The French Cottage

491 Villiers Street, 9707 Clarens, South Africa – Excellent location - show map

<p><b>Excellent</b> location — rated 9.8/10! <small>(score from <b>33</b> reviews)</small></p> <p>Real guests • Real stays • Real opinions</p>
9.7
Scored 9.7
Exceptional
Rated exceptional
33 reviews

This lovely cottage has all the facilities needed for a comfortable and romantic stay. The surroundings and the garden are of a breathtaking beauty. There is even a cave with amazing bushman paintings nearby the cottage, the latter being situated at walking distance from the idyllic Clarens village, where one can find plenty of small original shops, ranging from art galleries to antiques, crafts and souveniers shops. Sunny terraces and cosy restaurants perfect the picture. In one word, this place has everything one might need for a perfect holiday: art, history, gastronomy and nature.

Cosmina Belgium
a living room with a table and a kitchen at The French Cottage in Clarens
a living room with a table and a tv at The French Cottage in Clarens
an old stone house in the middle of a yard at The French Cottage in Clarens
+18 photos

The French Cottage

Lock in a great price for The French Cottage - rated 9.7 by recent guests.

to get started.

Lock in a great price for The French Cottage - rated 9.7 by recent guests. to get started.
  • Entire home
  • 861 ft² size
  • Kitchen
  • Mountain view
  • Garden
  • BBQ facilities
  • Free WiFi
  • Terrace
  • Balcony
  • Bath

Set in Clarens in the Free State Region, The French Cottage is a short drive from Clarens Golf Estate and town centre. The French Cottage offers 3 bedrooms. The kitchen and living area are upstairs and accessed by an external staircase. Towels and bed linen are provided at The French Cottage. Other facilities at The French Cottage include a barbecue. The bathroom is fitted with a corner bath. Guests can enjoy various activities in the surroundings, including golfing and hiking. Golden Gate Highlands National Park is 22 km away.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

Show me more
Most popular facilities
  • Free WiFi
  • BBQ facilities
  • Non-smoking rooms

Property highlights

Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.8)

Saved to 221 lists

Reliable info
Guests say the description and photos for this property are very accurate.

Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

—
Accommodation Type
Number of guests
 
Bedroom 1:
1 double bed
Bedroom 2:
2 single beds
Bedroom 3:
1 extra-large double bed
Something went wrong. Please try again later.
No credit card needed. All options are bookable without a credit card.

Property practices

This property has told us they implemented certain practices across some or all of these categories: waste, water, energy and greenhouse gases, destination and community, and nature.
Guest reviews

Categories:

Staff
9.3
Facilities
9.6
Cleanliness
9.8
Comfort
9.8
Value for money
9.6
Location
9.8
Free WiFi
8.8
High score for Clarens
Select topics to read reviews:

See what guests loved the most:

  • Cosmina
    Belgium Belgium
    “This lovely cottage has all the facilities needed for a comfortable and romantic stay. The surroundings and the garden are of a breathtaking beauty. There is even a cave with amazing bushman paintings nearby the cottage, the latter being situated...”
  • Trish
    South Africa South Africa
    “We had everything we needed for our self-catering stay including nice touches such as ground coffee, and toiletries in the bathrooms. The interiors are decorated with beautiful fabrics. The location is wonderful with stunning views and the stone...”
  • Desmond
    South Africa South Africa
    “Beautiful, peaceful location very well located. Friendly, attentive host in Julia.”
Quality rating
Booking.com rated the quality of this property as 4 out of 5 based on factors such as facilities, size, location and services provided.

Hosted by Julia Brownlee

9.3
9.3
Host review score
Host review score
Julia Brownlee
The French Cottage is a hidden gem. Flanked on 2 sides by sandstone cliffs and home to a large overhanging cave with waterfall, the cottage is surrounded by fruit trees and is a tranquil paradise. Built in country French style with the iconic Clarens sandstone, the luxury fully-equipped unit sleeps 6 persons and is made up of 3 bedrooms each with their own entrance. Downstairs are 2 bedrooms with a shared bathroom (corner bath and shower), one room has a double bed and the other made up of 2 ¾ beds. Each room has coffee/tea facilities. The bed linen is luxury crisp white percale and soft towels are provided for each guest. Upstairs comprises of one en-suite bedroom with king size bed and bathroom has both a bath and shower. Luxury percale linen and soft towels provided. The country style open plan kitchen and dining room upstairs have wonderful views of the property and mountains. The kitchen is fully equipped with gas stove and convection oven, a fridge and freezer and microwave. A large open BBQ downstairs. Full HD DSTV is provided upstairs. Each bedroom has a heater for those winter nights, each bathroom also has a heater and extra blankets provided.
I am an outdoor person. I love hiking, walking my dogs and gardening. I am very friendly, polite and motivated. I love to travel and experience different places, people and things.
Clarens is well situated 18 kilometres from Golden Gate National Park and 90 kilometres from Afri-Ski in Lesotho, in winter there is a likely chance of snow in these areas. A day drive to the Drakensberg is a lovely outing. Clarens boasts a beautiful 18 hole golf course, hiking trails with incredible views, tennis, squash, mountain bike trails, putt-putt, abseiling and many more to keep you busy. The town itself is located around a central grass “square” where there is a variety of restaurants, boutique shops and wonderful gallery’s. Clarens Brewery is a must see! There are also day spa facilities available for the well needed wind-down. Clarens surrounded by beautiful mountains and is a photographer’s paradise. Clarens has a great Brewery, a lovely place to sit and watch people go by. The town also boasts some great river fly-fishing, birding and hiking.
Languages spoken: Afrikaans,English

