Champagne Sports Resort
Location: Winterton, Northern Drakensberg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Star Rating: 
Hotel Type: Golf, Spa, Family, Conference, Leisure
No. of Rooms: 152
Guest Reviews:0 Reviews
Address
Winterton 3340
Central Drakensberg
KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
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Champagne Sports Resort
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.jpg "Spa Relaxation Area at the Champagne Sports Resort")
Overview
Situated in the majestic Central Drakensberg KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, boasting the most spectacular view of Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak, one can find the Champagne Sports Resort. This getaway provides an ideal combination of convenient location, country club atmosphere, luxury accommodation and great facilities.
From the 18-hole championship golf course to the roaming herds of Blesbok and Impala and the rare birdlife that inhabit this area, there is something for everyone to enjoy at the Champagne Sports Resort. And, with five dams stocked which are stocked with bass or trout, as well as outstanding sporting facilities and cultural activities, this resort in the Drakensberg provides a balance between recreation for sports enthusiasts and tranquillity for those seeking relaxation.
Self-contained, free standing thatched cottages provide the finest accommodation, and delectable fare and sumptuous banquets coupled with every possible creature comfort makes Champagne Sports Resort.
The Champagne Sports Resort is only a three-and-a-half hours drive from Johannesburg and a 2-hours drive away from Durban; this resort is therefore ideally situated for both relaxing leisure weekends and for corporate conferences.
Accommodation at the Champagne Sports Resort, KwaZulu-Natal
The Champagne Sports resort provides a variety of superb, fully serviced accommodation. The 122 hotel bedrooms are made up of twin rooms, family rooms, and various suites, all with well-appointed bedrooms and either mountain views or garden views. The hotel has wheelchair access throughout and all bedrooms are linked to the main hotel buildings by way of thatch covered walkways.
Room facilities at the resort include:
- Telephones (Direct Dialing)
- Television (SABC 1,2,3, M-Net, Movie Magic, Disney Channel, DMX & SuperSport)
- Tea / Coffee making facilities
- Hairdryer
- Overhead Ceiling Fans
- Bureau and writing lamp with Information Folder and Stationery
- En-Suite Bathroom
Dining facilities at the Champagne Sport Resort
The General's Mess
Usually reserved for private functions, the General's Mess is situated off Zunckel's function room and is decorated in a battlefields theme. A full sized snooker table is a feature of the 'Mess'.
Cathkin Arms
Situated off the main dining room, Cathkin Arms is a popular meeting spot, especially on big sports days where a large screen TV broadcasts the action. Cathkin Arms has three pool tables set in a separate area and the bar is open from 10h00 'til late.
The Cocktail bar
The Cocktail Bar is open for pre-dinner drinks from 18h00 onwards and is situated at the entrance to the Restaurant.
Activities which are available to guests:
- floodlit tennis courts
- four swimming pools
- waterpolo
- basketball
- badminton
- table tennis
- mini-gym
- plus bowls
- sports-putt
- mountain biking
- horse-riding from nearby stables
- hiking trails
- scenic walks or
- helicopter flips directly from the resort for the more adventurous
- And for the kids... trampolines, jungle-gyms, mini-tennis, playground activities and a whole lot more
For the wanderer, Champagne Sports Resort also has many nearby attractions. These include the world-famous Drakensberg Choir, which holds weekly performances, to the famous Ardmore Art Studios - the nearby game reserves of Spionkop and Weenen where the mountain vulture hides, to the famous Anglo-Boer war battlefields, there is something for everyone.
Children's Play Area
A children's play area is situated in the activity area and has a selection of activities available for the kids including a jungle gym.
The hotel's swimming pools are set in front of the hotel and umbrellas and sun lounges are available for guests. The two swimming pools for timeshare guests are situated at the Timeshare recreation area.
The resort has five all-weather tennis courts two of which are floodlit. Racquets and balls are available from the Sports co-coordinators desk.
Beauty Salon
Guests are welcome to treat themselves at the Champagne Skin Care Centre. The spa offers a variety of treatments including massage , Environ and Gatineau facials, paraffin manicures and pedicures as well as the basic beauty treatments.
Golf at the Champagne Sports Resort, South Africa
The 18-hole championship golf course offers a fair challenge of Golf. KZNGU rated, this course offers a superb layout with the magnificent Champagne and Cathkin Peaks as a backdrop.
All the Greens are of the highest quality and are planted with L93 bent-grass which have proven extremely suitable for the region, particularly in winter where the greens remain 'green', receptive and true to line.
The 84 well appointed and well shaped bunkers that line fairways and greens all have white silica sand imported from Bronkhorstspruit and will be appreciated by professional and novice alike for their consistency.
