CATHEDRAL PEAK HOTEL Situated at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains Standard, deluxe and family rooms available Magnificent mountain views Wonderful walking and hiking

In recognition of its cultural and natural beauty, the Drakensberg mountain range has taken its rightful place on the international tourism stage with the proclamation of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park as a World Heritage Site.

Nestled in these unspoiled surroundings lies Cathedral Peak Hotel, one of the Country's premier resort hotels. Since the hotel first opened to guests in 1939, the van der Riet family has succeeded in offering warm hospitality combined with exceptional service and value for money.

Surrounded by some of the world's most stunning scenery, the hotel also enjoys the privilege of an abundance of game, birds, plants and rock art. These natural treasures, together with Cathedral Peak Hotel's many sport and recreational facilities, lure holiday-makers to this award-winning hotel time and time again.

When shadows reach down from lofty mountain peaks there is no better place than the hotel's terrace from which to admire the view and enjoy a sundowner.

In addition the Hotel offers a unique conference centre seating up to 200 delegates, a quaint stone and thatch chapel, reception venues and honeymoon suites ideal for that country style wedding and/or honeymoon.

Just 250km from Durban and 400km from Johannesburg, the famous Cathedral Peak Hotel is easily accessible to its many visitors from all over South Africa and abroad.

The breathtaking natural beauty that surrounds the resort is unsurpassable, while the superb facilities available are both varied and comprehensive.

Whether the aim is a relaxed family holiday or a romantic mountain getaway, the hospitable staff and management look forward to welcoming all guests to an unforgettable Drakensberg experience.

ACCOMMODATION:
Cathedral Peak Hotel offers a wide variety of accommodation:

* The comfortable en-suite Standard rooms with semi-private verandahs offer stunning views of the surrounding mountain range.
* The Standard Thatched Rooms are ideally situated in the beautiful Hotel gardens and can accommodate between 2 & 4 & 6 guests.
* Very spacious Deluxe Suites have a private verandah and garden boasting spectacular mountain views.
* The Interleading Family Deluxe Rooms are able to accommodate up to 4 guests in either twin or double beds. The suite comprises two comfortable double rooms separated by a sliding door and curtain. The first room is en-suite and the second room (including television) leads out onto the private varandah and garden with full mountain views.
* The well-appointed executive and honeymoon suites are set in secluded gardens. Each suite has been individually decorated to enhance its appeal and create a luxurious, intimate ambience. These suites all boast a large four poster bed, television, telephone, mini bar fridge, electric fireplace, underfloor heating, spa bath, and private verandah with breathtaking mountain views.
* The Mponjwane Presidential Suite boasts a fireplace, spa bath, steam bath, under floor heating, two televisions with full DSTV,air-conditioning, electric curtains opening onto a private verandah with spectacular mountain views. The suite is decorated in warm textured hues with high quality finishes and sophisticated lighting. The natural surroundings are introduced into the decor and guests staying in this immaculate suite have the use of a private golf cart for the duration of their stay.

HISTORY:
Many visitors drive the long winding road to the hotel, tucked into the mountains under the towering lava faces of the Drakensberg unaware of the history whispering in the winds - this is the story of the splendid mountain resort of Cathedral Peak Hotel...

Cathedral Peak Hotel, nestled in the valley where the San (Bushmen) people once hunted, is one of the most popular Hotels in the Natal Drakensberg. It's popularity owes as much to it's magnificent surroundings as it does to its founding family - the van der Riets. It exists through the vision of one man - Albert van der Riet. At the turn of the century the Cathedral Peak area was leased by a farmer by the name of Buys.

Philip van der Riet (father of Albert) farmed at Oliviershoek near what is today 'Oliviershoek Police Station'. Philip, with Albert's encouragement, bought the farm from Buys and in 1936 the first developments of the hotel began. Albert, living in the only building on the property - a small cottage - started by quarrying stone on the site where the hotel would be. Together with a handful of Basotho stonemasons, a start was made in 1937. The actual building of the hotel was, however, only part of their problems. Cathedral Peak Hotel is quite remote today, but in those early days, before motorised vehicles were as fast or as popular, this was even more of an obstacle. The closest road to the site was one from Bergville, but this went only as far as the Emmaus Mission Station. Undaunted Albert tried his hand at road building - and succeeded.

