Ollivanders Estate

I stayed here this week for a midweek writers’ retreat to try and regain my focus. My neighbour is currently renovating their garden cottage and I needed to get away from all the noise that is creating. I stayed in Gryffindor on the far side of the property. Exquisite views of the dam and nestled within some trees, the bungalow was the perfect, peaceful place to collect my ideas and continue with my writing. The food was delicious and the staff were pleasant. I will definitely be coming here again.

Best service and friendly staff beautiful views nice accommodation horses lot extras

Single Mom ripped off by Ollivanders EstateI am a single mom of a 7 year old. My friend had planned his wedding at a Ollivanders Estate and I booked to stay over at the Ollivanders Estate with my child for the night. The KZN south coast and Durban were hit with a huge storm making travel to the lodge impossible. Traffic authorities advised everyone to stay home and NOT to travel. After the storm I contacted them and asked for a refund. After some communications they offered me a voucher for another stay which I explained would not suit me as I don't have funds to travel. I offered a reduced settlement of R600 of the I had paid as I need the cash. I understand that they had incurred costs in setting up the facility for us but I never used the facility and the circumstances were beyond both of our control. This is pure greed and I would certainly recommend that the lodge is not supported in any way going forward. A lot of people lost a lot of money due to the floods but I have been ripped off.

We’ve spent a few weekends here and there at Ollivanders, the atmosphere is always pleasant there. Wonderful staff and the views of the dam are stunning. The farm dogs are energetic and friendly; and the horses are a fantastic addition to the atmosphere – definitely one of my favourite parts of staying here. Has a lovely rustic/farm style feel. Quiet and peaceful given where it is but has easy access to Hillcrest which is perfect for our little retreats, not to mention the weekend market is great for something to do while visiting.

My colleagues and I attended a meeting hosted by Ollivanders Estate and it was divine - the space has a beautiful view and the food every day was delicious. Carol made sure that all allergies and preferences were catered for and there was always more than enough food to fill the bellies of our participants. Cakes and treats at tea times were a particular highlight :D Big thanks to the team for caring for us last week.

We have some clients down in the area that we come see every other month and decided to give Ollivanders a try as our usual accommodation wasn’t able to accommodate us this time. Stunning place and friendly staff. Made our work trip feel like a mini holiday being there in such a peaceful setting.

Went for a wedding at the Argus venue..shocking ! Entrance dangerous with the rains we have had..Slippery stone walk way, crazy bridge to go over and then leaking ceiling when you finally get thru the front door !!! We wont even talk about the mud road to get to the venue or the lack of lighting...one staff member lit our way with her cellphone....Drinks lukewarm as they have inadequate fridges in the barMaybe on a nice rainfree day the venue might be able to trade on the view but I doubt it....

Our experience with Ollivanders estate started off by viewing the venue for the first time, after seeing numerous venues and being mostly disappointed, Ollivanders became the breath of fresh air that fitted in with exactly what our vision for our wedding was! With its breathtaking views, stunning ambience and lush forestry, it became a dream come true almost at first sight.I cannot even begin to describe how comfortable and inviting the staff were, Lucy was fantastic at making us feel welcome and helping us to run through all the questions we had. We were able to come through to the venue to plan ahead, which was a great help! We had chosen the Argus venue as we wanted to have a small, intimate crowd of close friends and family. They went out of their way to allow us to pay via PayPal, which really helped ease everything out for us!We arrived at the venue on a day before the wedding to set up and prepare, we had also booked an extra night stay so we could relax before the craziness of everything had begun. The venue had already been set up perfectly as to the specifications we gave Lucy, the room was absolutely amazing. The weather had reached a terribly hot and humid state and the room itself, besides being beautiful, was the perfect temperature.On the day of the wedding, we had enormous amounts of rain, originally we were to have an outdoor ceremony among the trees, but due to the heavy rain, it became clear we had to make other arrangements. Lucy helped us organize the altar set up for inside the reception hall and literally saved the day. The Argus venue, with its rocky walls, elegantly lit up interior and wooden tables complemented the natural, forestry theme we were wanting to have. Any issue we did have was resolved almost immediately.Leanne went out of her way to ensure there were sugar-free cool drinks for the guests, even driving as far as Hillcrest to make sure our guests were taken care of. The warmth and comfort from both Lucy and Leanne was much appreciated during what would normally be a stressful time. The bar staff were very helpful and friendly, even cleaning up later in the evening after everyone had left. There were even staff clearing the tables as people finished which we had no idea would be included originally. The breakfasts with Carole were wonderful, she was so friendly and made us feel so welcome!With there being so much rain, we weren’t able to take many photos and they told us that we are welcome to come back when the weather is better, which we cannot wait to!All in all, it is a stunning venue, the service they gave was amazing, and everything went perfectly! A big thank you to Lucy, Leanne, Carole, and staff for making our big day so easy and carefree! We hope to be back once a year for our anniversary!

Beautiful wedding venue. Lucy and Leanne were amazing. While the weather didn't co-operate, they went our of their way to ensure everything went off smoothly. We will probably be hosting another wedding there when one of our other children get married as everyone loved the venue so much.

A friend and I stayed at Ollivanders this past weekend, 02 July 2022. After a friends wedding was moved due to the devastating flood damage KZN had in April, I was offered a voucher for the accommodation I had booked to use before October. With the Shongweni Farmers Market open again I used said voucher with a friend for 1 night.What a below average stay. Google lists this establishment as a 3 star hotel. I wouldn't even give it 2 stars.My friend and I stayed in Rose Cottage 1 and 2. Upon arrival we had to walk into someone's wedding to find Lucy, who looked somewhat overwhelmed, and check in". There is no reception area to sign in and nobody to greet you. A simple situation of find your room with your name on it and the keys are in the door. One of the staff members