The fairways are all planted with kikuyu grass presenting a wonderful green carpet, further enhancing the beauty of this truly unique South African Golf Course.
Location and Direction to the Champagne Sports Resort
The Champagne Sports Resort is located in the Champagne Valley of the Central Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa. The resort can easily be reached on tarred roads all the way from all major business centres.
The Champagne Sports Resort is:
- 4 hours from Johannesburg on tarred roads
- 2 hours from Durban on tarred roads
- close to an airstrip for those wishing to fly in by light aircraft or helicopter
- close to a petrol filling station
From Durban:
Travel along the N3, past Pietermaritzburg and through Mooi River. You will pass the Wagendrift Dam on your left, and keep going until you reach the Estcourt North Giants Castle Central Berg Turnoff. Turn left at the glide-off, and carry on through Loskop for 28kms. Please note there are lots of cattle and animals, be careful! You will reach a crossroads, with a sign saying Central Drakensberg, turn left. Follow this road for 11kms, and Champagne Sports is situated on the left hand side.
From Johannesburg:
A) Scenic Route: CAUTION: Do not follow this route in wet or freezing conditions
Johannesburg to Harrismith on N3. At Harrismith turn right onto the N5 towards BETHLEHEM/BLOEMFONTEIN.
Proceed for + - 5km, turn left onto the R712 QWA-QWA/BERGVILLE road.
Proceed for + - 10kms. Turn left again on the BERGVILLE/OLIVIERSHOEK PASS (R74) road.
Continue past Sterkfontein dam, down Oliviershoek Pass, straight through Bergville and onto Winterton.
At Winterton turn right onto the R600, CENTRAL BERG road, which is directly opposite the Engen garage;
proceed for + - 13km to the crossroad junction at Thokozisa.
Cross straight over and continue for + - 11.4 km.
The Hotel is situated on the left hand side.
B) Freeway Route:
Johannesburg to Van Reenen's Pass on the N3.
Pass through the Tugela Toll Plaza which is at the bottom of Van Reenen's Pass.
Continue approximately 14 kilometers to the R616 BERGVILLE turn off, proceed left on the N11 towards Ladysmith for approximately 4 kilometers and turn right onto the R600 Spioenkop / Winterton Rd.
Travel along over the highway, and past Spioenkop Lodge / Nature Reserve.
When you reach a T-Junction, turn left to Winterton.
Take a right over the railway line (R600) when you get into Winterton.
This is directly opposite the Engen garage.
Follow that road until you reach the crossroads at Thokozisa.
Go straight over the crossroads and travel a further 11 kms, until you see Champagne Sports on your left hand side.
Room Types
The Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg offers a variety of superb, fully serviced accommodation. The 108 hotel bedrooms are made up of twin rooms, family rooms, and various suites, all with well-appointed bedrooms and either mountain views or garden views.
A further 91 Timeshare Units on the estate are used for hotel accommodation subject to availability. The hotel has wheelchair access throughout and all bedrooms are linked to the main hotel buildings by way of thatch covered walkways.
Hotel room facilities include:
- Telephones (Direct Dialing)
- Television (SABC 1,2,3, M-Net, Movie Magic, Disney Channel, DMX & SuperSport)
- Tea / coffee making facilities
- Hairdryer
- Overhead ceiling fans
- Bureau and writing lamp with information folder and stationery
- En-suite bathroom
The Champagne Sports Resort featues a total of 152 hotel rooms:
- 21 Mountain Facing Family Rooms: 42 guests
Each family room consists of a double bed with lounge area, and inter-leading twin room (2 single beds) and 1 en suite bathroom with shower over bath
- 78 Mountain Facing Double/Twin Rooms: 156 guests
Each room consists of a double/twin bed with lounge area and en suite bathroom
- 40 Yellowwood Mountain Facing Double/Twin Rooms: 80 guests
Each room consists of a double/twin bed with lounge area and en suite bathroom
- 6 Mountain Facing Double Room: 12 guests
Each room consists of a double bed with lounge area and en suite bathroom
- 3 Executive Suites: 6 guests
Each room consists of a double bed with lounge area and en suite bathroom
- 4 Presidential Suites: 8 guests
Today's Rate:
Single Room: R1420.00
Double Room: R2060.00
Room Amenities
Restaurants
The Champagne Sports Resort's buffet experience is gaining a reputation for the large variety of wholesome and hearty dishes offered off the expanded buffets. The resort can cater for up to 700 guests comfortably.
Address: Winterton 3340, Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Situated off the main dining room, Cathkin Arms is a popular meeting spot, especially on big sports days where a large screen TV broadcasts the action. The bar is open from late mornings until evenings.