The hotel opened its doors to welcome the first guests on Christmas day 1939. During World War II it was a popular recuperating spot for injured troops from up North, and the hotel was also host to Prince Pahlevi, son of the Shah of Persia. Situated on 400ha of land, Cathedral Peak Hotel is unique in that it falls within the boundaries of the Cathedral Peak Nature Reserve, and nestles right up against the spectacular Cathedral Peak range of mountains. Visitors are able to enjoy the solitude of the mountains without the disruption of many other tourists.
Despite all the odds stacked against the hotel in those early days, the van der Riet family has always been able to extend warm hospitality to their guests and Cathedral Peak Hotel has grown over the years into one of the most popular and successful resorts in the Natal Drakensberg wonderland.

The Hotel is now owned by William (son of Albert van der Riet) and his wife Belinda.

HERITAGE:
The spectacular Drakensberg mountains have taken their rightful place on the international tourism stage with the proclaiming of the 243 000 hectare uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park on 29 November 2000 as a World Heritage Site (WHS) – the most recent addition to the four-strong South African WHS portfolio and only the twenty third site in the World to join the elite list of Mixed Heritage Sites.

In addition to recognising the unique natural beauty of the Berg, the WHS title also focuses world attention on the park’s rich collection of rock art, the last visible signs of the San People. In order for a site to be included in the World Heritage list it must meet one or more of the Natural Heritage Property or cultural heritage property criteria. The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park satisfied two of the four natural criteria and two of the cultural criteria.
International recognition was granted to its unique richness of biological diversity, its endemic and endangered species, its superlative natural beauty as well as its masterpieces of human creative genius in the form of tens of thousands of San rock paintings.

Within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park there are some 600 rock art sites, collectively representing over 35 000 individual images. Remarkably the rock art in the Park is better preserved than any other region south of the Sahara. The oldest painting on a rock shelter wall in the Park is about 2 400 years old, while more recent creations date back to the late nineteenth century.

With an abundance of game, birds and plants, as well as some of the word’s most stunning scenery and rock art, the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park is one of South Africa’s premier tourist attractions.

INDOOR ACTIVITIES:
The Hotel's many indoor facilities include table tennis, a games room, fully equipped gym with steam bath and a beauty therapist where you are encouraged to relax and be pampered with one of the many treatments available from Peak Performance Vitality Centre.

The elegant hotel dining room offers an extensive buffet of superb culinary creations at both breakfast and dinner. All meals are personally overseen by the hotel's team of top-class chefs. A separate children’s dining room provides younger children with nutritious meals, toys and entertainment and the opportunity of meeting new friends (babysitters are available on request).

After dinner, enjoy pool, darts or sport on the big screen in the well-known Harry's Bar or relax in the comfort of Albert's Cocktail Bar with the ambience of a roaring log fire.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:
The hotel offers a variety of outdoor activities including two free daily guided hikes (one always to a bushman paintings site), horse-rides, mountain bike and jogging route, tennis, squash, bowls, beach volleyball, badminton, floodlit mini-adventure golf, 10m climbing tower, heated and cold swimming pool and fly fishing.

In addition, the immaculate 9-hole golf course situated on the Hotel property was opened in 1996 and offers alternate tees for an 18-hole game. The club house boasts rest rooms, a lounge area, pub (Philip's Pholy) and a terrace with spectacular mountain views - the perfect 19th hole. The length of the course is 5542m and the course is graded a par 70.

Cathedral Peak Hotel is also a welcome family retreat with a host of children's facilities including pony rides, a children's playground, jumping castle, heated paddling pool and trampoline. There is an abundance of activities at Cathedral Peak Hotel to suite both young and old.

CONFERENCES:
The resort boasts a unique conference centre designed to cater for either large seminars or smaller management meetings and you will find the perfect balance between business and pleasure.

Cathedral Peak Hotel can accommodate up to 250 guests in 94 rooms - varying from deluxe and family-type accommodation to the exclusive Mponjwane Presidential Suite.

All rooms are set in scenic gardens and feature spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Superb cuisine of an excellent standard is enjoyed. Individual catering or separate seating is available by arrangement.

