The Barracks
An AA Superior, full service guest house situated in a quiet area of Colesberg. The Barracks so name...
An AA Superior, full service guest house situated in a quiet area of Colesberg. The Barracks so named as the property was used as barracks during the Anglo-Boer War was built in 1851 and substantially renovated in 2004. The original building, which is now our family unit, was soon augmented by the main house as the owner, David Arnot, was a prolific breeder of children and needed plenty of accommodation to house his large family.
The comfortable and spacious double rooms, all with private access, have their own bathrooms each with a bath and separate shower and private patios. They are all fully air-conditioned to ensure a comfortable stay no matter what the season is. All rooms have TV with M-Net or any other channel from the DStv bouquet. We also have a large family unit with its own private courtyard shaded by a large oak tree and grape vines. This unit is also ideal for guests traveling with dogs. A further unit, which is ideal for pets, has a self-catering option. Secure off-street parking is available, but limited, so guests towing trailers, boats, caravans, etc. should inform us, at the time of booking, so that arrangements can be made.
The Dining Room is open for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast, served from 7:00am, is a choice of continental or full English or both and is included in the rate, dinner is extra. Whilst Karoo Lamb is very popular, we can arrange for any dish that you desire, provided that the ingredients are available. Special dietary requirements are also catered for - please advise us of your needs at the time of booking. We are fully licensed and the pub has, amongst the usual beverages, a collection of over 150 SA brandies whilst there is also a fair selection of Malt Whiskeys, wines and beers.
Besides a large selection of up-to-date magazines in each room, there are folders containing much information about the history of Colesberg and its involvement in the Anglo-Boer War. The Barracks - The reason for the N1.
"The hospitality of Mike & Anneline"
"Excellent hosts, helped us unload, received us with a soetwyntjie and made us feel very welcome.Rooms very comfotable, spacious and attention paid to small luxuries, such as good quality white linen and towels, 2-ply toiletpaper really nice shampoo, lotion etc.Thank you for an excellent stay"
"Perfect stopover with your pet, huge gated courtyard for them to roam in freely. Room was good, good restaurant 50m down the road, delicious breakfast, welcomed on arrival in the evening with sherry after our long drive, friendly host! Only downside was the sheets in the king bed had dust and sand between them (not sure why) but the sheets in the two singles were spotless and we slept in those very comfortably."
"The historic ambiance and warmth of hosts were impressive! Food was great. Spacious characterful rooms with thickest walls ever seen."
"We arrived at the Barracks and where received with such warmth and good food. The bedrooms are lovely and the breakfast fabulous. We highly recommend the Barracks."
"We had horrible experience at this establishment. We arrived late at 9.00pm. We could not sleep the whole night as there were so many insects and bugs in the bed. There were so many mosquitoes in the room, it was impossible to sleep. There is great risk of Guests falling sick ! Ceiling fan was shaking abnormally and making so much noise, it could be unsafe for the guest. Safarinow should not include such establishments into their recommendation."
"Fans need replacing."
"Very well managed established and excellent overnight in Colesburg - will definately use again and highly recommend"
"Well appointed and good value for money.We shall return"
"Service was good. Attentive but not obtrusive. Catered to our needs. Would highly recommend."
"Wonderlike plek, wonderlike mense. Mike en Annalie, baie dankie. Ons kom weer!"
"Rooms need a little bit more attention otherwise linen was lovely and the breakfast great"
"The hosts were very caring. Annalie walked out into the cold of the night to assist me with finding the address, while Mike was ever ready to help me carry luggage into the room"
"Warm hospitality and great lamb chop dinner after a long day on the road."
"Spent an overnight stop at The Barracks with two friends and ourselves. We received a lovely warm welcome from Mike on our arrival who assisted us (pensioners) taking our suitcases to our rooms. The rooms were lovely and the entire house is steeped in history. We had a most enjoyable meal, Lamb Shanks and four empty plates were taken back to the kitchen. This was preceded by a lovely starter of spring rolls and salad and finished off with a most delicious apple tart and ice cream. An honesty bar is available and we had an enjoyable late afternoon sitting on the patio enjoying a couple of beers prior to pur meal. Mike also has a lovely selection of wines to choose from. Highly recommend this venue!"