Address: Winterton 3340, Central Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Spa
The Champagne Sports Resort is home to an upmarket salon and gym. The salon boasts a well balanced range of treatments and products to ensure guests leave feeling revitalized and refreshed.
The broad range of spa treatments and incredible views from the resting area ensure a relaxing upmarket salon experience.
The resort's gym is fully equipped to ensure training options to suit all requirements from general weight training to cardiovascular exercise.
Activities
The basketball court of the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg is situated on the activity area in front of the hotel. A basketball can be hired from the sports co-coordinator.
A bowling lawn is situated on the activity area in front of the Champagne Sports Resort with bowls and all other equipment available for hire from the sports co-ordinator.
An exciting children's play area is located in the activity area of the Champagne Sports Resort and has a selection of activities available for kids including a jungle gym.
Nestled within this spectacular leisure, conference and timeshare Champagne Resort is the magnificent clubhouse, which overlooks a hidden golfing masterpiece.
The top 30 ranked championship golf course has been rated as one of South Africa's most beautiful golf courses in recent years with the clubhouse rated in the top 5 19th holes' in South Africa.
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The gym at the Champagne Sports Resort is well equipped. The gymnasium is situated in the welness centre below the Ondini Centre.
Guests staying at the Champagne Sports Resort have the opportunity to fly amongst the mighty peaks of the magnificent Drakensberg mountain range.
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Below the main tennis courts is a full 9-hole Sports Putt course. Putters and balls are available from the Sports co-ordinators desk.
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The resort features 3 swimming pools at the Time Share resort and 2 swimming pools at the Champagne Sports Resort itself.
Table Tennis is available and bats with balls can be collected from the Sports co-ordinators desk.
The Beauty Salon is located at the Wellness Centre. Guests are invited to treat themselves at the Champagne Skin Care Centre.
The hotel offers a variety of treatments including massage, environ and gatineau facials, paraffin manicures and pedicures as well as the basic beauty treatments.
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The Champagne Sports Resort features five all-weather tennis courts two of which are floodlit.
Racquets and balls are available from the Sports co-ordinators desk.
Conferences / Events
The Champagne Sports Resort offers a total of 16 conference venues including the new state of the art Buttress Centre with a floor space of 1200m2 (usable area) which seats up to 1400 delegates and banquets 850 guests at round tables.
Other venues include:
- the Sentinel Room which seats up to 1000 delegates
- the Monks Cowl centre seating up to 550 delegates
- the Summit Room seating up to 400 delegates
- more intimate venues ranging between 150 delegates down to the private boardrooms seating up to a maximum of 20 people
Conference equipment includes the most up to date equipment with Crestron hand held controls through the bigger venues and all standard equipment through the smaller meeting areas. Delegates have internet access in the hotel and all venues and can utilise the business centre across from the new coffee shop.
Boardroom Venues at the Champagne Sports Resort:
BOARDROOMS– GREYS PASS
- U-Shape = 18 delegates
- Classroom = 21 delegates
- Banquet = 20 delegates
BOARDROOM – DRAGONS BACK
- U-Shape = 18 delegates
- Classroom = 21 delegates
- Banquet = 20 delegates
BOARDROOM– EASTMANS
- U-Shape = 18 delegates
- Classroom = 21 delegates
- Banquet = 20 delegates
BOARDROOM – SHIPS PROW
- U-Shape = 18 delegates
- Classroom = 21 delegates
- Banquet = 20 delegates
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CATHKIN ARMS BAR EXTENSION
- U-Shape = 48 delegates
- Classroom = 60 delegates
- Banquet = 70 delegates
Seating Capacity at the BUTTRESS CENTRE:
- U-Shape = 147 delegates
- Classroom = 1042 delegates
- Cinema = 1350 delegates
- Banquet = 850 delegates
Conference equipment
The Champagne Sports Resort offers some of the most updated equipment available:
- 4500 x 3500mm Euro Motorised Projection screen
- Data / Video Projector
- 3200 max brightness
- Native XGA Resolution (1024 x 768)
- SXGA capability
- Full NTSC,PAL,Secam and HDTV video capability
- Contrast 800:1
- Display technology – Polysilicon TFT LCD (active matrix)
- 4 x VGA Data/audio connection points to projector
- VHS Video Player
- DVD/CD Player – for DVD/CD/WAV/MP3
- UHF – Multi Frequency Roving Microphone
- UHF – Multi Frequency Lapel Microphone
- Gooseneck podium microphone.