Various theme evenings, gala dinners, champagne breakfasts and braais can be organised by prior arrangement. The new thatched boma overlooks the immaculate golf course and valley and is ideal for evening sundowners or private functions.

STANDARD FEATURES;
- Fully inclusive conference packages at attractive rates
- Free use of all conference rooms with facilities when delegates stay at the hotel
- Multi-variable seating arrangements in our conference rooms
- A boardroom and 'break-away' rooms
- Large refreshment and service area
- Controlled heating or air-conditioning
- Secretarial assistance
- Ample secure parking on site
- Superb choice of activities and entertainment for partners and families
- accompanying delegates

INCENTIVE OPTIONS:
- Champagne breakfast on the banks of the Umlambonja River.
- Sundowners on the top of Mike's Pass.
- Theme evenings
- Gala dinners and private braais.
- Helicopter flights amongst the majestic mountains.V

UNIQUE FEATURES:
- A captive audience in a tranquil locality, creating an atmosphere highly conducive to stress-free productivity and relaxation.
- Vehicle access to facilitate product presentation.
- Resort facilities include: 9 hole golf course with alternate tees for an 18 hole game, tennis,squash, floodlit mini-adventure golf, guided walks & hikes, horse riding, trout fishing, bowls, badminton, table tennis, outdoor chess and bird watching.
- The new recreational area includes a fully equipped gym, steam bath, beauty therapist, 2 heated pools, 1 unheated pool, 10m climbing tower and a beach volleyball court.
- 2 bars include Albert's Cocktail Bar for formal drinks or Harry's late night action bar with pool table and dart board.
- Helicopter sight-seeing flights or transfers are also available.
- Resident conference co-ordinators assist with organisation and arrangements to ensure a successful and memorable conference.

Equipment
-3 x slide projectors and screens
- 3 x overhead projectors, 1 x data projector, 1 x direct image projector, TVs and 3 x VCRs
- 1 x laser pointer
- 7 x flip charts/white boards and 3 x movable screens
- PA System including 1 x lapel and 1 x roving microphone
- "Mirrodex" flexirail system throughout - for more versatile presentations (excluding Umlambonja, Mafifiyela and Gebhuza)
- Fax, telephone, internet and email facilities
- 2 x Lecterns
- Photostat and printing facility
- Writing pads and pens provided free of charge

WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS:
Enjoy your wedding in gracious elegance against a backdrop of the magnificent Cathedral Peak mountain range. The scenic beauty of this renowned Drakensberg hotel, its personal service and the warm hospitality extended to guests will make your special day a memory to cherish for a lifetime.

Set in beautiful gardens and able to accommodate 80 guests, the quaint stone and thatch chapel with its expansive window behind the pulpit, boasts a magnificent view of the Drakensberg. Stone blocks and wooden beams from the original farmhouse and pews made of railway sleepers, add to the unique and cosy appeal of this enchanting chapel. There is no setting more
perfect for an elegant country-style wedding. Cathedral Peak Hotel offers a choice of reception venues and a selection of superb menus. The hotel's helicopter seats 6 passengers and offers unique opportunities for your wedding photographs.

Nestling in the heart of the Drakensberg mountains,Cathedral Peak Hotel is the perfect setting for an unforgettable honeymoon. The well-appointed honeymoon suites are set in secluded gardens amidst peaceful surroundings. Each suite has been individually decorated to enhance its appeal and to create a luxurious, intimate ambience. Every room boasts a large four poster bed, television and mini-bar fridge, electric fireplace, underfloor heating and spa bath - besides panoramic views of the spectacular mountains. For the ultimate in superior accommodation, the Mponjwane Presidential Suite offers a spa bath, steam bath, gas fireplace, two televisions, underfloor heating, golf cart and electric curtains that open onto a private verandah with breathtaking views.

Famous for warm hospitality, luxurious accommodation and excellent cuisine, Cathedral Peak Hotel will make your honeymoon in the mountains a wonderful experience. Memories of a honeymoon during winter beneath lofty snow-capped peaks...in autumn, when leaves turn red and gold... or when summer days bring a cloak of lush green to the mountains - every season brings its own special magic and its own special memories to Cathedral Peak Hotel.