Witbank Hotels

Thatcher's Guest House: Staying cheek by jowl with the mining fraternity!

I have mentioned in my overview that accommodation is at a premium in Witbank, and what is available tends to be snapped up by travellers visiting town on business. As a result, there are limited rooms available, which also tend to be more expensive than you'd pay for equivalent accommodation elsewhere, so I would not recommend this as somewhere that tourists should choose to base themselves.

However, there are times that you might find yourself having to stay over in Witbank, in which case I'd wholeheartedly recommend Thatchers' Guest House. This 4 star guest house offers 22 modest but comfortable rooms in a garden setting, with WiFi coverage and excellent security. There is also a swimming pool and a small on-site conference venue.

The cost is reasonable: R500 per night at the time of writing (April 2011), with an additional R95 for breakfast. The kitchen can also organise evening meals and lunch packs by prior arrangement. Otherwise there are a number of restaurants within a short drive: you may end up going with this option as the evening meal is fairly early, which might not be convenient for people who arrive (or work) late.

Unique Quality: What makes Thatchers so special is that it attracts an almost exclusively mining clientele - this may be a prospect that either attracts or repels you!

If you're not from a mining background or have not had anything to do with mining people before, then this might present an interesting wildlife viewing opportunity! You will also probably get a chance to actually interact with this weird sub-species, as the owners tend to combine guests on larger tables (especially for the optional evening meal) rather than giving each guest a separate small table. This provides an opportunity for interesting social interaction, fuelled by the very cosy bar in which guests mingle before and after meals. This is a particularly welcome arrangement for solo business travellers, particularly those who are on the road for prolonged periods of time.

I love Thatchers, and only wish that there were more establishments like this, but I am, after all, an unashamed miner, so I can hardly be objective on the matter!