Spending the night in JNB. Can anyone recommend a hotel near the airport? Nothing fancy needed but a great restaurant would be a plus. My apologizes if this has been discussed to death!

Afton House - they will pick you up.

http://www.aftonguesthouse.com/

my vote is the Africa Sky House.

+++1 for Africa Sky Guesthouse. Schutte and Deidre are the greatest hosts. Wonderful rooms and dinner.

Either would be comfortable and money well spent!

I've stayed at both and for me there is no comparison. It's Africa Sky by a large margin!

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
I've stayed at both and for me there is no comparison. It's Africa Sky by a large margin!

+1

This thread will turn into the Afton House vs. Africa Sky Inn voting...again...

I've stayed at both, both are fine. The main difference for me was the food menu was more varied at Africa Sky and the Lemon cheese cake with vanilla ice cream is worth the long flight just to get it and Africa Sky is the only place to get it (if it's on the menu that night).

Oh, yeah, there is a hotel in the JNB airport that is nice and there are a number of decent restaurants in the airport for a good meal.

Africa Sky. Wife and I stayed there in May on our way to Namibia. Wonderful food.

Mauser

OK, I'm going to be the contrarian. Since the long haul over is tiring to say the least, all I want to do is get a room as close as possible with the least hassle. On my last 3 trips connecting on to Harare, I've stayed at the JNB airport hotel and would recommend it. Nice and clean with a good buffet. No waiting for a van, loading and unloading all of your gear, etc. Just put your items on a cart and walk to the hotel (never leaving the terminal), grab a bite to eat before crashing for the night, then hit the breakfast buffet the next morning, check in and go. Everything is right there in the hotel and for a quick layover such as this, I get the maximum amount of sleep with a meal on both ends without the hassle of traveling out of, and more importantly, back into the airport the following morning. YMMV.

Thanks for the info Todd. I have never stayed in the JNB airport hotel. Will have to try it!

Completely agree with Todd. My folks stay at the City Lodge right in the airport for all the reasons Todd gave. Zero hassle! If you just want to get some sleep why leave the airport?

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
OK, I'm going to be the contrarian. Since the long haul over is tiring to say the least, all I want to do is get a room as close as possible with the least hassle. On my last 3 trips connecting on to Harare, I've stayed at the JNB airport hotel and would recommend it. Nice and clean with a good buffet. No waiting for a van, loading and unloading all of your gear, etc. Just put your items on a cart and walk to the hotel (never leaving the terminal), grab a bite to eat before crashing for the night, then hit the breakfast buffet the next morning, check in and go. Everything is right there in the hotel and for a quick layover such as this, I get the maximum amount of sleep with a meal on both ends without the hassle of traveling out of, and more importantly, back into the airport the following morning. YMMV.

+1. I've done on site and off site accommodations and City Lodge at JNB is really, really easy. Maybe not as cool, but two meals, hot shower, soft bed, fast in, fast out, and not leaving the airport are hard to beat.

Africa Sky was very very nice last year, but City Lodge looks like a great alternative.

There is definitely a comfort edge to the meet and greet from Africa Sky for a first timer. Permits in order and a dude standing there with a sign and your name is a very welcome sight.

Best overnight solution for Jo'berg . . . avoid Jo'berg altogether and fly Emirates.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Best overnight solution for Jo'berg . . . avoid Jo'berg altogether and fly Emirates.

+1 You fly Emirates you will never go back To Delta or SAA

Afton for me.
I feel like apart of the family now.
Will be there in a few days time.

Certainly there are several good options for an RON in JNB, but it's Afton for me. 20+ stays makes it like home, too. Annelise knows my family and I, hers. It's always fun to talk about Louie and the theological debates we'd have years ago. What a great guy was he. I miss him still.

Of course, JNB hotels and guest houses compete. I'm glad that the safari pilgrim has choices. Clearly, this one is a bit more refined than that, some more convenient or have better food... a few may have more than their share of bumps in the road. But, as for me, I'm remaining loyal to my tough lady that fought through some real adversity when she lost her husband, but kept her lodgings going and, in my small mind, made them even better. We've shed some tears together, but with Grace, we now have fond memories as the grief has eased and life has gone on with the joys of new grandchildren and whipping new challenges.

That said, with the heritage and passed along knowledge of now-gone Mr. Bekker, no one can fix a luggage foul-up better than Afton, IMHO. On more than one occasion I've left for Zimbabwe without my luggage due to some airlines screwing the pooch. Since I always spend a day or two in Zim before my hunts, Afton has always found the bags, got them through SAPS both coming and going and successfully forwarded my rifles and gear to me in time to go to the bush..... and having Russell (Ultimate Lodge) at VFA defuses angst, too.

I don't know if I could fly up to Harare or Vic Falls with much confidence of ever seeing my stuff again if Annelise and staff weren't back in JNB and sorting it out.

I'll see Annelise from Afton again in 42 days. She'll just make sure I'm through SAPS and onto SAA to Port Elizabeth on time this year. No RON, unfortunately, but I'll lay a bet that if there's a screw up, it'll get fixed and I'll be on time for my flight to the Eastern Cape.

