The Royal Hotel
About this hotel
Comfortable Colonial hotel near uShaka Marine World An outdoor pool, a restaurant, and a bar/lounge are available at this hotel. WiFi in public areas is free. Additionally, a snack bar/deli, a conference center, and a coffee shop/cafe are onsite. The Royal Hotel offers 206 air-conditioned accommodations with laptop-compatible safes and hair dryers. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. 42-inch flat-screen televisions come with satellite channels. Bathrooms include separate bathtubs and showers and complimentary toiletries. This Durban hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is offered daily and irons/ironing boards can be requested. Recreational amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool. The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Internet / Wifi
Laundry
Balcony / Patio
Hot Tub / Spa
TV
Map of Durban
Hotel in Durban
Reasons to book
Includes essentialsPool, Air conditioner, Internet / Wifi and more
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Reviews
3.5/5.0
Average(224 Reviews)
4.0
This is a hotel in the heart of downtown, with a fine staff and sizable, comfortable rooms (perhaps a bit dated). The breakfast has quite a good variety of dishes. The room has a mini-fridge, which is a valuable amenity. This hotel offers excellent value for money. The one big fault of the place lies in the internet. It was usually not reachable in my room, and even when I went to the lobby for a good connection, Windows refused to connect to it because their system uses a long-outdated security protocol. (Android did work, but only in the lobby.) If you're staying downtown, you're probably in Durban for business, not tourism, and an up-to-date functional internet with a decent signal is absolutely essential.
10.0
Hood
5.0
Above and beyond great experience , staff is fantastic.
4.0
Clean rooms and wide selection for breakfast items
0.5
Upon arriving at the hotel bookings were not correct but after some time it was resolved. We got to the rooms and their room appears clean but when looking at the curtains or even the carpets it was filthy. The lift buttons are dirty and do not appear to be polished. The service we got was shocking, reception staff does not give a toss about guests, and if things are asked they take their own time or do not get back to you about it. They have hot water issues and when asking about it we were told that they would get back to us, which they never did. When they heard that we knew media personnel they then only offered to find us a room with hot water. The reception staff is the worst I have ever seen or even had to deal with, for the place they are working at it is rather sad. There were even chicken bones laying on the stairways and cockroaches in front and in rooms.
2.5
I don't understand why it's a 3 star cause everything is 5star and the staff is amazing
3.0
I don't understand why it's a 3 star cause everything is 5star and the staff is amazing
3.0
My family and I had a wonderful time at the Royal.
Reception was great; capacious rooms; ample parking; nice breakfast.
Overall stay was excellent.
2.5
My family and I had a wonderful time at the Royal.Reception was great; capacious rooms; ample parking; nice breakfast.Overall stay was excellent.
2.0
We had to pay R75 per day for parking and I was not told in advance. The carpet in my room(642) was dirty or stained.
Otherwise I like the vintage and elegant decor. The porters were helpful. Great service at the restaurant.
2.0
We had to pay R75 per day for parking and I was not told in advance. The carpet in my room(642) was dirty or stained. Otherwise I like the vintage and elegant decor. The porters were helpful. Great service at the restaurant.
2.0
The stay was fine but need to look at fixing their furniture in time before guests arrive.
2.0
The stay was fine but need to look at fixing their furniture in time before guests arrive.
1.5
It was fair but most amazing was scarcity of drinking water just a mere tap water n i had to complain first before they can cnhange our bedding....they just made the bed without changing sheets ,pillow cases n towels let alone refilling tea/coffee stuff n toiletries in the bathrooms n end up buying toilet paper .... remember we stayed 5 nights there but at after a reguested to speak to the manager everything was taken care of.Remember i syeyed in this hotel in 2015 but this year i dnt know what happened. During breakfast they end up counting food .i wonder why they accomodaye so many guest they cannot afford to feed them breakfast .
1.0
Pics online deceiving.Pool water was green & disgusting.Room wasn't set up as requested originally.Wifi in the room kept loosing signal.Tv in RM 643 wasn't clear but snowy.Breakfast at the cafe wasn't great.Hotel could do with an upgrade as it's definitely dated.
Great location as it's close to transport an good surrounding shops/mall.
Restoration definitely required in the city too.
1.0
Pics online deceiving.Pool water was green & disgusting.Room wasnt set up as requested originally.Wifi in the room kept loosing signal.Tv in RM 643 wasnt clear but snowy.Breakfast at the cafe wasnt great.Hotel could do with an upgrade as its definitely dated.Great location as its close to transport an good surrounding shops/mall.Restoration definitely required in the city too.
3.0
Amazing service , most friendly staff,spotless cleaning
Royal hotel is our second home
We have great time with my partner
Keep up on your super service
2.5
Amazing service , most friendly staff,spotless cleaning Royal hotel is our second homeWe have great time with my partner Keep up on your super service
2.5
stay was good for its price. Breakfast was very good. We are vegetarians, they accomodated vegetarian food also.
2.0
Hotel staff were friendly, however CDB Durban isn't really a place for foreign tourists, especially at night. Locals advised me to move to the outer neighborhoods such as Morningside and Windermere. This really was my biggest issue. WiFi at the Royal was odd - best connection speeds are down in the lobby area which I didn't care for, though that is a minor thing, honestly. I can, however, tell that at one time The Royal was probably a very nice hotel, back when times in Durban were perhaps a bit better. The actual quality of the rooms were good and I thought the bathroom and showers were attractive and nice.
