The Lord Milner Hotel
On the fringe of the Grand Karoo, the Lord Milner Hotel, the last authentic vestige of Victoriana, sits in all its past glory as a must stop on the N1 national highway linking Cape Town to Johannesburg and the northern part of South Africa.
The Lord Milner’s 58 guest rooms have been well maintained over the years and a high standard of service is upheld. The Royal Lounge is open for guests; enjoy a dinner, liqueur or coffee in the historical ambience.
The courteous staff, the clean crisp air and the warmth of the atmosphere surrounding the hotel makes for a relaxing and revitalizing stay. A pond, fountains, river bed and beautiful lush gardens can be seen around the hotel and guest rooms. The town itself is full of historical features and interesting things to do, such as museum tours and bus trips on the old London bus.
Along with the blood-red sunsets, remarkable fauna and flora and its age-old traditions, Matjiesfontein and the Lord Milner Hotel lends itself to the ultimate tranquil escape. Matjiesfontein is reputed to be the most haunted town in South Africa. The history of this Karoo oasis includes; fortification during The South African War (formerly known as The Anglo-Boer War) as headquarters of the Cape Command, refuge for Jamieson Raid reformers, and the venue of controversial war crimes hearings.
With such a colourful history, many stories abound of ghost sightings, though they are after all just stories—or are they?
There are no malevolent ghosts here. The ghosts of Matjiesfontein are said to be both playful, and even mischievous, or they are totally unconcerned with events around them.