"Thank you Mike and Annalie for your wonderful hospitality. The room was lovely, perfect for my needs, very comfortable bed, no complaints at all. The food was exceptional, those Karoo lamb cutlets to die for, and all the veg too. Pea and ginger soup and milk tart to finish, very decadent. Highly recommended."
"We only stayed 1 night but the hospitality was excellent and we were greeted by the very accommodating host Mike.<div>Although we did not opt for dinner, we heard while out in the town that the dinners are simply excellent.</div><div>Breakfast was amazing.</div><div>And the room was excellent... Neat, tidy, decorated beautifully with unexpected extras like gowns, slippers and hot water bottles.</div><div>Highly recommended.</div>"
"We stopped over at the Barracks going from George to Jo'burg. One of the best nights we have had on the road. Friendly, homely atmosphere, fantastic food for dinner and breakfast, definitely stay there again."
"Very hospitable host and a big room"
"Exceptional personal attention by owner managers.<div>Pride & attention to detail such a welcome from typical city service.</div><div>Highly recommended as a rustic breakaway.</div>"
"we stayed overnight on our way from joburg to cape town.we were greeted with exceptional friendliness and shown to our room which was spacious and very well equipped. the outside patio was lovely and cool.breakfast was prepared very early and was tasty."
"Friendly host who arranged a really excellent Sunday evening dinner. Great service in a small town where almost everything is closed on a Sunday evening."
"Comfortable room with great food. Definitely will be using the Barracks as my stopover of choice.highly recommended."
"Situated about half way between Cape Town, Colesberg is a good place to overnight if travelling from Jo'burg. The rooms are clean and comfortable. I had organized dinner in advance and was impressed that the host would take the trouble to check whether we had any dietary requirements. Dinner was tasty, tender and very generous! The bar is well stocked with an impressive range of spirits and liqueurs, as well as a decent selection of wines. Our host Mike was unobtrusive but always present to attend to our needs. All this in the Karoo!"
"The welcome from the host, Mike, was warming after a long day of driving. The dinner was excellent. The history of the guesthouse as a barracks for British troops adds to the experience. It's a guesthouse I would certainly use again."
"After travelling from Cape Town we were very happy to have an evening meal in a warm, interesting dining room. Accommodation was tastefully decorated, it was a quiet street and we enjoyed our stay. We just had one night as we were en route to Johannesburg. The dinner and breakfast were delicious!"
"We thoroughly enjoyed our stopover at The Barracks. Found Mike and Annelie genuinely friendly and helpful. We liked it so much that we stayed there again on our trip back! We would like to recommend this pleasant B&B to anyone who enjoys good food, comfortable beds and genial hosts!!"
"Lovely evening, good food, made to feel really welcome by Mike and Annelise. Loved the old features in the rooms and the perfect leafy verandas. Good value stopover from Johannesburg to the Garden Route."
"WE HAD A WONDERFUL STAY DURING JANUARY 2014. OWNERS ARE DELIGHTFUL COMPANY."
"A lovely guesthouse, a great people experience, food absolutely wonderful and a definite place to go back to."
"A most enjoyable stay, thanks to our friendly hosts."
"Great hospitality and warmth. I would recommend the Barracks as the best establishment in the area."
"Very comfortable accommodation, very friendly hosts and excellent food and service."
"We had a wonderful stay over and really enjoyed the accommodation, the food and the hospitality. We will be back."
"What a great place! Dave and Lauraine were very nice and served wonderful food! The rooms were very comfortable and well maintained! Will be staying there again!"
"Thanks Dave for a fantastic stay with you. Your room standard is excellent, and the food amazing."
"Had a lovely stay.....excellent food, clean room and very friendly, professional hosts."
"What a lovely stopover. A host and his wife with a great sense of humour and so many interesting stories to tell. The cosy rooms are just right and I just loved the way the little patios and garden were done, and of course the two lovable cats makes it feel like home. Thank you Dave."
"Excellent overnight stop over between Johannesburg and the Western Cape. The hosts really went out of their way to make you feel welcome."
