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Rates
Merino Cottage
Merino Cottage
Merino Cottage
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The cottage comprises 2 bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen, a sitting and dining area and 2 bathrooms.
The stylish bedrooms each have their own private entrance. The first bedroom has a double bed with an en-suite bathroom fitted with a bath and a shower and the second bedroom has 2 single beds with an en-suite bathroom with a shower only. There is complimentary Wi-Fi for guests' use during their stay.
The kitchen has a fridge, 2-plate gas stove, microwave, kettle, toaster, cutlery and is equipped for basic self-catering.
The large patio has a built-in braai with complimentary wood is provided. There is also a boma a few meters from the cottage, which is ideal for sundowners and star-gazing. Complimentary tea, coffee, and rusks are provided and the cottage is serviced daily. There is solar power so guests are not affected by load shedding.
Enjoy long walks on the farm, let the children explore and play freely, and mountain bikers can take to the beautiful trails. Things to do in the district include Laurens van der Post Memorial Garden, Jobhuis Art Gallery, Otterskloof Nature Reserve and Tiger Canyon. The cottage is easily accessible from the road between Philippolis and Colesberg and is a very popular overnight stop for people travelling between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Breakfast and dinner are available on request only.
The cottage comprises 2 bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen, a sitting and dining area and 2 bathrooms.
The stylish bedrooms each have their own private entrance. The first bedroom has a double bed with an en-suite bathroom fitted with a bath and a shower and the second bedroom has 2 single beds with an en-suite bathroom with a shower only. There is complimentary Wi-Fi for guests' use during their stay.
The kitchen has a fridge, 2-plate gas stove, microwave, kettle, toaster, cutlery and is equipped for basic self-catering.
The large patio has a built-in braai with complimentary wood is provided. There is also a boma a few meters from the cottage, which is ideal for sundowners and star-gazing. Complimentary tea, coffee, and rusks are provided and the cottage is serviced daily. There is solar power so guests are not affected by load shedding.
Enjoy long walks on the farm, let the children explore and play freely, and mountain bikers can take to the beautiful trails. Things to do in the district include Laurens van der Post Memorial Garden, Jobhuis Art Gallery, Otterskloof Nature Reserve and Tiger Canyon. The cottage is easily accessible from the road between Philippolis and Colesberg and is a very popular overnight stop for people travelling between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Breakfast and dinner are available on request only.
Features
Reviews (37)
37 guests' feedbackIt was an incredible experience to stay at Merino Cottage. It's a lovely place down to the finest detail from home-baked biscuits and fudge, beautiful finishes and cleanliness, to the peaceful relaxing atmosphere. Nina was also a lovely hostess! Definitely a must for any travelers!
Everything was just the best. Incredible place to sleep between nothing and nowhere. Will definitely stay here again!
Great place with great people! Get much more than expected. Wood, coffee and tea and milk, biscuits, cookies etc.
Incredible experience. Pure ranch combined with the highest quality luxury. Will definitely stay here again to make the journey feel shorter.
The house is amazing and we had a great stay. We slept there for 2 nights. The porch is large and open, you will never want to spend time anywhere else. Go visit the Merino Cottage!
Wonderful Merino Cottage, all the modern conveniences in a real farm setting. Fantastic bird life.
The stay at Merino Cottage was exceptionally pleasant. The stylish finish is of 5-star quality and the cottage is exceptionally well equipped. We four adults had an exceptionally nice stay!
Nina and Arbrie have a unique cottage in the most beautiful setting, which allowed us to have a wonderful stay. We were sorry we did not stay for two or maybe three nights. We could not have asked for more. Things like this are what beautiful memories come from.
This must be the best farm stay in the Free State! Everything exceeded my expectations. It offers an authentic experience of a Karoo farm with beautiful views. The cottage is luxurious and tastefully furnished, and the hosts are thoughtful and generous.
The owners are very friendly.
Travelled with my wife and 2 yr old son and elderly mom. It was a slice of heaven coming from a long hot road. Everything was serene and beautiful. We loved it.
What a lovely place to sleep over! The cottage is very stylishly decorated and the hostess is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend Merino Cottage.
The house is more beautiful than on the photo version. Host lady and gentleman extremely nice and friendly. From the kitchen to the bathrooms, it is very stylishly equipped. The stylish simplicity and good taste are carried through to the finest detail throughout. Delicious home-baked treats and wood are provided. If you like silence, stars and pampering, this is the ideal getaway in the Karoo. Would definitely recommend and go back again.
Place atmosphere with the most beautiful sun bag. Finishing of unit is top quality, and really well thought out!
This is one of the cleanest, neatest and most characterful overnight stays you will find close to the N1 route. The road between Trompsburg and Philippolis and also between Philippolis and Colesberg is rough and full of potholes and I would recommend that it should not be attempted after sunset. Is it worth it considering the bad road? Definitely, the little extra time to drive carefully around the potholes is definitely worth it. No effort has been spared in detail to make the stay very special. Owners' hospitality and the unusually well equipped cottage where absolutely everything has been thought of. The cottage has good quality finishing and the equipment is in excellent condition. I mentioned that I would like to have a barbecue on arrival and a fire was already packed when I stopped there. The next morning before I drove, I went for a nice run to where I saw springboks grazing. You will certainly also be able to enjoy cycling there. Easily a place that warrants a two night stay. I would definitely stay there again.
We loved our time at Merino Cottage and will definitely be back. The cottage has been beautifully set up and has everything you could need. The views from the verandah go on for days. Our hostess was wonderful!