- 8 channel audio mixing desk
- extra mic inputs on balanced XLR
- extra line inputs on 6,5mm mono jack plugs
- record out facility on dual RCA connectors
- global phantom power if required
- DMX audio permanently connected
- Crestron Touch panel for control of all AV equipment and house lighting.
- 3 x 450 watt stereo amplifiers
- 6 x 12” 2-way speakers ( ability to switch off zones as required)
- Audio Processor with pre-set feedback reduction, limits and speaker delays, thus providing excellent audio for speech and/or show sound
Control System
All standard equipment is controlled via the color touch panel which can be operated from anywhere in the room. The touch panel is user friendly and little or no training is required to effectively use the system.
Lighting
The lighting system has been designed to facilitate the multi-purpose functionality of the venue. All lighting is controlled via the Crestron touch panel.
Lighting presets
There are 6 pre-set lighting levels which automatically set the lighting to the correct levels for:
- PowerPoint presentations
- Video presentations
- Stage functions
- General meetings
- General banqueting
- All lights off/on
- All lights medium
Personal lighting scenes
It is however possible to control individual tracks of lighting. The venue is fitted with 16 tracks of dimmable fluorescent and dimmable low voltage lighting, making it possible to set a variety of scenes for any mood or function.
Stage lighting
The stage area is fitted with 12 PARCAN theatre lights with optional color gels. There is also a profile spotlight which can be used to highlight a speaker at the podium.
White board and markers, flipcharts, flipchart stands, projection screens and overhead projectors also available. The conference organizer will sign for equipment used by delegates. The hotel does not supply Multi plugs or extension cords.
Data Lines
- Sentinel - 2 x ISDN lines
- Each has 2 x 64KB channels, giving a total of 4 x 64KB = 256KB
- 1 x Link to Hotel Linux Server
- Business Centre - 1 x Link to Hotel Linux Server
- Reception - 1 x Link to Hotel Linux Server
- Shared Line - 1 X ISDN line = 2 X 64KB = 128KB
- Monks Cowl - 1 x Link to Hotel Linux Server
- Ithaba - 1 x Link to Hotel Linux Server
Conference venues and centres at the Champagne Sports Resort:
SENTINEL
- U-Shape = 123 delegates
- Classroom = 648 delegates
- Cinema = 1000 delegates
- Banquet = 660 delegates
MONKS COWL CENTRE
- U-Shape = 90 delegates
- Double U-Shape = 140 delegates
- Classroom = 324 delegates
- Cinema = 504 delegates
- Banquet = 300 delegates
SUMMIT ROOM
- U-Shape = 84 delegates
- Double U-Shape = 140 delegates
- Classroom = 270 delegates
- Cinema = 436 delegates
- Banquet = 260 delegates
ONDINI CENTRE
- U-Shape = 48 delegates
- Double U-Shape = 65 delegates
- Herringbone = 100 delegates
- Classroom = 129 delegates
- Cinema = 200 delegates
ZUNCKELS
- U-Shape = 60 delegates
- Classroom = 141 delegates
- Cinema = 204 delegates
- Banquet = 120 delegates
INJASUTI
- U-Shape = 24 delegates
- Classroom = 45 delegates
- Cinema = 60 delegates
- Banquet = 50 delegates
ITHABA
- U-Shape = 45 delegates
- Classroom = 63 delegates
- Cinema = 110 delegates
- Banquet = 60 delegates
STERKHORN
- U-Shape = 18 delegates
- Classroom = 24 delegates
- Cinema = 50 delegates
- Banquet = 30 delegate
AMPHLETT
- U-Shape = 42 delegates
- Classroom = 78 delegates
- Banquet = 80 delegates
TURRET
- U-Shape = 48 delegates
- Classroom = 90 delegates
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Banquet = 80 delegates
Facilities
Services
Location
Driving directions to Champagne Sports Resort 3 hours, 7 mins, N3, 241 km
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1. Head southwest toward Mdloti St 700 m
2. Turn left at Mdloti St 2.3 km
3. Keep right at the fork and merge onto N2 Rd 28.9 km
4. Take exit 165-E B Cloete for N3 toward Pietermaritzburg/Johannesburg 1.6 km
5. Turn left at N3 168 km
6. Take exit 179 toward Giants Castle/Estcourt 550 m
7. Turn left toward R600 29.6 km
8. Turn left at R600 8.1 km
9. Turn left 300 m
Champagne Sports Resort
Parking
Useful Links
Accreditations
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 1990 – 1993
- RCI Resort of International Distinction 1994 – 1996
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 1997 – 2003
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 2004
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 2005
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 2006
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 2007
- RCI Gold Crown Resort 2008
- Gold Crown Top 5 Awards 2009
- Gold Crown Status Awards 2010