Birchwood in Boksberg 5 min from airport very safe area. great steak house on property good security. you can lock your rifle in the cages closets in your room.

City Lodge was a pleasant surprise much better than I had expected. With a late arrival and early departure the next day it worked just fine. Gracys' meet and greet hauled all by baggage and brought me right to the door and back the next morning. After sixteen hours in a tin can I preferred the convenience.

Afton House. No more to say.

I am hardly a veteran of overnighting in Jo'berg but I have stated at Afton House once. In a word, underwhelmed.

Afton house gets my vote.
Everyone needs to stay there at least once
All the old timers have.
Larry

I'm sending this post from my room in Afton House, having just completed my own 21-day safari. It is my third stay with Annelise, Marius, and the gang. They hold your hand through the Tambo maze and look after a hunter's every need.

Afton for me.

dawaba:

If you haven't gone to the airport yet, make sure to tell Annelise hello for me and I'll see her in a month!

Africa Sky would be my vote totally.

City Lodge is NOT in the airport. That's the Airport Sun or whatever it's called. CL is across the highway (and right on the highway ... noisy at night if the planes aren't enough)

AfricaSky gets my vote, and my business!

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
City Lodge is NOT in the airport. That's the Airport Sun or whatever it's called. CL is across the highway (and right on the highway ... noisy at night if the planes aren't enough)

There are two. Rest assured, the one mentioned in this thread is in the airport.

my first 2 overnights were at Afton when Loius was there. next was several years after he died- just not as pleased. stayed last year at African Sky- and will again if i ever overnight in Joburg( which hope fully i won't have to do).

I have stayed at the City Lodge at the airport and the Afton House two weeks ago. The latter does not have a restaurant, but they have an excellent catered grilled steak dinner that you can buy. Both places are very nice.

Afton House is great, but my last two trips I only changed planes in Joburg and just kept on going.

At Africa Sky right now en route to Mozambique, about to have the fillet steak ( for those of you who have stayed here that is enough information ), the outside fire is roaring, the beers are cold...........if that is not enough then add possibly the best hosts of any lodge I have stayed at and there you have it!
You will not be disappointed believe me

Mart

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
City Lodge is NOT in the airport. That's the Airport Sun or whatever it's called. CL is across the highway (and right on the highway ... noisy at night if the planes aren't enough)

As Will stated, there are TWO City Lodges in JoBerg. One, referenced here by Russ, is approximately 4km from the airport.

The other, referenced by Will and myself, is located 68 meters from the international arrival hall, inside the airport.

Concerning dinner, there are numerous restaurants within the terminal on the "unsecured" side so again, just a quick walk back to the terminal will give you multiple choices for dining; including a good steak from the "Spur"!

I would say it really depends on your flights as to which is better but ALL of my trips so far, have arrived late in the day, and departed early the following morning. After a long 16+ hours on the plane, I just want to eat and crash as conveniently and quickly as possible. For me, that means walking less than 100 yards without having to unload my bags off the cart, into a van, take a ride, then unload the bags from the van, onto another cart, then unload the cart once in my room.

The soundproofing in the hotel is superb and I've not been disturbed by the sounds of jets departing. At least I don't remember it so it surely didn't make an impression.

To each his own but for those interested, here is a link to the City Lodge. You'll notice in the header of the article, it states 68 meters from the terminal so yes, it is most definitely inside the airport. In fact, you never have to go outside to reach it.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/S...on_Park_Gauteng.html

Cheers

Good to know there is a good hotel just within the airport at JNB!

I'm glad to know I wasn't losing my mind. Could have swore, while walking through Tambo, I looked across the street/parking lot, or whatever and saw City Lodge right there, close.

quote:

Originally posted by martin pieters:
At Africa Sky right now en route to Mozambique, about to have the fillet steak ( for those of you who have stayed here that is enough information ), the outside fire is roaring, the beers are cold...........if that is not enough then add possibly the best hosts of any lodge I have stayed at and there you have it!
You will not be disappointed believe me

Mart

Mart...where are you hunting in Moz?

Mitch

Can't offer any current experience since I havenot been there since 2004. I made 8 trips up until then and each time I stayed at the Holiday Inn Garden Court. It had a green shuttle bus that ran every half hour and cost around 10 bucks I believe. There was a SPUR steakhouse in the motel and the steaks were exceptionally good. It was funny to go to Africa and my first meal was in an indian decorated steakhouse where the wait staff all dressed as cowboys. I am from Southern Arizona. They also had a breakfast buffet that was the absolute best I have ever had anywhere. It was about $6. Place was quiet and super clean. About 15/20 minutes by shuttle from the airport. As I say that was before all the guest houses appeared on the scene. I stayed there from 1997 thru 2004.

If you have guns Africa Sky is awesome. If not, and you want easy - walk across the street into the InterContinental, bliss.

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Afton House. No more to say.

Agree. Was disappointed after all of the positive hype.