"We really enjoyed our over night stay - Dave is amazing, hospitible, helpful and kept us entertained with his stories and knowledge. The place is spotless, and the food really delicious! Would highly recommend, and would definately go back should we ever find ourselves in that part of the world again!"
"what a brilliant experience! Perfect for an overnight or longer stay. The hosts are truly warm and amazing! Thanks guys."
"Convenient, comfortable, accommodating...and a great breakfast."
"If you are ever travelling to the Cape via Colesberg and you dont stay at The Barracks you will surely be the poorer for it. What a remarkable find this was. Rooms are fantasticly appointed with the most divine beds. The food is undescribably delicious and Dave is an absolute treasure trove of information and just a fine, fine gentleman. Loved every minute of our stay. Dave's stories kept us drinking wine until late in the night. What a find! Wonderful!"
"A real gem in Colesberg. The owners went out of their way to make our Harley Davidson Club of Cape Town group welcome! We can highly recommend the Barracks and will certainly stay there again!"
"It was a pleasant stay over and we appreciated the clean cool rooms. Food was good."
"Great experience. Kind lodge owners. Very good in assisting with being pet friendly. Good food. Dave and wife assisted with every request. Neat rooms, everything is available. Highly recommended as pet friendly."
"We found The Barracks very friendly and very clean. the English breakfast was very impressive and the bar well stocked - wide variety of wines; collection of antiques and old historical photos. The only improvement needed would be the lighting in the room as one could not read because of poor lighting."
"We had a great stay and would recommend it!"
"The Barracks is cosy and quiet with family food and friendly service. We thought the food and drinks were very well priced. The accommodation may be a little on the high side, but overall I would be happy to return."
"In a bitterly cold Colesberg we had lovely, warm, clean comfortable rooms with our hosts that treated us with a warm hearty dinner of Karoo lamb and excellent hospitality! Thank you!"
"by a rich variety of old South African antiques. It takes you back to times gone by. A very friendly and supportive host to see to your every need. Will definitely use the Barracks again and recommend it to everybody. Best of luck."
"Conveniently situated. Owners very hospitable. Lovely home-cooked dinner."
"The situation of the building is very pleasant, in a quiet area. The hosts are very attentive and the meals were outstanding. The rooms are well-equipped with TV's, air-conditioning and lovely patios under pergolas. I enjoyed my stay thoroughly."
"Great over night stay."
"As always Dave and Lauraine treated us like royalty. The ambience of this delightful guest house is awesome. The lamb stew was a hit as were a number of brandies. If you have never stayed over at The Barracks, you have missed out on one of lifes little treasures"
"Dave and Carol (I think) were the perfect hosts. After 6 hours on the road with 3 dogs we needed some RR and that's exactly what they gave us. Dinner of lamb Shank was superb and they where very understanding with us being over protective of our dogs and wanted all our meals in the courtyard with our dogs and not in the dining room. I would highly recommend "The Barracks" to all and sundry,especially those travelling with animals. I told Dave I left my span of Oxen at home this time."
" Dave and Carol (I think) were the perfect hosts. After 6 hours on the road with 3 dogs we needed some RR and that's exactly what they gave us. Dinner of lamb Shank was superb and they where very understanding with us being over protective of our dogs and wanted all our meals in the courtyard with our dogs and not in the dining room. I would highly recommend "The Barracks" to all and sundry,especially those travelling with animals. I told Dave I left my span of Oxen at home this time."
"We had a wonderful time. Great characters, excellent meals and our pets were most welcome."
"We had a wonderful time. Great characters, excellent meals and our pets were most welcome."
"The Barracks is full of character, making it a very interesting place to stay at - you almost look past the excellent hands on service and delicious Karoo lamb dinner, but you don't!!Great stop over, entertaining and comfortable.We will be back Dave!"
"On way to Pretoria - where the Lions should have won"
"Enjoyed the character and history of the establishment - hosts and accommodation was great - Lauraine is a great cook!"
" Room spacious. Food is excellent !"
"The reception was very friendly, the room was exquisite, the food was WONDERFUL, our pet was welcomed with open arms - one of the best overnight stays we have ever had. My children calls Dave Santa Claus."
"As Always, excellent food and good company."
"Perfect Place and people. Food quality very good"
"We enjoyed our short stay and would definitely consider returning in the future. All essentials were in place and both the food and service were first class."
