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All 36 Durban hotels »

Royal Hotel

4.0 of 5
267 Smith Street, Durban 4000, South Africa
Hotel amenities
Royal Hotel
Ranked #27 of 36 hotels in Durban
3.0 of 5 stars 33 Reviews
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33 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    3
    5
    9
    11
    5
Date Rating
Francistown, North-East, Botswana
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 May 2012 NEW

What you see on website is not what you find on arrival. the hotel is very old, furniture torn right at reception. i got to the room and found old and not well cleaned bath tub and taps. the shower had no hot water. the cushions on the bed smelling. Service was excellent at the reception. had a very bad... More

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Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 February 2012
2
people found this review helpful

We stayed in a suite, the room was huge and lovely and clean. Good value. The hotel shows it has a pool but it's tiny and very dirty. I used the gym which is small but has enough equipment if you use your imagination. We had breakfast included which was ok. Some of the staff are very rude, although we... More

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See 2 more reviews by Lawzini1 for Durban
Pietermaritzburg
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We recently spent 2 nights at the Royal Hotel in Durban and I must say I was pretty disappointed with their current standards. Having previously stayed here I was able to compare my visits. Some of the things i noticed were that the rooms are not well cleaned and that porters are scarce so we had to take our own... More

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Bethesda, Maryland
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 December 2011

As the Romans said: "sic transit gloria mundi". Probably once a landmark hotel (sevarl taxi divers told us that the Royal used to be the number one Hotel in Durban), but times have changed. Still a great downtown location with many rooms offering nice vistas of the harbor. The pool at the top level terrace is not so much for... More

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Bangkok
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Everything you can hope to have for a perfect stay can be found in this hotel. Extremely friendly staff, located in the City Centre with stunning harbour views, very close to the beach and main routes, 4restaurants, health centre, pool, gym, 4 star amenities.........but somehow they just miss the point. The staff are very helpful, and once you bring a... More

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See 3 more reviews by danie_dewaal for Durban
Darwin
Top Contributor
63 reviews 63 reviews
Reviews in 43 cities Reviews in 43 cities
43 helpful votes 43 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

This hotel is located in the historic part of Durban, across from City Hall. It is a number of blocks walk to the main beaches. The rooms are large & well presented including a safe with lovely views overlooking the harbour (which is only a block away). This hotel is faded glory with a 4 star look & feel with... More

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Cape Town Central, South Africa
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 November 2011
2
people found this review helpful

This hotel, once a luxury landmark in Durban, has been on the decline for the last 20 years. it has failed to keep pace with new developments and is now a rather out-dated very inner-city hotel which offers reasonably comfortable rooms but needs much better management in order to pull itself out from its distinctly second-rate feel. It's location is... More

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London, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
37 reviews 37 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 October 2011
3
people found this review helpful

I had read the reviews and wasn't sure what to expect but this hotel isn't doing itself any favours. The staff are keen to help/please but without training and guidance it is difficult. The dining room is lovely but I am not a fan of dinner buffets. After staying there we found out that the management company that owns it... More

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Johannesburg, South Africa
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 September 2011

This was a surprise family trip in August and we are still talking about The Royal Hotel. Coming from the industry I must say I always look at the finer detail. The Royal came out on top. The rooms were spotless, the staff very friendly and the service from morning breakfast to late night "night caps" in the bar were... More

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Montagu, South Africa
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 August 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Over the past three decades I have seen this graceful "dame" being butchered to a pathetic entity not capable of looking after herself, LET ALONE GUESTS PAYING THREE TIMES the rate they pay at similar hotels etc. and still get value for money. ROOMS: Clean, but room service check lists are non-existance as old safes, new TVs & Fridges are... More

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Additional Information about Royal Hotel

  • Royal Hotel Durban
Address: 267 Smith Street, Durban 4000, South Africa
Price range (per night):* RM330 - 644

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