22 Best Hotels in KwaZulu-Natal and Durban, South Africa

In the heart of a lush dairy farm that dates back to the 1800s, original stone buildings have been converted into a five-star luxury hotel and spa. The award-winning spa is uniquely African. Dr. Elliott Ndlovu, a sangoma (traditional African healer), herbalist, and ethnobotanist, helped to develop Fordoun's signature range of holistic products. Book a session with him and watch him "throw" the bones and assess your well-being, as well as prescribe healing herbs that he grows in Mooi River. Tuck into some of the specials at the on-site gourmet Skye Bistro, which uses fresh farm produce; book in advance if you're not a guest. If you're energetic, you can go fly-fishing, mountain biking, play a round of golf, or go shopping. Ask for a mountain-facing suite, or stock up on local goods along the Midlands Meander and check into a self-catering suite for a budget-friendly alternative. 

This massive luxury hotel adjacent to the International Convention Centre is a short taxi ride from the city center and beachfront and is favored by businesspeople and conference-goers. The rooms are well appointed for the business traveler and tastefully decorated in light wood and neutral tones, with African touches, and have either beach or city views. If you're staying in an executive room, you're invited to the large club room with business facilities on the ground floor, where guests can get breakfast and free Internet access. Sweeping public areas are graced with marble pillars. The Coral Lounge is a great place to grab a light snack, or for something more substantial, check out Vasco's for tandoori oven–prepared dishes and a variety of pastas, curries, and stews. Impeccable service makes it one of the top Hilton hotels in Africa. Rates can vary significantly, often relating to what's on at the convention center.

It's said that on January 22, 1879, during the Battle of Isandlwana, which was a major defeat for the British army, the chief of the Zulu army stood on Nyoni Rock where this lodge is now built. With sweeping views of the battlefield, the building, shaped like a Zulu shield, commemorates Isandlwana. The comfortable rooms are named for Zulus significant in the war, and bathrooms contain shield-shape sink pedestals. Plenty of hot water, heaters, and hot water bottles at night ensure you're snug in winter. The lovely balconies offering inspiring views of the area. The interiors are modern yet Afrocentric, with African prints and wooden furniture. Picture windows in public areas make the most of the incredible battlefield views. Trips to the local battlefields are led by knowledgeable local guides.

Standing majestically on Umhlanga’s prestigious beachfront, close to Durban, the combination of old-world charm, impeccable service, lush tropical gardens, and a breathtaking seaside setting make this five-star hotel one of South Africa’s most loved and cherished properties. Renowned for its exceptional cuisine and hospitality, venues for wining and dining include the casual Ocean Terrace and fine-dining Grill Room; The Palm Court for traditional high tea and the stylish Lighthouse and Oyster Bars for cocktails. The intricate tapestry of KwaZulu-Natal’s rich culture is celebrated with a range of masterfully created wellness experiences at the multi-award-winning spa at The Oyster Box.

Translated from Russian as "little hideaway," this delightful boutique lodge has eight huge, individually styled rooms, each offering a different sensory experience—its own specific body-product fragrance and mood CD—and a few rooms have beautiful ocean views. Tea and coffee stations (with cappuccino machines and fresh biscotti) and two honesty bars are available. Delicious breakfasts are made to order, and, although this is the only meal offered, extra muffins are left out for guests during the day. Lunch or dinner can be ordered in from area eateries. No children under 10 ensures a peaceful atmosphere for adults on a break. Staff will gladly recommend and book restaurants and tours, and the on-site spa offers international skin care and body treatments.

Ideally located on North Beach, 250 meters (820 feet) from the Suncoast Entertainment Complex, the Blue Waters Hotel is an excellent value, and always busy with both vacationers and locals attending conferences and weddings. Nab one of the sea-facing rooms with a balcony that offer a spectacular sunrise over the Indian Ocean. Rooms have desks, good beds, and minibar fridges.  

