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The Royal Hotel

3.0 star property

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for The Royal Hotel

Coffee shop
Terrace/patio
Hallway
Lobby
Front of property

Reviews

7.2 out of 10

Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Parking available
  • Spa
  • Pool
  • Room service

Explore the area

Map
267 Smith Street, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4001
  • Durban City Hall
    1 min walk
  • Playhouse
    2 min walk
  • Harbour
    4 min walk
  • Durban (DUR-King Shaka Intl.)
    33 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Deluxe Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds, Non Smoking, City View

In-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

Deluxe Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds, Non Smoking, City View

  • 323 sq ft
  • City view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Non Smoking, City View

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Non Smoking, City View | In-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Non Smoking, City View

  • City view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Executive Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View

Executive Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View | In-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

Executive Suite, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View

  • 646 sq ft
  • Harbor view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View

Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View | In-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking, Harbor View

  • 323 sq ft
  • Harbor view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About this property

The Royal Hotel

3-star hotel in Durban Central Business District
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.

Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the onsite spa services. There are 3 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, Swedish massages, and facials. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and reflexology.
Dining options at the hotel include a restaurant, a coffee shop/cafe, and a snack bar/deli. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Business amenities at this 3-star property consist of a business center, meeting rooms, and limo/town car service.

Public areas are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access. This Colonial hotel also offers an outdoor pool, spa services, and a terrace. For a surcharge, the property provides an airport shuttle (available 24 hours), a beach shuttle, and a train station drop-off service. Limited onsite parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis (surcharge).

Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 6:30 AM and 10 AM.
The Royal Hotel has a restaurant serving breakfast and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Height restrictions apply for onsite parking
  • 24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Train station pick-up and drop-off shuttle (surcharge)
  • Beach shuttle (surcharge)
  • Cruise terminal shuttle (surcharge)
  • Theme park shuttle (surcharge)
  • Limo/town car service
  • Secured, covered self parking on site (ZAR 60 per day)
  • Limited onsite parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily buffet breakfast available 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: ZAR 185 for adults and ZAR 92.50 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant
  • Snack bar/deli

Things to do

  • Outdoor pool
  • Stereo

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snack bar/deli
  • Soundproofed rooms

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business center
  • Conference center
  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Terrace

Spa

  • 3 treatment rooms
  • Aromatherapy
  • Body scrubs
  • Body wraps
  • Couples treatment rooms
  • Deep-tissue massages
  • Facials
  • Hot stone massages
  • Manicures/pedicures
  • Reflexology
  • Swedish massages

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Elevator
  • Handrails in stairways
  • Thin carpet in room
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business center
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to elevator
  • Wheelchair-accessible pool
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible spa
  • Wheelchair-width doorways

More

  • 1 building
  • 18 floors
  • Banquet hall
  • Built in 1845
  • Colonial architecture
  • Reception hall
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Separate bathtub and shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 42-inch flat-screen TV with satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Limited room service
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board on request
  • Laptop-compatible safe
  • Phone
  • Soundproofed rooms

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the cruise terminal and airport (surcharges may apply); to arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 24 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The property charges 3 percent for credit card payments
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: approximately ZAR 185 for adults and ZAR 92.50 for children
  • Airport shuttle fee: ZAR 450 per vehicle (one-way, maximum occupancy 4)
  • Airport shuttle fee per child: ZAR 150.00 (one-way), (from 5 to 11 years old)
  • Covered self parking fee: ZAR 60 per day
  • Credit card charges are subject to a surcharge of 3 percent

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Parking height restrictions apply

National rating

Quality Graded by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) – South Africa's official quality assurance organization.

Property is also known as

Royal Durban
Royal Hotel Durban
The Royal Hotel Hotel
The Royal Hotel Durban
The Royal Hotel Hotel Durban

The Royal Hotel Reviews

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 61 out of 241 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 80 out of 241 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 55 out of 241 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 21 out of 241 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 241 reviews" "

7.8/10

Cleanliness

7.2/10

Staff & service

7.4/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Clifford

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

VIVIAN

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great breakfast and rooms are kept clean
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Magnus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Magnus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It is always so convenient to stay at the Royal
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024

6/10 Okay

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff was incredible. The breakfast and dinner buffets were very good with lots of options. Biggest issue is that even though it is a non-smoking hotel there is cigarette, cigar, and pot smells coming from the rooms vents even though the circulation is off. I even switched rooms because of the smell into my room, but it really didn't matter even though it was on a different floor from my original room. Thankfully my second room had a window that could open and I was able to keep the room aired out, but it still smelled of smoke. In other hotels the people who smoke in rooms are fined and removed from the hotel. Also, having the exhaust fans pulling air out of the rooms would keep it from circulating through the vent system because my vents were definitely not on. Even bought a fan at Clicks to help cool the room down for comfortable sleeping.
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fine hotel, good people, needs better internet
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.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

8/10 Good

Gottfried, West Vancouver

Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Maud

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Hood
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

Russell

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mildred Nomvana

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

2/10 Terrible

Isaac

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

2/10 Terrible

Ferdinand

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

Pearl

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Maud

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Pedro Manuel Pereira, Concord

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Above and beyond great experience , staff is fantastic.
Stayed 8 nights in Jun 2023

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Travelstart online

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2022

8/10 Good

Danai

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Clean rooms and wide selection for breakfast items
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

6/10 Okay

Mvuyiso

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel of F***** Horror.
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sandile

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Definitely coming back
I don't understand why it's a 3 star cause everything is 5star and the staff is amazing
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Nomonde

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
Vintage style
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020