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The Royal Hotel

3.0 star property
Colonial hotel with spa services and a 24-hour front desk

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Royal Hotel

Coffee shop
Lounge
Terrace/patio
Front of property
Hallway
The Royal Hotel offers spa treatments including body wraps and massages in downtown Durban. Guests can enjoy meals at the restaurant, relax by the outdoor pool, use in-room WiFi, and grab coffee at the café. Visitors consistently mention the helpful hotel staff.

Reviews

7.2 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Spa
  • Room service
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Pool

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 4 of 4 rooms

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

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

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

7.0 out of 10
Good
(2 reviews)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Separate bathtub and shower
  • 30 sq m
  • Harbor view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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

1 bedroom, in-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

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

Highlights

Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Separate bathtub and shower
  • 30 sq m
  • 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 | 1 bedroom, in-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

Family Suite, 2 Bedrooms, Non Smoking, City View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Bidet
Separate bathtub and shower
  • 2 bedrooms
  • 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 | 1 bedroom, in-room safe, individually decorated, individually furnished

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

Highlights

Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Flat-screen TV
Separate bedroom
Bidet
Separate bathtub and shower
  • 60 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Harbor view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

About the neighborhood

Map
267 Smith Street, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4001

What's nearby

  • Durban International Convention Centre - 10 min walk - 0.6 miles
  • Durban Beach - 3 min drive - 1.8 miles
  • Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World - 3 min drive - 1.8 miles
  • uShaka Marine World - 3 min drive - 1.8 miles
  • Moses Mabhida Stadium - 4 min drive - 2.7 miles

Getting around

  • King Shaka Intl. Airport (DUR) - 33 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Maxi's - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪KFC - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪KFC - ‬10 min walk
  • ‪Roma Revolving Restaurant - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪KFC - ‬6 min walk

About this property

The Royal Hotel

Hotel near uShaka Marine World
A terrace, a coffee shop/cafe, and dry cleaning/laundry services are just a few of the amenities provided at The Royal Hotel. Treat yourself to spa services, such as a massage, a facial, or a body treatment. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast and dinner. Stay connected with free in-room WiFi, and guests can find other amenities such as a bar and a business center.
Other perks at this hotel include:
  • An outdoor pool
  • Limo/town car service, buffet breakfast (surcharge), and self parking (surcharge)
  • Concierge services, a banquet hall, and a 24-hour front desk
  • A reception hall, meeting rooms, and wedding services
Room features
All 206 individually furnished rooms offer thoughtful touches such as laptop-compatible safes and air conditioning, as well as amenities like free WiFi and sound-insulated walls.
Extra amenities include:
  • Bathrooms with separate tubs/showers and free toiletries
  • 42-inch flat-screen TVs with satellite channels
  • Wardrobes/closets, daily housekeeping, and phones

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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
  • Smoking not allowed

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 at the property

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, a smoke detector, 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

Frequently asked questions

Does The Royal Hotel have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool.

Is The Royal Hotel pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Royal Hotel?

Self parking is available for ZAR 60 per day. Limited spots are available.

What time is check-in at The Royal Hotel?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime.

What time is check-out at The Royal Hotel?

Check-out is at 11 AM.

Does The Royal Hotel provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle that runs on request. A fee of ZAR 450 per vehicle applies.

Where is The Royal Hotel located?

Located in Durban Central Business District, this spa hotel is steps from Durban Art Gallery, Farewell Square, and Durban City Hall. Durban Natural Science Museum and Playhouse are just steps away.

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The Royal Hotel Reviews

Reviews

7.2

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 69 out of 252 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 81 out of 252 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 57 out of 252 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 21 out of 252 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 24 out of 252 reviews

7.8/10

Cleanliness

7.4/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

7.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Sithembile

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very peaceful. Friendly staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Racheal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Safe
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

VIVIAN

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

10/10 Excellent

THEOPHILUS

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good location
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dr. Lindokuhle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Relaxing and spacious.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

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

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Beautiful suite, beautiful view

I love staying in old well-kept hotels. The Royal Hotel is a perfect example. I stayed on a high floor facing the harbor. Always something going on out there from a tiny lone sailboat to a whole sailboat race to a tugboat on mysterious course in the wee hours.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Pedro Manuel Pereira

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

10/10 Excellent

Randall

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
For walking around during the day, this might be the best location in Durban. At night, not so much, and there are dodgy parts on the way to the Golden Mile. However the room was great, the breakfast sensational, and the staff could not be kinder and more helpful.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

6/10 Okay

Dr. Lindokuhle

Firstly staff does not take initiative in assisting guests with luggage Building is old and hold a rich history but not maintained or renovated enough to keep the standards of today not luxurious just plain boring hotel with couches that are torn and old The breakfast is not really great not appetising not enough option and very plain.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

4/10 Poor

Sergio

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

No Airconditioning or Openable windows

Beautiful architecturally, however, the rooms do not have air-conditioning or openable windows. Bed was comfortable and linen clean. check in was quick and easy, however, parking is an additional cost and separate to the establishment, so plan for a 5min - 10min to get to your car.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Verified 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

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

Maud

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

8/10 Good

Danai

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

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

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

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

10/10 Excellent

Jeffrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My family and I had a wonderful time at the Royal. Reception was great; capacious rooms; ample parking; nice breakfast. Overall stay was excellent.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Alice

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The stay was fine but need to look at fixing their furniture in time before guests arrive.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2019

6/10 Okay

Irene

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities

Dissapointed

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 .
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

bonisiwe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Vinit Prakash

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
stay was good for its price. Breakfast was very good. We are vegetarians, they accomodated vegetarian food also.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

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