Darling Lodge Guest House offers a harmonious blend of old and new reflecting the romantic name of the little town. The main house, the Victorian charm of which has remained intact, offers three individually decorated country style rooms. The more modern garden annex consists of three further generously appointed rooms with a grapevine covered patio which overlooks the sparkling swimming pool and the garden. Three in a contemporary style decorated and furnished spacious suites have been added in 2020 and are on solar electricity. The lush garden with its ancient pepper trees, fountain spraying water over blossoming roses, aloes, bougainvillea and lavender with its heady fragrance invites guests to relax and unwind. Darling is the ideal place to discover hidden gems like the West Coast National Park, the Swartland Birding Route, the Khwa ttu San Culture Centre, Sport events, the Darling Brewery, Darling Olives, awarded wines on the estates and so much more! See you in Darling, darling!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This is our second visit to Darling Lodge and it was every bit as gorgeous as we remembered (maybe even more so!) This time we visited with family and Stephan and Oliver and team are so welcoming and nothing was too much trouble - from champagne and strawberries in our rooms to an amazing breakfast selection, everything was perfect! We found some time to enjoy the gorgeous pool and sun loungers too - exactly what we needed on a hot day! It’s the perfect central location for exploring the surrounding area - highly recommend a visit to Ormonde Vineyard and the beach at Yzerfontein, as well as enjoying browsing the shops in Darling itself! We absolutely loved our stay and will definitely be back 🥰
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Date of stay: December 2024
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Trip type: Traveled with family
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Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded 4 weeks ago
Dear HannahG1763 Thank you so much for staying with us in Darling again and taking your time to write this wonderful review. We are very glad you were having a ball in our little oasis and enjoyed every moment relaxing and unwinding. It's always our pleasure to welcoming you back and we're wishing you a wonderful summertime in the Cape! All the best and a happy New Year 2025 ;-) Stephan & Oliver & Team
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Excellent room/bed/breakfast. Interesting regional history museum. Great nearby hike. Not to be missed: Darling Brewery and Darling Sweets. The lodge was super comfortable. Attentive and low key hosts. It's a joy all around. If you want to break up a trip from the north, say from St Helena Bay or wherever, on your way to CPT, I'd totally recommend staying in Darling. Local people very chill. The population is 1,000.
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Date of stay: February 2024
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Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Stay a night and enjoy
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Mar 23, 2024
Dear ej54 It was a pleasure being your hosts and we are very glad you enjoyed your stay with us in Darling. Thank you for taking your time to write this helpful and inspiring review with lots of insights for future travelers to South Africa's West Coast. We're wishing you a pleasant springtime in NY! Best regards, Stephan & Oliver & Team
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Very friendly greeting from Stefan. The rooms are scattered around an interesting garden and small pool, with the breakfast room more or less in the middle. Parking is mainly in the quiet street. The bedroom is simple with comfortable beds. The only negative is the bathroom. Lighting was poor. Although there was a light combined with a magnifying mirror off the side of the basin, it was next to useless for two reasons: it only stayed on for a few seconds and it was in the wrong position for shaving. Another downside was the shower. The taps have seen better days and took a lot of time to adjust to get the right temperature. Breakfast was very good with a good choice on the buffet. The cooked breakfast was beautifully presented.