However, when I voiced my concerns to the manager, he refused to acknowledge that CBD Durban is unsafe, despite MANY locals telling me the opposite, and would not refund the money i'd paid for two remaining days I had booked. While I respect the manager for holding his position and again i'd like to emphasize that the hotel staff were friendly, The Royal just wasn't the right place for me.
2.0
Hotel staff were friendly, however CDB Durban isnt really a place for foreign tourists, especially at night. Locals advised me to move to the outer neighborhoods such as Morningside and Windermere. This really was my biggest issue. WiFi at the Royal was odd - best connection speeds are down in the lobby area which I didnt care for, though that is a minor thing, honestly. I can, however, tell that at one time The Royal was probably a very nice hotel, back when times in Durban were perhaps a bit better. The actual quality of the rooms were good and I thought the bathroom and showers were attractive and nice. However, when I voiced my concerns to the manager, he refused to acknowledge that CBD Durban is unsafe, despite MANY locals telling me the opposite, and would not refund the money id paid for two remaining days I had booked. While I respect the manager for holding his position and again id like to emphasize that the hotel staff were friendly, The Royal just wasnt the right place for me.
3.0
I stayed 3 nights with my friend the place is very clean and interesting. The bar and food also good with reasonable price.Their breakfast is the best.The only problem we had its a iron we did a request and they didn't bring it we called them again the phone was ringing with no respond until we went out. Rather than that i really enjoyed our stay and definitely i will visit again.
2.5
I stayed 3 nights with my friend the place is very clean and interesting. The bar and food also good with reasonable price.Their breakfast is the best.The only problem we had its a iron we did a request and they didnt bring it we called them again the phone was ringing with no respond until we went out. Rather than that i really enjoyed our stay and definitely i will visit again.
5.0
It was overall good and clean. Looking forward to the next visit
4.0
The windows are dirty ,so i couldn't view the City from my room of which that was the reason for my booking
4.0
The windows are dirty ,so i couldnt view the City from my room of which that was the reason for my booking
4.0
The hotel is beautiful, although it is slightly shabby on further inspection. My room on the 19th floor had amazing views, however, one of the windows did not close completely. The staff were incredibly helpful, and it would be on this basis that I recommend this hotel. I've not received service like it in years, the staff are a credit to the hotel.
4.0
The hotel is beautiful, although it is slightly shabby on further inspection. My room on the 19th floor had amazing views, however, one of the windows did not close completely. The staff were incredibly helpful, and it would be on this basis that I recommend this hotel. Ive not received service like it in years, the staff are a credit to the hotel.
1.0
Like the environment. Clean and easy access to public transport.
4.0
Didn't like fact that the hotel still has no dstv
4.0
Didnt like fact that the hotel still has no dstv
5.0
It's a good place to be, it's clean, I recommended for somebody to go there
5.0
Its a good place to be, its clean, I recommended for somebody to go there
4.0
Excellent value if you want to stay in central Durban.
4.0
Excellent value if you want to stay in central Durban.
5.0
Cool hotel in awesome central location. Staff was very friendly & accommodated us with everything we asked for. View from the 19th floor was breathtaking! Overall a really nice place. Ignore the petty negative reviews, we did & had a great time in Durban.
5.0
Loved the view, staff and the room. Thanks for the great service.
3.0
city centre not very appealing would nor reccomend for pleasure
4.0
Had to change room on arrival as it was a bit smelly but other offered room was not perfect but after opening the windows it improved ! It was a non-smoking room (all of the rooms are) but maybe a smoker had stayed there - I'm not sure. Bathroom was lovely and clean - Shower effective and hot ! Food in the restaurant was excellent, reasonably priced and the staff attentive. Bar very nice apart from loud music Friday ("It's always like this at the w/e Sir!") other evenings fine. Staff went out of there way to make a sandwich when I arrived late on Saturday after an event. A very nice touch. Breakfast excellent and on Sunday they put on a special runner's breakfast at five which was also superb ! Laundry service was cheap and quick. After a day I settled in and was very pleased to be there - the Hilton was three times the price so value for money. I will stay there again for sure next year - nice friendly and clean hotel. Liked it very much - home from home...
4.0
The Hotel suited our needs very well. We stayed for 9 nights B n B using the central location to visit all the tourist spots holidaymakers like us need. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Durban and the Hotel was, in the main excellent for us. Room 10/10
Like most areas in Central Durban times have changed and with it the tourist hot spots. The hotel has had to change it's vocation in order to compete with the other hotels in the area. We paid £300 for 2 people for 9 nights and with the amount and quality of the food at breakfast we didn't need a midday meal. Food: 10/10.
On a few occasions we wanted to use the Pool and unfortunately this was being refurbed.
We did finally use the pool and saw that some parts of this area were below acceptable standards. Maybe the Leisure facilities are low on the priority list. Pool: 6/10.
Staff and Customer service: 10/10.
The Hotel has charm, history and unquestionable style. The Queen stayed there for 2 weeks in 1999, but the country, city and Hotel have changed. It's likely the Queen wouldn't stay there now
FAQs
How much does this hotel cost compared to others in Durban?
The average price for a rental in Durban is $93 per night. This rental is $45 less expensive than the average.
Is parking included with this hotel?
Parking is not specified as an available amenity at The Royal Hotel. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this hotel?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at The Royal Hotel. Enjoy the water!
Is The Royal Hotel pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this hotel is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at The Royal Hotel?
We found 7 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, internet / wifi, laundry, and balcony / patio.
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