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Johannesburg, the New York City of Africa, is a fast-paced cosmopolitan metropolis that offers accommodation for every taste and budget.
Johannesburg is divided into very distinct areas, each with its own character and idiosyncrasies. The movement out of the City Centre to the northern suburbs is the single biggest development in recent years, altering the face of Jo’burg and the adding more places to stay when visiting the city. Look for hotels in the City Centre, the eastern suburbs, Soweto, Parktown and Melville, and the northern suburbs.
The relocation of businesses from the City Centre to the northern suburbs has left the CBD unsafe and unattractive to tourists. However, taking sensible precautions, there are some sights worth seeing, like the Johannesburg Fort for its sense of history, and the 50th floor of the Carlton Centre for its view. The Hotel Parktonian and the Carlton are located in the City Centre, and offer luxury accommodation at substantially lower prices than the flashy northern ‘burbs hotels. Protea Hotel, Gold Reef City is located just south of the CBD and offers accommodation within a theme park that relives the turn-of-the-century gold mining era.
The eastern suburbs include Jo’burg’s own Chinatown in Cyrildene. This is close to the established Observatory neighborhood, where you will find The Fountain Head Guest House – an Italian villa style hotel dating back to the 1920s. Leave the city behind and head further east into tranquil suburbia. The Bedford View guest house in sleepy Bedford View is rather nice, as is the nearby Chateau Bri San with its swimming pool and tennis court.
Bedford View is also centrally located for accommodation near Johannesburg International Airport and The Africa Centre Backpacker Lodge offers affordable lodging in the vicinity. The Don Johannesburg International Airport offers more luxurious lodgings next to the airport.
Soweto, South Africa’s most famous township, is safely reached with a tour group. It is worthwhile visiting this vast township to see how urbanized black South Africans live – from tin shacks to luxury mansions – and it’s even possible to stay the night with a local family. The owner of Maweni Guest house is known as ‘The Godfather of Soweto,' and can arrange tours around the township. For a more traditional experience, travel to the Lesedi multi-cultural village, less than an hour’s drive from Jo’burg. It is a unique experience to stay with a rural African family in Zulu beehive houses or Xhosa rondavels (huts).
Just north of the CBD lies Parktown, an affluent suburb with homes dating back to the late 19th century. Avondrus offers cozy cottage accommodation in this neighborhood, while Barbet Hill is a guest house set in an indigenous garden with prolific bird-life. Trendy Melville has a buzzing nightlife, with over 30 excellent restaurants, and plenty of inexpensive guest houses. Melville House is run by an artist and comprises colonial-style en-suite bedrooms. A Room with a View comes recommended for its, well, for its view. From here one has a vantage point over the Melville Koppies (hills), and on a clear day, the Magaliesburg hills.
The northern suburbs are modern Jo’burg – a vast sprawl of shopping centers and business complexes. The Inter-Continental Sandton Sun and Towers offers five star luxury within the Sandton City Shopping Centre. The equally opulent Michelangelo, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World Group, is located within the neighboring Tuscan-inspired Sandton Square. Both Sandton City and Sandton Square offer world-class shopping and dining.
The Grace in Rosebank is another top quality hotel, adjacent to the Mall of Rosebank with its cinemas, restaurants, galleries and boutiques. Ten Bompas Road is an exclusive boutique hotel, designed for the fastidious business traveler. Holiday Inn, Protea Hotels and Don Suites are some of the chain hotels offering comfortable and affordable accommodation across the northern suburbs and the rest of Johannesburg. There are a number of budget accommodation options in the modern northern suburbs including the Backpackers’ Ritz in Dunkeld West.
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