Premier Hotel the Winkler

We had the pleasure of stopping in The Winkler last week. Our first impression was that it was a beautiful, isolated oasis. When we went in the front door we were greeted by very kind reception staff who were happy to welcome us for breakfast. The dining room had actually just closed, but a staff member Amos helped us anyway! Amos sat us outside, found a chef to cook what we wanted, entertained us with stories of both the resort and the area, and treated us with the utmost kindness. While we weren’t aware of The Winkler before, we certainly look forward to future opportunists to stay in this beautiful establishment with the kindest, most helpful staff. If you happen to stop there be sure to ask for Amos, you are sure to make a new friend!

I loved Amos he was a Duty Manager we arrived at night our friends had him look at all the rooms to find a perfect fit and he was so happy to even show their new renovations.. He personally served us dinner with fire and breakfast they kept on carrying tables on different locations but with that he was happy and gave us special treatments we couldn’t ask for more.. My friends are fussy to have someone fulfilling their needs happily it’s just amazing.. made us feel like a valued VIP customers

Beautiful setting and great layout. Disappointing service. The rooms are nice but when we wanted coffee the cups were dirty, the linen not changed and the bathroom flooded when we showered. Further the buffet dinner was expensive and most of the food was from the previous day (paying R1000 for leftovers for a family of 3 is not my idea of fun). Breakfast service was nice but the selections were more suited to a two star retaurant. Overall the stay was a huge let down

We discovered this little gem. As you arrive at the hotel you are in awe with the beautiful surroundings from their well manicured lawn and gardens. The hotel is situated outside White River, approximately 3Km and it was very peaceful. The staff were very professional, helpful and extremely friendly - from the house keeper to the general manager! The rooms were spacious, clean and airy. The AC worked like a dream and the mattress was super comfortable. From our balcony we had a view of the beautiful garden. Next time, I will stay in a room facing the pool area. We had breakfast at the hotel and it was excellent! Although we didn't lunch and dine, we did have a late afternoon toasted sandwiches which were delicious! Again, the waiters and kitchen were very friendly and efficient in their service. I love, love the deck in front of the bar area and dinning area. Every morning and afternoon we were greeted by the beautiful peacocks and we saw impala and monkeys in their picturesque garden facing the pool area. Next time I will be prepared for a swim! The garden also has a play area for kids, a trampoline, tennis court and an oversized chess board and under a tree. This is definitely a hotel I will return too and recommend it to families as well as business people. On my departure date, in all my hurry, i had forgotten a few items of clothing in the hanging section. The hotel contacted us later and informed us of what we had left behind! With a team of this integrity, what else can I say but, SEE YOU NEXT TIME! KANIMANBO!

We, 2 adults and 2 children (4 and 7 years old) stayed at the Winkler over a weekend in January. This is a bit of a strange review because we were literally the only people at the hotel and therefore most of the facilities were not really functioning optimally, namely, the bar and restaurant. I can recommend Picasso’s Mexican Taqueria as an eat out which is about 5 minutes away from the Hotel in the Bagdad Centre. There is sufficient parking at the hotel with secured access. The Hotel is close to many local malls and shopping areas with some decent restaurants. It also has easy access to some of the tourist sites such as God’s Window, The Pinnacle, Mac Mac Falls, Sabie Falls, and Pilgrims Rest. Check-in was good and seamless. It was really nice that the concierge escorted us to our room and showed us the various facilities at the hotel. The room we stayed in was a family room with a living area and the main bedroom. Each area had air conditioning and a TV (limited channels but we did not stay to watch TV ) mounted on the wall. The living area had a ¾ bed and a sleeper couch. The sleeper couch was big and stable enough for me to sleep on and I am 1.8m tall. It also has a dining table, sink, a kettle with tea, coffee, and milk. There is also a mini bar fridge should you wish to have some water cooled. The main bedroom had a king-size bed with two side pedestals. Each room (area) had sufficient electrical points for a two-prong plug and two USB’s. The bathroom was big and also had a decent size bath, a small shower (too small for any romantic moments ), twin basins, plenty of towels, and shower gel and lotions. The property, itself, is huge. As with any property, there are minor maintenance issues but nothing to lessen the enjoyment of the stay. There is a nice size pool (1m at the shallow and 2.4m at the deep end). There is also a decent play area for children with swings, a jungle gym, a trampoline, a large chess board, and a tennis court. There is also a games room with a pool board, ping pong board, and some board games (all free of charge). This was nice, especially on the day it rained. We were booked in for a bed and breakfast. The restaurant is big and can accommodate many patrons. The breakfast, as in most hotels, comes standard with the buffet (and al la carte menu). The spread included hot meals, fresh fruits, cereals, pastries, juice, and coffee. The lunch and supper menus are limited and a bit pricey. We only dined one night and being the only people present, the service was slow. I can imagine if there were many patrons at the restaurant service may be even slower. The sous chef was extremely friendly and came out to us to suggest some dishes for the children. The bar was unfortunately closed during that time. There are also some wild animals like bucks and duikers that come onto the property, and this was great for the children to see. There are many peacocks on the property – so beware of their droppings. Overall, the stay wa