On a hill above town, backing on to the Pork Pie Eland sanctuary, Frog & Fern is Chimanimani's nicest place to stay. There's a choice of stone cabins or rondavel cottages (the double-storey rondavels are architectural masterpieces), all with cooking facilities, fireplaces and garden views. Breakfast is available for US$10, but otherwise it's self-catering.
Owner Jane is a wealth of knowledge on everything in the area.
The road up is quite rough, so you'll need a high-clearance vehicle to get here.