Where to Stay

Johannesburg, Africa's New York, is a fast-paced cosmopolitan metropolis that offers accommodation for every taste and pocket.

Johannesburg is divided into very distinct areas, each with their 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 choice of where to stay when visiting the city. Look for accommodation in the City Centre, the eastern suburbs, Soweto, Parktown & 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 visiting, like the Johannesburg Fort for its sense of history, and the 50th floor of the Carlton Centre for its view. The Parktonian and The Carlton are two City Centre hotels offering luxury accommodation at substantially lower prices than the flash 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 era of gold prospectors.

The eastern suburbs include Jo'burg's own Little 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 behind the city with its crime statistics and head even 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 through 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 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. This is a unique experience to stay with a rural African family in Zulu beehive huts 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 cosy 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, its view, really. 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 centres 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 traveller. 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.