South Africa Hotels

Catering to the requirements of all, South Africa offers a wide range of accommodation options from opulent 5-star hotels to backpacker lodges and hostels. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa has ranked the hotels in this country from 1 to 5 stars. This rating is based upon the facilities provided.

Apart from the starred hotels, several backpacking lodges are also widespread across the country. Providing self-catering facilities and shared bathrooms, these lodges are preferable for single or young travellers. Bed and Breakfast establishments are also popular in South Africa.

Self-catering accommodations like houses, cottages, chalets, bungalows, flats, studios, apartments, villas, houseboats and tents are also found in one or the other part of the country. Guest houses are also an option.

In most holiday destinations, there are caravan parks where one can just pitch a tent and stay. For those on a long-stay in the country, timeshare resorts are available. In South Africa, properties are also available on lease for a short period of time, ranging from 1 to 12 months.

Cape Town and Johannesburg are preferred destinations for maximum accommodation options, varying from resorts and hotels to budget establishments like hostels, B&Bs and guest houses. Suburbs to the south of Cape Town offer budget accommodations while the ones along the western seaboard are relatively expensive.

Beach resorts are prominent in coastal regions like East London and Durban. Cape Town and other coastal areas are also home to hotels that are fringed by beaches. For business hotels, one can head to the central business districts (CBDs) of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth, to name a few.

South Africa is home to major international hotel chains like Sheraton, Best Western, Hilton, Mercure, Hyatt, Holiday Inn and Radisson SAS who have their hotels, resorts and lodges in different cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg and others.

Other than international brands, number of hotel chains operate nationally as well such as African Pride, Gooderson Legacy, City Lodge, African Sky and Grand Daddy. Domestic hotel chains in South Africa also include Guvon, Last Word, Lion Roars, Louis Group, Protea, Sun International, Southern Sun, Three Cities and Mantis Collection.

South Africa has several business hotels that range from conference venues to exhibition and convention centres. Most business hotels provide in-room facilities like wireless internet, office desk, voice mail and international direct dial.

Within the hotel complex, conference rooms, exhibition centres and small meeting rooms are also built. These rooms are well-equipped with standard audio-visual equipment and fax machines.

Unlike business hotels that are suitable for corporate travellers, leisure hotels are more popular among vacationers. Most leisure hotels in South Africa provide amenities like swimming pool, fitness centre, indoor pool, gym, massage rooms, spa and sauna. Other facilities like pubs, bars, game rooms, playhouses, gardens, etc. are also provided within the hotel complex. Facilities like volleyball courts and outdoor giant chessboard are also available at some hotels.

Tourist activities are prominent all round the year in South Africa. Depending upon the purpose of visit and interest tourists can choose a time. For instance, the Cape provinces are best visited during the spring season while summer is the peak season to travel to coastal areas like Durban and Port Elizabeth.

In accordance with the seasonal variations, prices of hotels in South Africa differ from time to time. Generally, the prices remain higher during the peak season of respective regions, particularly during school and public holidays. Low season on the other hand, witnesses a decrement in prices, accompanied with discounts and lower walk-in rates.