Vacation Reviews-Travel Destinations-Travel Guides

There are many places to stay in Johannesburg (Joburg), from five star hotels, to budget accommodation and everything in-between. Johannesburg offers a wide range of options to suit all pockets and requirements, ranging from the super luxury to the standard en suite room.

Proximity to the airport is often an important factor and most are within easy access to a freeway running to the airport. There are some hotels located at or very near to OR Tambo International Airport that are particularly well suited to the business traveller.

The area code for Johannesburg is 011 within South Africa, and +27-11 for international callers.

Airport Hotels in Johannesburg

EAST

Airport Lodge Guest House
Koppie Road 6-123, Pomona, Kempton Park
Tel: +27 (0)11 979 2365
Fax: +27 (0)11 9792871
Mobile: +27 (0)82 851 7232

Airport Lodge Guest House is situated on five-acre plot, with 1,5 acres of the plot available for the guesthouse - gardens, parking, lapa and guest rooms. There are 24 rooms in total and large groups can easily be accommodated. There are eight large rooms that can be adapted tothree-bedded rooms for groups wanting to share.

InterContinental Johannesburg, OR Tambo International Airport
Opposite Terminal 3
Tel: +27 (0) 11 961 5400
Fax: +27 (0) 11 961 5401

This 138-room luxury hotel is the only one situated at OR Tambo International Airport, and is just 50 metres from arrivals and departures. Recently refurbished, the hotel offers a quick check-in, free unlimited wireless Internet access, soundproof rooms and no traffic jams! All luxury five-star hotel services are available.

Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre
Viewpoint Street, Bartlett, Boksburg
Tel:+27 (0) 11 897 0000
Fax: +27 (0) 11 897 0001

Situated seven kilometres from OR Tambo International Airport, Birchwood Hotel has 450 well-appointed rooms, with satellite TV, air-conditioning and wall safe.

City Lodge - Isando
4 Sandvale Road, Isando
Telephone: +27 (0) 11 392 1750
Fax: +27 (0) 11 392 2644

City Lodge is situated close to the R24 airport freeway and is a five-minute drive to the airport; it is also easily accessible from all the main highways. A shuttle bus service is available for the short 10-minute trip to and from OR Tambo International Airport. Across the road there is Isando Junction, with a variety of restaurants. A mini gym, pool and meeting room are also available at the hotel.

Garden Court O.R Tambo International Airport
2 Hulley Road, Isando Ext 3
Tel: +27 (0) 11 392 1062
Fax: +27 (0) 11 974 8097

The hotel is three kilometres from the airport and is easily accessible via shuttle service. The city centre is about 16 kilometres away. It has 253 rooms with coffee and tea makers, air conditioning, remote control TV with cable channel M-NET and AM/FM radio; concierge, copying and fax services are provided. Secure parking is available at a daily rate. Hotel shuttle and taxis are available.

Road Lodge - Germiston
Kruin Street, off Herman Road, Harmelia Ext 2, Germiston
Telephone: +27 (0) 11 392 2268
Fax: +27 (0) 11 392 4820

Set close to the R24 airport freeway in a pretty garden, the hotel is easily accessible to all the main feeder motorways for the northern, eastern, western and central suburbs. A shuttle bus service is available for the 10-minute trip to and from OR Tambo International Airport.

Seb’z Accommodations
15 Bosch Avenue, Kempton Park
Tel: +27 (0) 11 394 9173
Fax: +27 (0) 86 538 8024

Seb’z Accommodation, situated five minutes from OR Tambo International Airport, offers relaxed, secure lodging in a home environment. Seb’z provides premier executive en-suite rooms, executive en-suite and standard rooms in a 3-star graded guesthouse.

Senator Hotel, Emperor Hotel, at Emperors Palace - Kempton Park
64 Jones Road, Kempton Park
Tel: +27 (0) 11 928 1000
Fax: +27 (0) 11 928 1201

There are two hotels at the Emperors Palace complex. The Emperor Hotel is a five-star hotel with 196 rooms; the Senator Hotel is a three-star hotel with 80 rooms. The hotels are a five-minute drive from OR Tambo International Airport, and a 20-minute drive from Eastgate Shopping Mall. A shuttle service is available.

Southern Sun OR Tambo International
Jones Road, Kempton Park
Tel: +27 (0) 11 975 1121
Fax: +27 (0) 11 975 5846

The hotel is 500 metres from the airport and specialises in catering for business travellers. Shops, cinemas and banks are a short distance away and sporting activities can be arranged. The city centre is approximately 22 kilometres away. It offers 366 bedrooms, comprising of standard, deluxe and superior rooms and executive suites. Tea/coffee making facilities, satellite television, air-conditioning, wireless internet access, gift shop, Bernoullis Restaurant and Wine Bar, beauty salon and in-house gymnasium are available. Among the services provided are dry cleaning and laundry, secretarial and business services. Secure parking is available at a daily rate. Free shuttle service available between the airport and the hotel every 15 minutes, 24-hours a day.