Property surroundings

Facilities of The French Cottage
Great facilities! Review score, 9.6

Most popular facilities
  • Free WiFi
  • BBQ facilities
  • Non-smoking rooms
Parking
No parking available.
Internet
WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge.
Kitchen
  • Dining table
  • Cleaning products
  • Toaster
  • Stovetop
  • Oven
  • Kitchenware
  • Kitchen
  • Dishwasher
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
Bedroom
  • Linen
  • Wardrobe or closet
Bathroom
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels
  • Bath or shower
  • Shared toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Toilet
  • Free toiletries
  • Shared bathroom
  • Hairdryer
  • Bath
  • Shower
Living Area
  • Dining area
  • Sofa
  • Fireplace
  • Seating Area
Media & Technology
  • Flat-screen TV
  • Satellite channels
  • CD player
  • DVD player
  • Radio
  • TV
Room Amenities
  • Socket near the bed
  • Clothes rack
  • Electric blankets
  • Tile/marble floor
  • Private entrance
  • Carpeted
  • Fan
Accessibility
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
Outdoors
  • Outdoor fireplace
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Terrace
  • Barbecue
  • BBQ facilities
  • Patio
  • Balcony
  • Garden
Common areas
  • Shared lounge/TV area
Food & Drink
  • Tea/Coffee maker
Activities
  • Mini golf
    Additional charge
  • Horse riding
    Additional chargeOff-site
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
    Additional chargeOff-site
  • Golf course (within 3 km)
    Additional charge
  • Tennis court
    Additional chargeOff-site
Outdoor & View
  • River view
  • Mountain view
  • Garden view
  • View
Building characteristics
  • Semi-detached
Miscellaneous
  • Non-smoking throughout
  • Heating
  • Non-smoking rooms
Languages spoken
  • Afrikaans
  • English

House rules

The French Cottage takes special requests - add in the next step!

Check-in

From 14:00 to 20:00

You'll need to let the property know in advance what time you'll arrive.

Check-out

From 06:00 to 10:00

 

Cancellation/
prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check the conditions of your required room.

Children and beds

Child policies

Children of any age are welcome.

To see correct prices and occupancy information, please add the number of children in your group and their ages to your search.

Cot and extra bed policies

Cots and extra beds are not available at this property.

No age restriction

There is no age requirement for check-in

Cash only

This property only accepts cash payments.

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed.

Pets

Pets are not allowed.

The fine print
Need-to-know information for guests at this property

Please inform The French Cottage in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.

Payment before arrival via bank transfer is required. The property will contact you after you book to provide instructions.

In accordance with government guidelines to minimise transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), this property currently isn't accepting guests from certain countries, during dates where such guidelines exist.

In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), additional safety and sanitation measures are in effect at this property.

In accordance with government guidelines to minimise transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), this property can only accept bookings from essential workers/permitted travellers, during dates where such guidelines exist. Reasonable evidence must be provided on arrival. If it isn't provided, your booking will be cancelled on arrival.

Legal information

This property is managed by a private host. EU consumer law relating to professional hosts might not apply.

FAQs about The French Cottage

  • The French Cottage has the following number of bedrooms:

    • 3 bedrooms

    For more detailed information, please check the accommodation option(s) breakdown on this page.

  • The prices at The French Cottage may vary depending on your stay (e.g. dates you select, hotel's policy etc.). See the prices by entering your dates.

  • Yes, there are options at this property that have a terrace. You can find out more about this and the other facilities at The French Cottage on this page.

  • The French Cottage can accommodate the following group size:

    • 6 guests

    For more detailed information, please check the accommodation option(s) breakdown on this page.

  • Yes, there are options at this property that have a balcony. You can find out more about this and the other facilities at The French Cottage on this page.

  • The French Cottage is 850 yards from the centre of Clarens. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

  • Check-in at The French Cottage is from 14:00, and check-out is until 10:00.

  • The French Cottage offers the following activities / services (charges may apply):

    • Hiking
    • Fishing
    • Tennis court
    • Mini golf
    • Golf course (within 3 km)
    • Horse riding