The Kreef Hotel was started 6 years ago when Chris Kreef got the idea of starting a mobile hotel. Says Chris “I was looking to find a way that would let me attend all the festivals without having to go back to my regular, boring job on the Monday after the festival. The idea of the tent Hotel came to me in a moment of clarity – though it could have been that I was tucking on a particularly good variety of the old African multiple remedy green tobacco. Not sure, but it sure turned out to be a damn fine idea that day”, It was Chris’s personal hero, Piet Botha that gave him his nick name “Chris Kreef”. Kreef hotel has been everywhere from Music festivals to biker camps.

We were privileged to stay at the Kreef hotel during the 20^th Splashy Fen music festival in April. We arrived at about 2 o’clock in the morning and were very happy that they could still check us in. Some might say you are cheating if you go to a festival and don’t pitch your own tent and not bring your own food, we say maybe but at the Kreef Hotel the tents (With single or double mattresses) are already set up and they offer a hot buffet breakfast every morning. The plus point of cutting out a meal every day is that you can bring with more drinks. Breakfast gets served from 7:00 to 10:00 every morning and what a selection! From fruit, cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon to sausages. You can even get coffee delivered to your tent by sending an sms, how is that for service!?

Hot breakfast is not the only luxury at the Kreef, there are hot showers (what a joy), a mattress in your tent and friendly neighbors. The cool thing about the showers is while the other Splashy Feners were standing in queues to take a shower, we just jumped in and out ready for the show. There is also secure parking for your car and you can leave your tent and chair and not worry that anything will go missing because the whole Kreef hotel is fenced in. When you stay at the Kreef it is like you are having a five star experience because there is a red carped to the breakfast tent and even porters with red wheelbarrows to help you carry your bags (luggage) to and from your tent  like Chris says “the porters name says it all to get you in the mood for the party – Rest your case” Kreef Hotel is well worth the price you pay, if you work out all the luxuries you get it still comes down to a good price to pay for a weekend away. Although only point five star, where else do you get a guesthouse or a hotel right on the doorstep of your favourite rock festival, like crawling distance away!?

Other kreef hotels for 2009 are:

Oppikoppi August – bookings open end of May (book asap, sold out show last 2 years.

Rocking the Daisies (1^st weekend October) – bookings open end May (sold out last year)

Rittelfees

Up the Creek

Splashy Fen

Oppikoppi Easter (or not)

Thabazimbi Expo

MK Avontoer

For more on Kreef hotel go to www.kreefhotel.co.za or join the facebook group: Kreef Hotel ’07

Let Kreef Hotel help you plan your Rock’nRoll wedding! They also do divorce parties and funeral parties.. the calm thing is to remain important..

Thanks to Chris Kreef for editing this article.