The Don - Isando
6 Electron Avenue, Isando
Tel: +27 (0) 11 392 6082
Fax: +27 (0) 11 807 6154

Central reservations: +27 (0) 11 807 5227 /080-011-5446/5228
Fax: 086 678 7734
The hotel is five minutes from OR Tambo International Airport. It has 88 en-suite bedrooms and offers a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and conference rooms. Shopping areas like Eastgate and the East Rand Mall are15 minutes away.

WEST

Valverde Country Hotel
Beyers Naude ext, 71 Elandsdrift
Tel: +27 (0) 72 587 0361/2
Fax: +27 86 666 5900

Valverde Hotel is only 10 minutes from Lanseria International Airport. It ideal for day conferences, company breakaways and international and business travellers.

Johannesburg or the City of Gold, as the city is known in South Africa, is the business hub of South Africa, contributing a substantial part of the country’s GDP approximately 12%. The City is home to two of the country’s most popular football teams and historical arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. Johannesburg is also known as the economic engine of Southern Africa and the trendsetter of South Africa. It is a melting pot laced with all the flavours of African cultures and beyond.

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa. The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world. Johannesburg is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Johannesburg is served by O.R. Tambo International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Africa and a gateway for international air travel to and from the rest of southern Africa.

Climate

Johannesburg features a Subtropical highland climate. The city enjoys a dry, sunny climate, with the exception of occasional late afternoon downpours in the summer months of October to April. Temperatures in Johannesburg are usually fairly mild due to the city’s high altitude, with the average maximum daytime temperature in January of 26 °C (79 °F), dropping to an average maximum of around 16 °C (61 °F) in June.

Winter is the sunniest time of the year, with cool days and cold nights. The temperature occasionally drops to below freezing at night, causing frost. The annual average rainfall is 713 millimetres (28.1 in), which is mostly concentrated in the summer months. Infrequent showers occur through the course of the winter months.

Tourism

Johannesburg has not traditionally been known as a tourist destination, but the city is a transit point for connecting flights to Cape Town, Durban, and the Kruger National Park. Consequently, most international visitors to South Africa pass through Johannesburg at least once, which has led to the development of more attractions for tourists.

Recent additions have centred around history museums, such as the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Museum. Gold Reef City, a large amusement park to the south of the Central Business District, is also a large draw for tourists in the city. The Johannesburg Zoo is also one of the largest in South Africa.

Football

A heartland of South African football, Johannesburg is the backbone of the professional game. The majority of professional clubs come from the city and its surrounds. The professional football outfits from the city are: Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos, BidVest Wits and one of the oldest clubs in the country, Moroka Swallows.

The city centre has been at the core of football development in South Africa. Professional football was formed in the offices of the old Rand Daily Mail newspaper in 1958. In later years, football unity talks took place at the old Rand International Hotel. Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Jomo Cosmos and the now defunct Highlands Park, Rangers and Lusitano have all been championship-winning clubs.

World Cup 2010 in Johannesburg

Johannesburg will have two stadiums in the World Cup 2010 and also host the opening match, one semi final and the final match of the tournament. The two stadiums used are Soccer City and Ellis Park Stadium. More about Johannesburg World Cup 2010 Stadiums.

Marking the imminent end of the winter season, Lohri is a Hindu festival and a huge cultural event in many parts of northern India and particularly in Punjab. The date of the Lohri festival is determined by the solar calendar and  marks the coldest day of the year.

The event is inextricably linked to the land and the harvesting seasons with the festival being seen as the last chance for rest and merriment before the crop harvesting begins later in the year in March or April. As the sun sets on the evening of Lohri, huge bonfires are lit across the state symbolising the sun and the move away from winter towards the warmth of the summer months. Whole communities often gather for religious services and to share meals and snacks cooked on the open fires.

Lohri (sometimes spelled Lodi) is an extremely popular harvest festival in India, especially North India. Lohri is usually celebrated in the outdoors by friends and family who get together and have a bonfire in the evening. It may be considered the Indian equivalent of Christmas. Lohri signifies onset of intense winter in Punjab and surrounding areas. Cold weather is good for wheat hence farmers celebrate Lohri so that their crops lead to a good harvest.

According to the Hindu Solar Calendar, Lohri festival falls around 13 January, as per the Gregorian calendar. The earth, is closest to the sun at this point in time (despite a common misconception that the Earth’s distance from the sun correlates with the seasons of the northern hemisphere).

Coming up soon Lohri Festival in Punjab

Lohri Festival : Wed 13 Jan 2010 in Punjab

Punjab is one of the most northerly states of India, bordering Pakistan

Getting to Punjab

Air: There are regular flights to Chandigarh and Amritsar airports.
Rail: Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Jalandhar are the major railway hubs.