Brahman Hills is a contemporary slick country hotel with standard rooms, serviced self-catering cottages, and five-star self-catering villas—ideal for couples or families. Set on the Blue Crane nature reserve, expect to see zebras and various buck grazing nearby at sunset—kids will be in awe. The bar and the bistro built belowground at the main building, using the original walls, tend to get a little cold, but expect a crackling fire in colder months and warm service. The on-site chapel by the dam and the conference facilities are booked solid, so it does lose some of the intimacy if you're not part of a group. The spa and room service options (even if you're at a self-catering cottage) ensure you can fully relax without leaving the property.

You'll get breathtaking views from almost every spot in this friendly, delightful hotel nestled among the mountains, 43 km (18 miles) from Winterton. Ideal for families, the resort has something for everyone: amble along a horse trail, go mountain biking, follow bird-watching trails, play a round of golf, or just soak up the heady mountain air. Best for families is a deluxe suite with adjacent rooms and connecting door. You'll get excellent value here; prices include breakfast and hearty dinner buffets as well as most activities. If you're intimidated at the variety, trained, experienced guides take you on daily walks and trails through the Berg (fee included in accommodation price). There's a children's dining room, plus babysitting service.

Overlooking False Bay lake and the Hluhluwe River floodplain—follow signs from Hluhluwe village—this fantastic-value, family-owned lodge is the ideal base for visiting the game reserves and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. After a day spent game-viewing, canoeing, bird-watching, mountain biking, boating, fishing, or walking in the pristine sand forest, relax in your comfortable A-frame chalet or sit on your wooden deck overlooking the bush, the floodplain, and the lake. This lodge is the only one with direct access to the lake, but water activities are dependent on the seasonal rains. The food is excellent—wholesome country cooking. Two family chalets are available, and children three and under stay free.

This lodge within the iSibindi Eco Reserve, 9 km (4 miles) from Rorke's Drift, combines game-viewing and Zulu cultural experiences with battlefield tours led by excellent local guides and historians. Enjoy early-morning and evening game drives, and cultural evenings with traditional Zulu dancers and traditional food. Visit the village across the river where the sangoma (traditional healer) will "throw the bones" for you and read your fortune. Rooms are in Zulu-style elevated beehive huts with private decks, which have lovely views of hill and valley. An attractive lounge and bar area shows off African prints and Zulu artifacts, and an outdoor bar and sunken pool share the views.

Four converted Victorian homes comprise the city's most intimate boutique hotel, a contemporary European-style property that's been reinvented and now has a stylish, yet old-fashioned feel. Rooms feature mahogany furniture, crisp white linen, damask-covered beds, and sunken tubs in luxurious bathrooms. Many of the rooms have small verandas facing Florida Road, with its swaying palm trees and sometimes busy traffic, but double-glazed windows help to dull the noise.

This historic South African country hotel shares much of Ladysmith's tumultuous past—it was built in 1880, just 19 years before the town was attacked by the Boers during the South African (Anglo-Boer) War. Expect small rooms, although TVs and air-conditioning are standard features. The hotel serves a buffet for lunch and dinner and offers an à la carte menu on weekends.

For a more in-depth exploration of Shakaland, stay the night at the 55-room Shakaland. Overnight guests have access to additional cultural events and stay in a quasi-traditional Zulu dwelling. Beehive huts have modern amenities and the property overlooks the Phobane Lake. Rooms are attractive, luxurious, and Africa-inspired, in enormous thatch beehive huts supported by rope-wrapped struts, decorated with African bedspreads, reed matting, and African art. All have modern bathrooms and superb views. Meals are included in the price: The evening buffets feature samp and beans, local wild spinach, local stews, and shisa nyama braai or grilled meat.

