The Royal Palm Hotel is situated in the heart of Umhlanga directly across from the Gateway Theatre of Shopping and very near to Chris Saunders Park. The hotel built in 2007, is approximately 15 – 20 minutes away from King Shaka International airport which makes it an ideal place to stay for the business or recreational traveler. It has 94 luxury apartments which include 14 penthouses, 60 executive suites, 10 executive deluxe rooms and 10 two bedroom executive suites.
The entrance to The Royal Palm Hotel parking is situated at the back of the hotel, on Aurora Drive and is open for hotel and casual parking. There is a ticket machine to access the parking but if you stay in the hotel they will validate your ticket at reception. I recently had a fun “girls night out” with my friend and fellow blogger; Inge Loker of Snap, Sizzle & Cook and we stayed in a two bedroomed penthouse suite. Check in time is 2pm and we were warmly welcomed at one of the two reception desks. We were given 3 cards to access the suite, one for each of us and one to leave in the electricity slot.
The two bedroomed penthouse suite is spacious and luxuriously decorated using different fabrics and textures and a variety of furniture styles.
The lower level contains the kitchen (fridge, microwave and tea/coffee station), diningroom, lounge (with TV) and a balcony. Access to the second level is gained by using the solid wood staircase with a stainless steel rail.
The second level consists of main bedroom (with TV) and an en suite bathroom (bath with shower attachment and double basins) and another bedroom and separate bathroom (shower). There is also another balcony off the main bedroom.
There are 4 aircon units in the suite (2 on the lower level and 1 each in the bedrooms) so you can escape from the Durban heat. There are heated towel rails in both bathrooms (just make sure they are switched on) and also hair dryers. Just in case you forget some of your products at home the hotel supplies tubes of body wash, shampoo and body lotion. They also have a handily packaged shower cap, vanity kit and soap and a soft face cloth.
The hotel has it’s own restaurant Thyme@Royal Palm which has just gone through a refurbishment creating more seating and a separate bar area. The menu offers good home-style food with generous portions. I ordered the Beef Fillet “Chasseur” 200g (with mushrooms and bacon in a red wine sauce, served with sauteed garden vegetables and potato wedges). I had to satisfy my “steak” craving but I must say that I really enjoyed the sauteed garden vegetables and I could easily have eaten more of them. There is a limited dessert menu but I was pleased that they had catered to the chocolate lovers with the Chocolate fondant served with vanilla ice cream.
My favourite when I stay at a hotel is the breakfast and the Royal Palm Hotel’s selection did not disappoint. With mince, scrambled eggs, haddock, cereals, fresh and tinned fruit, yoghurt, cold meats, cheeses, four different types of sausages, and a table of sweet pastries. There is something for everyone to enjoy. Tuck in!
Have business in Durban or surrounds? Then this is the perfect hotel to stay at with its central location and close proximity to the airport. They also host conferences.
On a family holiday to Durban? The hotel has spacious accommodation, is directly opposite the very large Gateway Theatre of Shopping, close to the beaches of Umhlanga and Durban and a quick jump onto the freeway if you wish to visit further inland (like the Midlands Meander).
Find the hotel at :
8 Palm Boulevard, New Town Centre, Umhlanga Ridge, Umhlanga, South Africa, 4319
Phone:+27 (0) 31 581 8000
Business Hours : Open 24hrs