"The welcome was wonderful as was the food and the bar!! We really enjoyed meeting Dave and Larraine, and would recommend The Barracks to anyone'.It was easy to book on line, and easy to find with Dave's map. Thank you.Andrew and Ro Green (UK)"
"Dave and Lorraine were the perfect hosts and made us feel right at home. The meals were really delicious and well presented. The old world charm of the establishment coupled to modern amenities is a delight. "
"Dave and Lorraine were the perfect hosts and made us feel right at home. The meals were really delicious and well presented. The old world charm of the establishment coupled to modern amenities is a delight."
"Excellent"
"Fantastiese aandete, baie lekker geslaap, voertuig veilig, fantastiese ontbyt. Hoogs aan te beveel."
"Absolutely wonderful, what a lovely place.! Dave and Lauraine are so welcoming and friendly. Scrumptious food, divine wines, and proper vodka martinis!It is also so nice not to rushed for breakfast in the mornings, which , along with everything else at The Barracks makes such a pleasant change compared to other B & Bs in the area. We shall be backto stay for longer next time to explore the surrounding areas and Colesberg's Battlefields."
"Dave and Lauraine excellent hosts and we found several points of common interest..A truly excellent experience."
"We, 2 adults and a 10 month baby really enjoyed the stay. David and his wife are great hosts. Delicious food, a bar with lots of good drops and the aesthetic furnished apartments made it a pleasant stay for us! David has a profound historical knowledge and the dinning room is stuffed with collectables from the surrounding battle fields.Thanks a lot!"
"It was really lovely./ The room was clean and very comfortable and I was pampered with exceptional service theentire time. David is a delightful character and I went on an education course with his incredible collection of Whiskies from around the world in a lovely little pub. The food can only be described as superb,"
" And we really enjoyed the food!!!"
"Fantastic"
" A great spot that I would recommend to anyone stopping over in Colesburg. Central, well appointed rooms, great hosts and wonderful food - my 12 year old son commented that the lamb was the best he had EVER tasted."
"I would just like to Thank The Barracks for the great hospitality.The rooms were great and the food awesome. "
"Lovely room, clean, beautifully decorated. We felt very welcome and comfortable. Great food.Thank you!"
"I take my hat off to Dave and Lorainne.They were fantastic hosts and we really enjoyed our stay.Roast lamb will never be the same again... We will definitely be back!"
"I take my hat off to Dave and Lorainne. They were fantastic hosts and we really enjoyed our stay. Roast lamb will never be the same again... We will definitely be back!"
"Fabulous food great service and a stunning establishment with beautiful gardens I could spend the day in!! Thank you very very much for the unforgettable experience! "
"Fabulous food great service and a stunning establishment with beautiful gardens I could spend the day in!! Thank you very very much for the unforgettable experience!"
"Extremely pleasant & comfortable. Lovely dinner & breakfast, friendly & caring hosts, chatty & friendly cat."
"We were made to feel extremely welcome and the meals were wonderful."
"We had an excellent stay.Room was very comfortable although a bit cold.Very warm and friendly welcome and excellent dinner and breakfast. Dave is a great raconteur and great host."
"A very nice stopover on the way to Cape Town.Very characterful, historical place with wonderful hosts.Great conversation and excellent food!"
"Ons het werklik ons oornag by Dave en Lorrain geniet.Die gasvryheid is werklik uitstaande.Dit is n skoon, netjiese en gerieflike akkommodasie.Ons sal dit verseker aanbeveel.Weer Baie dankie vir die moeite!!"
"We loved it and had such a wonderful experience. Will definitely make this our first choice in future!"
"Thank you very much for a most welcoming atmosphere and enjoyable stay at the Barracks. Will definitely recommend to anyone. "
"The best accommodation we had.The owner was very friendly, actually treated my children like they were his own.Kindly let them know how happy I am.I have stayed with them before and will do so again every time I am in Colesburg."
"Excellent !"