In a high-rise building right on the beach, this upscale hotel is popular with both vacationers and businesspeople and has a long-standing reputation for gracious hospitality. The service is excellent and facilities, such as The Sugar Club restaurant, are superb. If your plan is to loll around in your bathing suit, get yourself to one of the many loungers around the pool, the focus for this hotel. There are lots of extras thrown in—like free ice pops, sunscreen, and poolside smoothies. The public lounge, festooned with huge floral arrangements and yards of gathered drapes, serves a full silver-service tea in the afternoon, and a pianist plays in the evening. Guest rooms are fairly small, but all have terrific sea views, particularly those on the upper floors. Suites are more spacious and villas have an open beachlike feel and private plunge pool.

Overlooking North Beach along the Golden Mile, this combination of two adjacent high-rise hotels is a two-minute drive from the city center and attracts a mix of business, conference, and leisure travelers. Due to the amalgamation, the hotels collectively offer two business centers, three pools, two gyms, and eight restaurants. The Maharani's rooms are in better condition, with a recent refurb, and the contemporary on-site restaurant, Vigour & Verve, does a commendable breakfast and lunch. Though most rooms have views of the ocean, request a room on an upper floor to take advantage of a full sea view. The Elangeni houses one of the few Japanese restaurants in the city, as well as the Lingela buffet-style restaurant. A minimum three-night stay is required during peak season.

You can't beat the location of this pleasant hotel midway between South and North beaches and only a five-minute drive from the city center. All rooms face the sea, but request an upper-floor room for the best views. Views from the pool deck on the 30th floor are superb.

This hotel mostly attracts businesspeople and gamblers, but it's a stone's throw from the beach and has some great sea views. Like the adjacent casino, it's designed in the art deco style of the 1930s, which is in keeping with some of Durban's architectural heritage. The rooms are rather small but elegantly minimalist with furnishings in pastel shades. The sea views from the higher floors are spectacular (it's worth the slightly higher price for a sea-facing room). Indian cuisine is a speciality at Jeera and will be a highlight of your stay (book ahead for their unique afternoon tea), and cocktails are de rigueur at Lounge Bar. The 36 suites in the towers are more luxurious than those in the hotel.

About 16 km (10 miles) from Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, this lodge lies in a forest of fever trees on the 3,700-acre Ubizane Game Reserve and makes a great base from which to explore Hluhluwe, Mkuze, and St. Lucia. Built of thatch and wood, the open-sided lodge sits on stilts overlooking the Mzinene River. Rooms are in separate cottages, also on stilts, along the riverbank. The rooms themselves are small but tastefully decorated. A qualified ranger will take you for a bush walk or a game drive (which is included in your stay) through the small reserve, or a little farther afield for a game drive in nearby Hluhluwe-iMfolozi.

The buildings of this 5-star hotel—a disparate but harmonious mix of Tuscan and Balinese architecture—are the centerpiece of an intimate estate ensconced in lush, tropical gardens. Each of the 19 suites, including the sprawling Royal Suite, has a neutral palate that's highlighted by a few tasteful African touches, and steps lead to a large sunken bath and walk-in shower, both of which could easily accommodate two people. Pamper yourself further with a restorative stress-relieving treatment at the in-house Impilo Spa.

Built in 1939 in classic colonial style, the Edward is one of Durban's oldest hotels. Although it's been restored almost to its former elegance, it seems to have lost a little of its soul in the process. Nevertheless, service is excellent, and the stylish cut-glass chandeliers, molded ceilings, and subtle art-deco details bring to mind a more refined past. Rooms are tastefully furnished; 10 have balconies overlooking the sea, and the others have bay windows with sea views. The hotel faces beautiful South Beach.

The superior, and quieter, of the two Quarters boutique hotels, Quarters on Avondale offers rooms in Edwardian style with a modern twist. Luxurious sunken tubs dominate plush bathrooms with fluffy white towels. Boudoirs are tastefully decorated, with white linen and damask draping generous beds. Each room has a small veranda overlooking Avondale Road. A scented garden is being established.