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Date of stay: September 2024
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Sep 18, 2024
Dear 38MG_1944 Thank you very much for staying with us during this year's wildflower season and taking your time to write this helpful review. We did change the batteries in the cosmetic magnifying mirror after we read this feedback. Unfortunately, we did not get contacted in person so it was to late to sort the issue swiftly and make your stay more comfortable. We are very sorry for the inconvenience with regards to the shower taps. This topic got added to our "to deal with" list and will be sorted soonest. Thank you again for staying with us and enjoy a colourful Springtime! Stephan & Oliver & Team
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We spent 12 days in this beautiful guesthouse and were completely satisfied and delighted. The suites are beautifully furnished and very spacious with a view of the well-kept park. The breakfast left nothing to be desired and the hosts Stephan and Oli are very attentive and helpful. Oli was also our guide and driver and showed us the Cape region and introduced us to it with his extensive knowledge.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is such a tranquil, peaceful, chilled out location. The lodges are so comfortable, clean and quiet. The gardens are full of trees and interesting Forna. The array of chatting birds are a delight when lazing around the pool on the amazingly comfy pool loungers. Breakfast, whether cooked or/and buffet are totally yummy and the owners Oliver and his charming partner ensure your stay is always at its best. Thank you and when we come back to Darling, we’ll definitely be back. Pieter & Gary
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Don’t miss this one. We totally recommend a stay here.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Mar 1, 2024
Dear Pieter & Gary Thank you so much for staying with us and taking your time to write this wonderful review. We are very glad you enjoyed your stay with us and it was just our pleasure being your hosts! We wish you a great time further at the Cape and save travels back home ;-) Warmest regards, Stephan & Oliver & Team
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A beautiful, well-kept accommodation with a magnificent garden. An oasis of peace and relaxation with a special charisma. Stefan and Oliver are perfect hosts. Discreet but still very open and helpful. Our suite is beautifully furnished. In the morning, the breakfast buffet with the first-class coffee is a lot of fun. It's a shame that we only booked 2 nights
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Sehr geeignet fűr einen mehrtägigen Aufenthalt zur Erholung
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A very beautiful and cozy facility with a beautiful garden, an appealing breakfast with a wide selection of sweet and savory dishes. We would particularly like to highlight the homemade jams. The lodge has very comfortable rooms. The bungalows are very stylish and modern, the beds are excellent, and you sleep very restfully. The room service is also very good. The two hosts are very pleasant and friendly and are happy to give tips for various excursions and activities. The staff, from the gardener to the housekeeping, are also very friendly. We would love to come back.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We booked a trip to Darling western cape, to visit some wines estates, & booked this lodge for our stay. Our host Stefan was so welcoming & so knowledgeable regarding all the best attractions in the local area. Beautiful old colonial residence with swimming pool & out building’s where you can unwind in a beautiful peaceful surroundings. We had one of the best experiences travelling anywhere in South Africa, & this is my 18th visit to this wonderful country. The breakfast is to die for with continental style breakfast as well as a cooked breakfast, there’s nothing left out. Your room is serviced daily by friendly maids, & the rooms are all en-suite & have a wonderful charm. I would thoroughly recommend this lodge & wish I could give it a higher rating, definitely staying here again in the near future.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: Don’t just turn up without oolong as it’s in high demand
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Feb 11, 2023
Dear sonnyg446 Wow!!!! Thank you so much for taking your time to write this abfab review - much appreciated! It was just our pleasure to be your hosts and we are very glad you could unwind and enjoyed some relaxed moments at our guest house ;-) We wish you a wonderful time in SA and a safe journey towards the northern hemisphere once your holidays are over. All the best and thanks again for your visit! Stephan & Oliver & Team
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Darling lodge guesthouse, is like a small homely secret garden nesteled in the small town darling, the idee of the artist represented each a room with the art is such a delight, we would have loved to stayed more nights to see each room what new it has in store. The guesthouse gives you a magical feeling a hidden gem, so much love has been put into it. Breakfast and espacially the best coffee we had on our western coast tour up to cape town. And a lovely host stephan
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Dec 6, 2022
Dear TrixiM7 Thank you so much for staying with us and taking your time to write this amazing review. We are glad you and your friends made it to Darling and enjoyed your time in our little village and the coffee served for breakfast ;-) I will definitely let know our roaster from fabino coffee in CPT. Enjoy your trip on the West Coast and have an amazing Summertime. See you in Darling, darlings ;-) Stephan & Oliver & Team
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The Darling lodge guest house in Darling offers exceptional accommodation. Having recently added 3 brand new suites in their garden, this adds more class to their set-up. They have used the finest fittings & furniture in these new suites and their beds (especially the pillows) are fabulous - everything in the bathroom works very well & the fact that they have a classy set up with inverter etc makes any Eskom problems obsolete! Stephan and Oliver are exceptionally friendly hosts and we can thoroughly recommend their guest house.
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Date of stay: April 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Stephan Moser, Owner at Darling Lodge Guest House
Responded Apr 18, 2021
Dear Carol Thank you very much for staying with us and taking your time to write this wonderful review. It was just a pleasure to be your hosts in Darling. We are very glad you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to see you some other time again. All the best and stay healthy and well ;-) Best regards, Stephan & Oliver & Team
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There are more places to choose from in the Darling area.
PRICE RANGE
$62 - $64 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeDarling
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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