The Edward

On the 16th of January 1994 I took one small step for me and one giant leap in my life when I stepped down onto the hot sun-baked tarmac at Durban Virginia International Airport. To mark thirty years, I was back in Durban, doing all the things, and more, I have grown to love over the years of visiting. The Cattleman Bar on the beach front is long gone but the memories are still vivid. It was in the Cattleman that a friend introduced me to a local lady. Who would have thought that a boy from the middle of England on his first and a one-off trip to South Africa would have his life changed forever. I married Melanie, that local lady, in 1997 and home maybe the middle of England but South Africa, and the province of KwaZulu Natal, is my travel passion destination. Back in 1994 I spent a few nights at the beautiful and history rich Edward Hotel. What better place to stay on this most recent adventure marking thirty years since that first visit to the seaside city of Durban. My memories may be vivid, but I had forgotten just how beautiful the Edward was and still is. The relatively small hotel opened its doors in 1911 and over the years has lost nothing of its charm and beauty. The art deco style hotel is stylish, beautifully decorated, with fine art ceiling murals, patterned tiled floors, sparkling chandeliers and highly polished dark wood trims. Rooms are a good size, some with balconies and all with ensuite bathrooms. There was a warm welcome at reception, in the foyer, the dining rooms and the bar on every visit. We feasted on a spectacular breakfast to kick start our days and finished them on the terrace bar enjoying an ice-cold beer combating the evening heat. To cool down and relax there is also the roof top hotel pool with views across the city and beyond. Located on the Durban Golden mile, with off road parking, the hotel is ideally positioned for exploring the city. Just like 1994 I spent some time at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, walking distance from The Edward Hotel, but things have changed on the field. In January the ground becomes the home of The Durban Super Giants in the relatively new franchised South African T20 cricket tournament. The competition has proved to be a great success and see’s the ground packed with local cricket fans. I am not a big fan of T20 cricket but have really enjoyed everything about my recent evenings spent at Kingsmead. The a**osphere is electric, aided by DJ’s, live bands, flames and fireworks. There are not many better places in the world than here to watch cricket on balmy nights under floodlights. With South African teams now taking part in the European Challenge Cup, rugby is a near all year-round sport. On a scorching hot Saturday in January, we had a big family trip to Kings Park and a great day out. I am big fan of summer rugby as a spectator, but it is tough for the players. We parked on the grass surrounds to the stadium and set up camp comprising of chairs, tables, parasols, cool boxes and braai (

Shady neighborhood.. we asked for two dishes at the pool we got one.. told us we could charge it on the room then chased us for the whole hotel to pay immediately. There are renovation works (loud and workers everywhere at the pool) and they didn’t advice upon reservation, as would be polite and due. The air conditioning is so loud that it was very difficult to sleep

Pleasant stay - Monday and Tuesday 19 and 20 Feb 2024. Was greeted by a porter who assisted with suitcase from where I had parked my car across the road. Check in staff were friendly and efficient. I decided to park my car in the underground parking offered by the hotel which does come at an extra cost. Both porter and reception staff were realistic around security and gave good advice. The hotel while positioned "centrally" along the Durban beachfront is more on the south side and just one block away from the main street from the city centre and this street corner does attract all sorts of individuals. If going for a walk - make sure all valuables like cell phones / wallets/ purse are not visible - tuck these under clothes. Also don't wear flash jewellery or fancy watches. Room was spacious and clean - comes with a small balcony. I was somewhat concerned in being allocated a room on the first floor where I would be disturbed by noise from the street. This did not happen - room is fairly sound proofed and there was no disturbance at night, so slept well - but noting that I stayed on a Monday and Tuesday - not sure if the same silence would be experienced over a weekend. The airconditioner was silent and worked well. Bathroom was somewhat scanty with toiletries given that this is marketed as an upmarket hotel - in fact the Blue Waters - north of the beachfront has an offer more toiletries and gives guests chocolates and large bottle of water on arrival. No chocolate and the smallest bottle of water is provided which you find in the bathroom. As I did not make use of the small water bottle offered it is not known if this small bottle gets replaced each day. I brought in my own water bottles as a I prefer 1.5 litres. Hot water from shower is almost instant so all good from that point of view. Wifi was a little unstable but that is because of load shedding that is being experienced by country. The food from the dining room / restaurant if you want to eat lunch or dinner at the hotel is good and delicious. The breakfast buffet is quite varied with lots of choices.

The best hotel to stay in for a quick tripp or vacation. Most beautifull front of house amd spacious rooms. Friendlies staff member, and very helpfull. Check in was quick and easy. Best food served in the restuarant and delicious breakfasts are served in the morning. Nicest waiters serving in the restuarant. Secure Underground parking and entry from inside parking area into the hotel. Would highly recommend The Edward Hotel anytime.

Best hotel on Durban beachfront. Wow moments since we checked-in. Rooms awesome, spacious with a balcony. Great breakfast spread and even better dinner. But i must say, the staff make this hotel very very unique. Cant thank them enough for the wonderful and friendly service. Stayed in almost all the hotels on Durban beachfront but this one is our new home. Well done Edward hotel 🙏😁

Cute boutique hotel with historical charm. Great view of the ocean from our room. Room was a little dated but clean. Wish there were some towels at the pool. The people at the front desk and breakfast were very friendly and the food was good. Location was right at the beach and felt safe.

Rooms were excellent, outstanding value. Located right alongside beach. Staff extremely helpful.

We enjoyed our stay at the Edward Hotel. Very nice staff and great room and terrific breakfast

The customer service was very disappointing, it did not seem like people cared or were keen about meeting our needs as customers of the hotel. Maybe a refresher course would be beneficial. I would like to commend the quality of the food as well as the service of the chefs, no issues there and great customer service from the team that were making our breakfast and how they deal with us as customers. The rest of the hotel employees can learn a thing or two from them. The cleanliness is also on point and commendable. If there are many people or peak periods, maybe the number of employees should be increased to accommodate the increase in demand as that directly affects the service levels. Lastly, maybe alternative power during load shedding is an option to consider too?