Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani

We had a very disappointing stay at the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, and it unfortunately did not live up to the expectations set by their website. The property is heavily rundown and in desperate need of a deep renovation. The Positives: The saving grace of our stay was easily the staff. Every team member we encountered was helpful, warm, and friendly. We were placed in a room on the 18th floor, which offered a silver lining: the most breathtaking views of the ocean. Watching the sunrise and sunset right from our window was a beautiful consolation to an otherwise uncomfortable experience. The Room and Property Conditions: Unfortunately, the condition of the hotel made a comfortable stay impossible. As we walked down the hallway to our room, we were immediately unsettled to notice visible marks on the doors from what looked like past attempts to break into the rooms. Inside our room, the issues only multiplied: The carpets were heavily stained. The furniture was covered in dark stains. The electrical outlets did not work, making it incredibly inconvenient to charge our devices. To make matters worse, we counted five small cockroaches running around the room during our stay. While we deeply appreciated the hospitality of the staff and the gorgeous Durban coastline views, the actual state of the accommodations was unacceptable. The website needs to accurately reflect the current condition of the property, as we left feeling very let down.

Absolutely terrible, this place is falling apart, it’s dingy and dirty, gives you the ick when you walk into the room, it’s dated and no renovations have been done since 2008 or they gave us a room that has never been renovated because it looks so old , broken and dingy. The windows are disgustingly dirty, the beds are tiny and there tv does not even work properly

Worst experience ever when it comes to their breakfast set up!! I’m always opting to stay here when I travel with family or big friend groups. I went there on the weekend of the 28th of February 2026 and with friends and family. Just 6 of us, breakfast a Guy Named Teboho told us to split because they won’t be able to accommodate six people together! Hello why would we want to eat separately on a getaway! We complained he came with the manager to apologise and we got the table. This weekend we went again this time 8 of us same Teboho says the same thing! And his colleague manages to get us a table. Mind you I had told my husband to not go there and we agreed on giving them one last chance. Suggestion - management have a word with Teboho because he is so rude and dismissive !