We have repeatedly traveled to South Africa and always enjoyed the wonderful hospitality. However, the generosity, attention and kindness of Rob and Aimee exceeded our expectations by far. It is for this very reason - and actually for them personally - that we have decided to write our first review ever. Please do expect a clean and very eco-friendly accommodation, the most caring and respectful hosts, very relaxed and friendly dogs, a lovely breakfast cooked in front of your eyes as well as great advice on where to dine in Graaff-Reinet. It is truly enchanting.

What stood out was the warmth of the welcome and the sound advice from Rob - 'chill, you only go up to the Valley of Desolation for sunset.' So the garden and pool allowed one to cool down and relax after an exceptionally hot drive. The patio area in summer with a coffee station and if you travel in winter the beautifully decorated lounge make you feel at home. So do Aimee and the staff who organised breakfast and tailored to my requirements. And there was the early warning message about the lack of options to eat on a Sunday night and sound advice about where to go for dinner - I opted to get a takeaway from Frontiers and have it at a viewing point in the mountains......

After a long drive from Port Elizabeth, we arrived to a lovely welcome from Aimee & Rob at The Whyte House. The property is a veritable oasis within the charming & historic town of Graaf Reinet, and our suite was extremely large, very stylish & equipped with everything we could possibly need. Rob was a font of knowledge, and sent us off to see the sunset at the nearby Valley of Desolation in Camdeboo National Park that evening, as well as an excellent recommendation for dinner afterwards at Hello You restaurant in town. Breakfast the next morning was delicious (thank you Aimee!) & before setting off, Rob gave us more great tips for stop-offs en route to Oudtshoorn. We cannot recommend The Whyte House highly enough.

I only wish we’d booked to stay for more than one night.

Beautiful room and common areas. Beautiful manicured garden with pool (we did not try the pool). The hosts were outstanding and went out of their way to get us medication since we were both unwell. We loved the little gardening patch with its fruit trees and veggies. We loved the proximity to the Camdeboo national park with its Valley of Desolation. Most of all, we loved that we could watch the stars from the little patio chairs outside our room

There was nothing we didn’t like

Everything.. We arrived on an extremely hot day. Our room was cooled ahead of our arrival. The pool was a great bonus to cool off in the extreme heat. Our room was amazing and it had everything we needed. The breakfast was an absolute treat with freshly baked bread and delicious coffee which is crucial ahead of a long drive. We were close to the valley of desolation and close to Hello You , one of the best restaurants in Graaf Reinette. I can highly recommend staying at The Whyte House.

We couldn’t stay longer.

The guesthouse is beautifully built and well laid out. The pool is black, which adds warmth, despite the fact that it was May (not that we swam, a bit too cold for that). Rob and Aimee are a wonderful couple that looked after us very well. The bathroom is enormous, the bedroom is spacious and the bed has an electric blanket. There is plenty of communal space, which is both inviting and comfortable. As the entire property has solar power, you are never without lights or charging ability. Interacting with other guests over the sumptuous breakfast was another highlight. We will happily go back.

With all the loadshedding South Africa is experiencing, many things are affected, even with Rob's high tech solar equipment. Hence I had a cold shower, HOWEVER, if I had just told Rob, he would have sorted it out within 2 minutes as he did for my wife. Please don't shower cold, speak with Rob.

The service was immaculate. Very nice breakfast. The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff were amazing. Because we arrived on a Monday when most of the restaurants are closed, our host had the foresight to offer a booking at a restaurant on our behalf. How amazing is that! And the restaurant she referred us to was also amazing!

I am being fussy now. Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the shower water to get warmer, or maybe the load shedding didn't warm the water enough but I would have appreciated a bit warmer water, although in all fairness it was just warm enough.

Wauw, what a stay! First of all what a fantastic location. The looks, style and atmosphere of this building are magnificent. Second the host Rob and his staff were really providing all kind of tips (things to visit, places to eat and get Coffee,...) to get the maximum out of our stay. Furthermore everyone was superfriendly. Breakfast was great. The room was spacious and had style. No loadshedding! Could have stayed here for longer...

I only could stay there one night...

From the moment we arrived, Rob and Aimee made us feel welcome and completely comfortable. They treated us like old friends and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Whyte House. Plenty of little extra touches went a long way in making our stay even more enjoyable e.g. the complimentary freshly baked banana bread for afternoon tea, back up solar power, wifi etc. etc

Even though the room was very well appointed with attention to detail, the only thing that would have made our stay more comfortable would be if the aircon was working. The weather was extremely hot and the fan was not sufficient to ensure a comfortable sleep considering the high summer temperatures. But overall thank you for an awesome stay.

The accommodation is spacious, clean and v comfortable. It is set in a very quiet delightful garden setting with plentiful sun beds, a lovely decent sized pool and lots of sheltered outdoor seating areas including breakfast. The hosts were super helpful and the Valley of Desolation is well worth a visit , go around 4pm and to the 1 hr rim walk.

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