Maria & Marius Viljoen Owners of Villa Maria Guest Lodge
Villa Maria Guest Lodge in Klerksdorp celebrated its 25th anniversary on Friday evening, 23 October, with co-owner Maria Viljoen sharing the personal stories behind a business that has grown into an established local accommodation and events venue.
North West Insider attended the celebration, where Maria recalled how her wish to help people learn to read became part of Villa Maria’s beginnings.
As a teacher, she had sent notes home about a child who was struggling at school. At a parent-teacher evening, the child’s mother explained that she could not read. Maria helped her learn, and within 13 weeks, she said, the mother was reading. As a thank-you, the woman made her a pillow, which Maria showed at the celebration.
It was a reminder of the personal purpose behind the lodge’s early years, before its growth into the Villa Maria guests know today.
Its facilities have also grown beyond overnight accommodation. Conference spaces include an executive boardroom, Palm Place, the Crystal Room and a banquet hall seating up to 100 people theatre-style. The lodge hosts weddings of up to 80 guests, along with birthdays, kitchen teas, baby showers and other functions.
The lodge caters for business travellers, leisure guests and couples looking for a romantic breakaway. White buildings, a scenic garden and tarred driveways set the scene, and the lodge is situated just off the N12, close to Klerksdorp’s central business district, major shopping centres, hospitals and restaurants. It is open daily from 07:00 to 21:00.
Guest safety and comfort are very important and therefor part of the offering. The property has enclosed electrified walls, 24-hour armed response, CCTV surveillance, gate control for every guest and safes in the rooms. A generator and a borehole and tank water connection keep weddings, conferences and accommodation running during power or water interruptions.
Villa Maria is also part of a family of lodges, alongside its sister property, Thaba Tshwene Lodge and Spa, and describes itself as a multi-award-winning guest lodge where everything is placed with care to make a stay personal.
Side Eye Photography, operated by North West Insider’s Charles Oosthuizen and Maryke van Rensburg, also attended with its 360 video booth, which guests enjoyed during the celebration.
Situated on Platan Avenue in Adamayview, Villa Maria has become part of Klerksdorp’s hospitality landscape over the past quarter-century.
North West Insider’s View
The anniversary was about more than the growth of a guest lodge. Maria’s memories of a garden hose, carefully reused materials and a mother learning to read gave the milestone a personal meaning. A business that began with a simple purpose and a modest first purchase has become part of everyday life in Klerksdorp, hosting guests, conferences and celebrations for 25 years. It is a story of steady work, careful choices and care for people, and it is fitting that the anniversary was marked by remembering where it all began. North West Insider congratulates the Villa Maria team and wishes them many more years of welcoming people to Klerksdorp.
In short
Villa Maria Guest Lodge marked 25 years on 23 October 2026. Founded by Marius and Maria Viljoen in 2001, it now offers 24 rooms and conference, wedding and function facilities in Klerksdorp.
Have news from your community? Contact Maryke on 073 304 0905 or Charles on 083 639 9790.
Villa Maria
Guest Lodge · Klerksdorp
Klerksdorp, 2571 ☼Websitevillamaria.co.za
