The Oakhurst Hotel is a thatched four-star manor house on the corner of Meade and Cathedral Streets in the centre of George, with twenty-five rooms, a pool in a walled garden and a restaurant. It is the town-centre alternative to the golf hotels on the edge of George, and it is about ten kilometres from the airport.
Best for
Families, because more than half the rooms are family rooms with a separate attic sleeping space; business travellers who want to be in town; anyone arriving late or leaving early on a George flight.
It is a town hotel in a working commercial centre, not a country retreat. What it offers is comfort, position and a pool behind the thatch.
Location
George is the commercial capital of the Garden Route, eight kilometres inland at the foot of the Outeniqua mountains, and the Oakhurst is in the middle of it. The business district, the shops, the Outeniqua Transport Museum and the cathedral are all within a short walk, and the airport is about ten kilometres away.
The coast at Victoria Bay and Herolds Bay is fifteen to twenty minutes south, Wilderness fifteen minutes east. Our George destination guide explains what the town is good for.
Rooms and style at the Oakhurst Hotel
There are twenty-five rooms in three categories. Four Deluxe rooms face the pool and open onto the garden, with king or twin beds and walk-in showers. Thirteen Family rooms sleep four, with a king or two singles for adults and bunk beds or a sleeper couch for children in a separate attic room. Eight Standard rooms take two, with air-conditioning, tea and coffee facilities and satellite television.
The style is Cape country: thatch, white walls, small-paned windows, exposed beams in the upper rooms and comfortable rather than fashionable furniture. It reads as a manor house that has been extended carefully rather than as a purpose-built hotel.
Facilities at the Oakhurst Hotel
There is a swimming pool in the walled garden, an on-site restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, a lounge and bar area, and secure open parking, which in a town centre matters. Wireless internet runs throughout, and the hotel takes small functions and business guests.
There is no spa, no gym and no golf course. It is a well-kept manor house hotel rather than a resort, and it prices accordingly.
Who should consider the Oakhurst Hotel
Consider it if you are travelling with children and want a room where they sleep separately, or if you want to be able to walk into George rather than drive in. It also works well as a first or last night on a Garden Route trip built around George Airport.
Travellers who want a sea view or a golf estate should look at Wilderness or at the courses outside town. Our Garden Route accommodation guide compares the options.
Trade-offs, honestly
Four things to weigh:
- George is inland and this is a town-centre hotel; there is no view and no beach within walking distance.
- Only four rooms face the pool and garden; the rest look inward or onto the street side.
- A central position means traffic noise during the working day.
- Standard rooms are compact and plain compared with the family and deluxe categories.
George also empties at weekends, which is pleasant for guests and means fewer restaurants open on a Sunday night.
Explore the area
George is the junction of the Garden Route’s best drives. The Outeniqua Pass crosses to Oudtshoorn and the Klein Karoo, the older Montagu Pass runs beside it on gravel, and the Seven Passes Road heads east to Wilderness through forest and river crossings. The Outeniqua Transport Museum in town keeps the locomotives from the old Choo-Tjoe line.
South of the town, Victoria Bay and Herolds Bay are small sheltered beaches, and Wilderness has the Touw River lagoon and the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, with walks to a waterfall through indigenous forest.
Getting there and getting around
George Airport is the busiest on the Garden Route, about ten kilometres from the hotel, with direct flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. By road, George is roughly 430 kilometres from Cape Town on the N2, about five and a half hours before stops.
The town centre is walkable from the hotel, but a car is needed for everything beyond it. Wilderness is fifteen minutes east, Mossel Bay forty-five minutes west, Knysna an hour and Oudtshoorn an hour north. Our seven-day Garden Route itinerary shows how the route is usually driven.
How the Oakhurst Hotel compares
Against the large hotels on the edge of George you lose the pools and the conference scale and gain a walkable position and more character. Against the country hotels between George and Wilderness, the Oakhurst Hotel loses the view and gains convenience. Against a guesthouse, you gain a restaurant, a bar and secure parking.
Practical notes for a stay at the Oakhurst Hotel
George has a mild, wet-in-every-season climate, which is why the Outeniqua slopes above it are forested. It is also the practical hub of the region: the airport, the car hire desks, the hospitals and the large shops are all here, which is why the town is worth a night even though it is not a resort.
South African school holidays and the December to mid-January peak fill the family rooms first. March, April, October and November are quieter and better value. Midweek the hotel takes business guests; at weekends it is calmer.
Before you book the Oakhurst Hotel
If you are travelling with children, book a Family room specifically and confirm the attic sleeping arrangement, because the Standard and Deluxe rooms take only two. Check whether breakfast is included in the quoted rate, whether the restaurant is serving dinner on your dates, and what the current cancellation window is at checkout. Ask for a garden-side room if street noise bothers you. More options across the province are in our Western Cape accommodation guide.
Current rates and availability
We do not publish rates for the Oakhurst Hotel, because they move constantly with season and demand. Use the availability button on this page to see what the property currently costs on your dates, what is included and what the cancellation terms are. The booking provider is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory or take payment.