"We had an excellent time, spent 2 nights before continuing our drive to Knysna.Dave and his wife are lovely hosts.Thank You"
"A very enjoyable stay.After a long (and sometimes frustrating) drive up from Cape Town, it was a pleasure to be so warmly received by Dave & Laugh and to rest up in a nice comfortable room before dinner. The roaring fire in the dining room was a delight (a real ambience setter), complemented by the food which was outstanding. Overall, excellent service in a homely, laid-back atmosphere."
"We thoroughly enjoyed our overnight stay.The Barracks is a beautiful place.Dave is a wonderful host."
"We stopped over on our way down to Cape Town and again onour return trip to Johannesburg. Superb as usual!"
"A very comfortable overnight stay, with the most wonderful selection of south african brandy, wines etc.Highly recommended on the food front.Lovely hosts! "
"I�ve enjoyed my stay and the Barracks and will definitely stay there again!!!What lovely people with their good hospitality and good food. "
"The Barracks was good as advertised "
"Lovely people, clean and nicely kept rooms. Very child friendly. We would definitely go back."
"We had a wonderful experience at The Barracks on our trip down to the Cape. Dave is such a marvellous host and the food was excellent. Thank you so much!"
"Excelent hosts, excellent food, excellent rooms! We will recommend this delightful establishment to our friends."
"After a long day of driving, it was great to arrive at the Barracks. I wasn't expecting much and probably would have been happy just going to bed. But the owner, Dave, welcomed my fellow travelers and I with great enthusiasm, and made us feel at home. His bar is probably the best within a 200km radius, boasting one of the finest brandy collections you will ever see. Needless to say we sampled much of what was on offer.The rooms are comfortable, and the bathrooms are particularly large.The history of the building makes it a truly unique place to stay."
"The host of the Barrcks really made me feel very welcome. Great place to stopover. Will be back"
"A really enjoyable place to stay. The rooms are extremely comfortable and the food was outstanding. At long last we have found a place to stay on the long road to the Cape"
"Wonderful experience with friendly, relaxed hosts.Will definitely return."
"This is our second visit to the Barracks; as before everything was very good."
"This is our second visit to the Barracks; as before everything was very good. "
"We were made to feel very comfortable and our hosts were very friendly and helpful. The room was great and we had the best lamb I have ever had."
"We were made to feel very comfortable and our hosts were very friendly and helpful. The room was great and we had the best lamb I have ever had."
" The ownerfoiled an attempt to break into our trailer. It wasn't a problem as living in JHB we are used to this but it might be an issue for overseas visitors. The hospitality was great and we really enjoyed our stay."
"It was like home away from home. Great service "
"TheHosts of the Barracks really made us feel very welcome and nothing was too much trouble. The evening meal of Karro lamb was outstanding, this is a great place to stopover on ones way down to the Cape."
"My husband and I have just spent three nights at The Barracks and we had a very enjoyable stay. Dave and Lorainne were excellent hosts, Lorainne serving]delicious dinners, and Dave going out of his way to help me with my familyhistory research project of the Colesburg area. We will definitely be returningto stay at The Barracks in the future, and will recommend this etablishment tofamily and friends."
"Excellent. Thank you very much"
"I unfortunately only stayed for one night, but would have liked it to be a week. The place looks great & the food was even better. Make sure you ask Lorraine for some brownies - even if you only have breakfast there. The service is friendly, but not intrusive.If you ever stop in Colesberg, make sure you stay at The Barracks."
"My wife and I were very happy with The Barracks. Dave was a very nice host and the food (Lamb Shanks) was absolutely brilliant. The room we stayed in was also very neat, clean and spacious. Would recommend Dave and The Barracks to anyone!!"
"Hospitality from Dave and his wife was wonderful.Meals were excellent and positioning great.The fan in the room we used wasn't hugely effective and made an awful noise when turned up.That aside, we had a wonderful stay and will definitely recommend the B&B to our friends."
"Very well appointed rooms, dining room and 'pub'. The setting and friendly hosts made our stay most enjoyable. "
"Very good"
"Very good"
"Thanks all was fine and we had a lovely time with Dave and his wife.Rooms were nice and clean and well presented. Good value for money and the food was excellent.Thanks for good service from SafariNow side."
"Thanks all was fine and we had a lovely time with Dave and his wife. Rooms were nice and clean and well presented. Good value for money and the food was excellent.Thanks for good service from SafariNow side."