We are nature lovers and bird watchers. We love tranquility with a touch of comfort. The simple beauty of the accommodation combined with the staggering majesty of the surroundings is food for the soul. Seeing flamingoes in the dam and a warthog was a bonus. Nina exudes the elegant and timeless hospitality one would expect from a historic Karoo family - from the gorgeous olives and rusks to the stack of braai-ready firewood, all was perfect. I would spend months there if I could.
Will visit again and again.
A beautiful cottage on a working sheep farm. Close, but very independent from the main building. Everything you need is available in the cottage, but most relevant are the views, the birds near the house, the sunrise and sunset and very relevant, is the kind help of the owners. They helped us to appreciate Philippolis by suggesting visits to Jobshouse, the church and a horsdrawn wagon through the town with a guide.
The Merino Cottage is an absolute gem and is the nicest farm cottage I have ever had the pleasure of renting. The Cottage itself is beautifully appointed and overlooks the wonderful Karoo grasslands (at this time of year these are covered in the white gold of grass). The facilities offered in the cottage are first class and this is added to buy some very nice extras - farm baked rusks, fresh milk and this year we also discovered a bowl of olives. One cannot fault anything about the cottage. . As a stop over on the way to Cape Town or Johannesburg this is a wonderful place to stay. Also anyone looking to get away for a few days this is a lovely tranquil spot.
Lovely family and couple, very helpful and friendly, always offering to help if there is anything you need. Loved the solitude and out door experience! Will be back!
Friendly welcome. Elegant and well-equipped cottage with wonderful views over the Southern Free State landscape. Would love to stay there again.
In this place everything is not only right and in its place but also beautiful. The hostess, Nina's warm welcome and kindness make you feel at home right away. The freshly baked cookies and rusks are just an extra treat! One night is too short here!
Definitely worth stopping here on the way to/from the Cape. Could easily get stuck here for 2 days.
Merino Cottage is an unexpected gem close to Philippolis. It is the ultimate farm cottage. The cottage is perfect, the rooms are large, furnished beautifully. Bathrooms are well appointed. The kitchen is lovely and the cutlery and crockery very stylish. The cottage is the nicest farm cottage we have had the pleasure of visiting. The extra touches that the hostess provided were very special.
Luxury, stylish cottage with stunning views over the Karoo grasslands where you can watch the sunrise and sunset on the porch. You can get stuck for hours on the large porch next to the built-in braai. Loved the attention to detail, home baked goods and books on Philippolis. Everything you need for self-catering. Easy 3.5 km drive with a city car on a good dirt road once you turn off from the main road into town. You can skip Colesberg entirely and 30 minutes later be in Philippolis. Nina was a fabulous host! Cannot wait to be back!
Beautifully appointed cottage with lots of nice touches. Everything we needed. Great patio and braai area. Lovely little garden for our sun to run around. Stunning Karoo sunset.
The cottage is nicely and tastefully furnished. Host lady and gentleman very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Enjoyed delicious dinner and breakfast there. We regretted that we only stayed 1 night. It would have been nice to have been able to enjoy the tranquility and beautiful surroundings for a few days.
Excellent facilities.
Quality accommodation with exquisite food and tasty treats.
The ideal weekend getaway from the city.
The house is beautiful and everything is so neat and clean. Nina spoiled us with all kinds of goodies in the house, especially the delicious fudge. They welcomed us very kindly and went out of their way to make us feel at home. Definitely a place that is on our list to go back to.
Hostess extremely friendly and helpful. Beautiful cottage with everything you need. All the farm delicacies such as farm milk, rusks and cookies make it extra special. Will definitely stay there again.
Fantastic hospitality! Nina spoiled us with sweet melon from the garden, freshly baked rusks, cookies and fudge! The air conditioning was great and the cottage simply stunning!
There are no words to describe this piece of paradise. The photos do not do the establishment justice. We travel a lot and this is truly the best place we have ever stayed. We will definitely visit again. Thank you Nina for the treat with the cookies, rusks and fudge. It's the little things that make the stay very special. See you again soon.
The guest house is beautifully built and finished, with lots of history along with it. The cottage is excellently furnished with quality thought. The host and hostess are Karoo people who take the time to make their guests feel at home. Thanks to both of you, Abrie and Nina! We will recommend your place within our network!
We were blown away with the stunning, well appointed cottage. Everything was clean and the decor and attention to detail was superb. It surpassed our expectations. Thank you to Nina for the extras such as fudge on our pillow, tasty rusks and flowers in every room.
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House rules
Please note that there is a gravel road leading to the establishment. Guests are required to enquire about the condition of the road, before arrival, as it could be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.Breakfast and dinner are available on request only.
Unfortunately, pets are not allowed.
The cottage comprises 2 bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen, a sitting and dining area and 2 bathrooms.
The stylish bedrooms each have their own private entrance. The first bedroom has a double bed with an en-suite bathroom fitted with a bath and a shower and the second bedroom has 2 single beds with an en-suite bathroom with a shower only. There is complimentary Wi-Fi for guests' use during their stay.
The kitchen has a fridge, 2-plate gas stove, microwave, kettle, toaster, cutlery and is equipped for basic self-catering.
The large patio has a built-in braai with complimentary wood is provided. There is also a boma a few meters from the cottage, which is ideal for sundowners and star-gazing. Complimentary tea, coffee, and rusks are provided and the cottage is serviced daily. There is solar power so guests are not affected by load shedding.
Enjoy long walks on the farm, let the children explore and play freely, and mountain bikers can take to the beautiful trails. Things to do in the district include Laurens van der Post Memorial Garden, Jobhuis Art Gallery, Otterskloof Nature Reserve and Tiger Canyon. The cottage is easily accessible from the road between Philippolis and Colesberg and is a very popular overnight stop for people travelling between Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Breakfast and dinner are available on request only.