many unseen efforts that create the Hotel environment. Should you wish to recognize the level of service that you have received, then a contribution to the gratuity ‘pot’ at reception may be made or we can add a sum to your bill at checkout. We distribute gratuities when the pool reaches R100 each. You may nominate a staff member for special recognition (an additional R100) on the Comments sheet in this information pack.
We request a voluntary dress code for supper and in the Main Building after 1900. For the comfort of everyone it will be appreciated if gentlemen could wear a collared shirt, long trousers and no hat. Ladies are requested to use discretion and not to wear stiletto heels on our polished wooden floor.
We are confident in the honesty of our staff but please do not leave valuables or money visible in your room. A cash box is secured in your cupboard for the security of wallets or purses, passports etc and we advise that attractive items should be left in a closed suitcase. Kindly remember to take them when you depart.
The Hotel may lose electrical power from Eskom, the national electrical supplier, due to thunderstorms or scheduled ‘load shedding’. A candle and matches are in your cupboard and your room has an emergency lamp in a power socket. This lamp can be selected to work as a night light if required by moving the small switch on the side.
In line with current legislation smoking is not permitted in the public rooms or in any of the bedrooms of the hotel. On each outside deck there are sand-filled pots for extinguishing cigarette ends.
In the event of fire please leave the buildings as quickly as possible and assemble on the car park by your vehicle.
The hotel tap water is of drinking quality and comes from our own borehole. Water is on the tables for all meals. We thank guests for accepting a shower rather than a bath as a water saving measure. Kindly ensure that toilet cisterns have re-set after flushing.
The Hotel laundry service is at your disposal. Items for laundry should be listed and placed in the bag provided and handed to reception by 0800 for return by 1800 on the same day. In the event of wet weather we may not be able to dry clothing but will be please to return it to you at a lower cost in a plastic bag for treatment at your next destination.
The bed linen will be changed after a fourth night. Towels will be changed after a third night, but if you would like them changed earlier then please leave them on the bathroom floor.
Televisions are installed in the Bar, the Bushman Room Library, and in the Courier Rooms, with DSTV bouquet selection.
The swimming pool is available to all residents but please note the indicated depths, and there is a large rock at the end opposite the steps. Use of the pool is at your own risk. The bottom is dark to assist the solar heating. Please use the brown or coloured towels in your bathroom for the pool and on the loungers etc.
Staff are not permitted to fraternise with guests on the hotel premises, whether on duty or not, nor are they permitted to visit guests in any of the hotel accommodation or to receive hospitality from guests. Staff when off duty, are permitted to host their own guests.
Tours are outsourced. We are able to arrange with a tour guide however; we are not able to guarantee which tour guide will be available for the tour.
We do our best to arrange with a requested tour guide.
Rates for tours and tour guides may vary and are subject to change.
We are proud of our dishes that are all prepared by our local staff in our modern kitchen. We offer simple foods that are well prepared and vary our set dinner menus so that guests staying for several days can enjoy a range of local produce. For more detail, click on the links below:
