Name: Blue Waters Hotel
Address: 175 Snell Parade, Marine Parade, Durban, South Africa, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, ZA
Price range: US$69–US$184 per night
Rating: 8.25

What guests think

At Blue Waters Hotel, guests highlight the excellent beachfront location with wide ocean views and generally friendly staff, while recurring downsides include dated areas of the property, intermittent elevator issues, and long queues or delays at peak check-in times.

Breakfast is frequently praised for variety and quality, though the bar can feel inconsistent and may close earlier than expected. Rooms often provide space and strong sea views but can feel tired, with occasional noise, musty smells, or temperamental air-conditioning and Wi-Fi. Expect great views and value in a lively, beachside setting, with some trade-offs in polish and peak-time efficiency.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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Facilities

Facilities include a rooftop pool and bar, but recurring issues include slow or out-of-service elevators, occasional pool maintenance closures, limited parking, and needing to request shared irons.

Related guest reviews

4

Andrea

30 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This resort was very very busy and crowded. Everyone tries to check in at the same time at 2pm so arrive later. No chance to get your room early. It was after 5pm when we got our room. The lobby area is very small after 4-5 families in the lobby you can’t move. The elevators were very slow. the view from our room was magnificent and the room layout and size was perfect.

6

Mark

26 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Negatives.. Tired hotel, typical of the Durban area unfortunately. Main pool on the 10th floor was under maintenance so not open. The main reason we booked this hotel! Constant noise of water flowing through pipes 24 hrs a day. Couldn’t sleep for the two days we stayed Ground floor bar played the same music all day, very loudly! No tab for drinks meant having to walk around the other side of bar to pay by card for every drink bought. Positives… Staff were very good. Couldn’t do enough to help. The breakfast was very reasonable, considering the amount of guests, although no coffee machine meant waiting ages for hot drinks after ordering. Evening buffet meal was of a good standard.

8

Roger

19 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 9 nights

Clean and felt much safer...ocean views and beach access...parking was easy in and out with a smaller vehicle...I'll recommend it to anyone...

10

Stephen

27 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff was extremely nice.the hotel breakfast was delicious and the bar was great. I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my balcony and the room was comfortable i didnt get to the roof top pool but I heard it was awesome. The little pizza places at the bar was really good . I really enjoyed my stay

4

didier

28 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

1. All guests had to share an iron. We had to go downstairs in the lobby to get one. No iron in the room. 2. Complimentary water bottle was not replaced after room was cleaned 3. Hotel decided to clean one of the elevator during very busy morning usage. So that left only one elevator in service 4. At one point, no porter was available to fetch anything in the room

6

Rowland

3 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

the hotel was over packed , 1 lift not working. We had to complain to the manager who was Gavin at the time. He was wonderful. He listen to us and sorted us out. He made our stay memorable.

4

Holger Mayer Fuse Tech

10 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Die Zimmer sind nicht sauber und sehr schlecht gegen Lärm isoliert. Außerdem wollte der roomservice dass ich meine Getränke an der Lobby selbst abholen. Die Aussage, dass er angeblich schon an meinem Zimmer war und ich nicht aufgemacht hätte ist Falsch. Viel zu wenig Parkmöglichkeiten.

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8

Fernando

2 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

Boa localização, café da manhã razoável/bom mas muito cheio, elevadores mal dimensionados e lentos para o tamanho do hotel.

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10

Gaetan

28 Dec 2022

·

Stayed 19,349 nights

Le déjeuner inclut était vraiment super. Le personnel très gentil. La chambre était super avec une vue incroyable. La piscine un peu petite était très bien aussi. Malheureusement, un des ascenseurs étaient quelques fois en panne. L’hôtel n’a pas de contrôle sur ça mais la qualité de l’eau à la mer était médiocre. Il faudrait que la ville s’occupe de ça au plus tot.

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6

Damien

11 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

V tired place - needs significant capital spending on it . Would not serve us a pizza at 8:45pm, when it clearly states the bar serves food at 9pm so I went to another hotel (Belle Aire) had dinner there. My travelling companion went to his room and ordered a pizza room service. Elevators only worked intermittently- not good when you’re on the 13 th floor. Will def not return.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness feedback is mixed: some guests found rooms clean and housekeeping regular, while others reported poorly cleaned bathrooms, musty or urine smells, and maintenance-related lapses like stained towels or bathroom puddles.

Related guest reviews

10

Timothy

3 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very nice stay at Blue Waters. The view was great. Just a couple of negatives. There was a puddle of water in my bathroom next to the toilet when I returned in the afternoon. One of my towels had blue stains all over it. But overall it was a nice comfortable stay. Clean room and very comfortable bed with much needed AC. Again, the view was the absolute best. Oh and the breakfast in the more was well prepared and very delicious. The staff absolute top notch, a 10/10.

10

Gwen

21 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The place was clean, i love white bedding and it was changed every morning, very comfortable, variety of meals in the morning and room service too was served well orders taken promptly and delivered to the room. I was impressed with the overall service and will make it my home whenever I visit Durban..Thank you Blue Waters Hotel

8

Kaye

15 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Relaxing place to stay, nice view of the beach across the road, staff very obliging. Room was a little musty.

8

Susan

29 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

It's quite a nice and beautiful hotel close to beach shops etc however they have to manage their sewer system because the room will be smelling urine all day even the corridors so I think it's the sewer system which is not perfect Besides that we really enjoyed our stay

4

Holger

31 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Not sure where to start. Let’s start at the bathroom. I don’t think the toilet has ever seen any bleach. I have used an UV light and the toilet lit up as god was visiting himself. Then the rain shower. Great to see a rain shower but all holes were mostly blocked and the head sprayed upwards to the ceiling more than on the body. Oh we can’t forget the Aircon. It was so noisy next to you, it’s like a 787 taking off. Luckily you can switch it off with a big bang. Oh now to the bed. If you are on the smaller side, you are good. If you are 5ft10 / 179cm, your heels are on the edge of the mattress. I think it’s max 190cm long. With the headboard about 5cm thick, you haven’t got much space to move. The nice touch was the noisy fridge and the half finished bottle of water. Great. Hotelbar was rather poor as well. Never did I have to pre-pay for a drink at a hotel bar. Maybe it’s Durban practise? Also they close at 10pm so better hurry up and get some watered down cocktails in. The view from the room was great and the breakfast good too. Can’t fault the breakfast. Would I stay here again? Certainly not. This place needs more than a refurbishment. But they had booze and a slushy machine upon checkin. Maybe to soften the blow when you see the room and that hygienic toilet and seat!

4

Nkosana

21 May 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Decent breakfast buffet and dining room has a nice view of ocean. However, the rooms need renovation and better cleaning. I could hear conversations in the next room through adjoining door.

4

Holger Mayer Fuse Tech

10 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Die Zimmer sind nicht sauber und sehr schlecht gegen Lärm isoliert. Außerdem wollte der roomservice dass ich meine Getränke an der Lobby selbst abholen. Die Aussage, dass er angeblich schon an meinem Zimmer war und ich nicht aufgemacht hätte ist Falsch. Viel zu wenig Parkmöglichkeiten.

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8

Raphael Nhlanhla

13 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

My stay has been good, the breakfast is good and has many options. However, the hotel is dated and requires major refurbishment. Bathroom is an area of concern as the cleaning is not done properly.

10

Jocelyne

25 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nous y revenons depuis plusieurs années et nous apprécions . Certes il aurait besoin d'un rafraîchissement maintenant mais il nous convient bien,la chambre est spacieuse,bien propre avec une belle vue sur la mer.Le petit déjeuner est excellent,servi dans une jolie salle et le personnel est très accueillant.Il est bien situé .

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4

prashant

12 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Poor WiFi connectivity, unclean,

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Rooms

Rooms are often spacious with strong ocean views, but the decor feels dated and soundproofing can be weak; some reviews also mention noisy or ineffective air-conditioning, uncomfortable beds, and patchy Wi-Fi.

Related guest reviews

10

Vongani

24 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our stay was pleasant, and the the room was spacious. Friendly and attentive staff, definitely come back to Blue Waters on our next holiday.

4

Andrea

30 Apr 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This resort was very very busy and crowded. Everyone tries to check in at the same time at 2pm so arrive later. No chance to get your room early. It was after 5pm when we got our room. The lobby area is very small after 4-5 families in the lobby you can’t move. The elevators were very slow. the view from our room was magnificent and the room layout and size was perfect.

10

Dr. Lindokuhle

6 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Ocean views

6

Mark

26 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Negatives.. Tired hotel, typical of the Durban area unfortunately. Main pool on the 10th floor was under maintenance so not open. The main reason we booked this hotel! Constant noise of water flowing through pipes 24 hrs a day. Couldn’t sleep for the two days we stayed Ground floor bar played the same music all day, very loudly! No tab for drinks meant having to walk around the other side of bar to pay by card for every drink bought. Positives… Staff were very good. Couldn’t do enough to help. The breakfast was very reasonable, considering the amount of guests, although no coffee machine meant waiting ages for hot drinks after ordering. Evening buffet meal was of a good standard.

10

Stephen

27 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff was extremely nice.the hotel breakfast was delicious and the bar was great. I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my balcony and the room was comfortable i didnt get to the roof top pool but I heard it was awesome. The little pizza places at the bar was really good . I really enjoyed my stay

8

Rajeev

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

You couldn't ask for a better location on the the Durban Beachfront. This is a well run hotel, with friendly and attentive staff. The rooms are not plush, but the bed was firm and they have a good quality TV. The breakfast had a wide variety of options. Overall it offered excellent value for money, compared to other choices in the area

4

Holger

31 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Not sure where to start. Let’s start at the bathroom. I don’t think the toilet has ever seen any bleach. I have used an UV light and the toilet lit up as god was visiting himself. Then the rain shower. Great to see a rain shower but all holes were mostly blocked and the head sprayed upwards to the ceiling more than on the body. Oh we can’t forget the Aircon. It was so noisy next to you, it’s like a 787 taking off. Luckily you can switch it off with a big bang. Oh now to the bed. If you are on the smaller side, you are good. If you are 5ft10 / 179cm, your heels are on the edge of the mattress. I think it’s max 190cm long. With the headboard about 5cm thick, you haven’t got much space to move. The nice touch was the noisy fridge and the half finished bottle of water. Great. Hotelbar was rather poor as well. Never did I have to pre-pay for a drink at a hotel bar. Maybe it’s Durban practise? Also they close at 10pm so better hurry up and get some watered down cocktails in. The view from the room was great and the breakfast good too. Can’t fault the breakfast. Would I stay here again? Certainly not. This place needs more than a refurbishment. But they had booze and a slushy machine upon checkin. Maybe to soften the blow when you see the room and that hygienic toilet and seat!

4

Nkosana

21 May 2023

·

Stayed 4 nights

Decent breakfast buffet and dining room has a nice view of ocean. However, the rooms need renovation and better cleaning. I could hear conversations in the next room through adjoining door.

10

Amohelang

19 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Blue waters is the best. Only thing I would mark down is the noise from the chairs at night

4

prashant

12 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Poor WiFi connectivity, unclean,

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Service

Staff are widely praised as friendly and helpful, and some managers resolved issues; however, several reviews cite aloof or rude reception, long waits at peak check-in/out, deposits for items, and occasional lapses like no porter.

Related guest reviews

10

Gwen

21 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The place was clean, i love white bedding and it was changed every morning, very comfortable, variety of meals in the morning and room service too was served well orders taken promptly and delivered to the room. I was impressed with the overall service and will make it my home whenever I visit Durban..Thank you Blue Waters Hotel

6

Tracey

22 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location , the roof to pool and restaurant staff are amazing. But unfortunately the front desk staff were rude and unfriendly. We had to leave 100 Rand deposit for each towel and even the iron - not convient at all .

4

didier

28 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

1. All guests had to share an iron. We had to go downstairs in the lobby to get one. No iron in the room. 2. Complimentary water bottle was not replaced after room was cleaned 3. Hotel decided to clean one of the elevator during very busy morning usage. So that left only one elevator in service 4. At one point, no porter was available to fetch anything in the room

6

Rowland

3 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

the hotel was over packed , 1 lift not working. We had to complain to the manager who was Gavin at the time. He was wonderful. He listen to us and sorted us out. He made our stay memorable.

10

Arnaldo

21 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Really value for money. Everything works. Staff was great. Breakfast very good. Easy to get an Uber. Super localization

10

Douglas

20 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 21 nights

Good friendly staff

8

Beverley

25 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Front desk/reception was the detractor at this hotel. All other staff including restaurant to housekeeping were helpful and friendly. Not so for the staff at reception. Aloof, unhelpful disinterested would sum up the attitude they exhibited.

10

Sandra

7 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The best of all was the staff. Very helpfull and friendly.

2

Dineo

11 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The attitude and service was horrible. They gossip about clients. They said my fault was too much. The accent for our room was a problem, to activate it they asked when are we leaving as if they tired of seeing us.

10

Kabo

11 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had to book this as an emergency change when the initial hotel I booked (Avondale) was not available/closed. Turned out to be a great option. Amazing service and right by the beach, making it easy to get to the Comrades expo and start line. Definitely worth it.

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Location

Beachfront location with easy access to the promenade, ocean views, and nearby restaurants and transport; widely appreciated for convenience.

Related guest reviews

10

Dr. Lindokuhle

6 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Ocean views

8

Roger

19 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 9 nights

Clean and felt much safer...ocean views and beach access...parking was easy in and out with a smaller vehicle...I'll recommend it to anyone...

8

Juliana

19 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean and comfortable room. Location great for the beach and nearby facilties like restaurants. Breakfast options were plenty and well catered. Disappointed by early closing of bar services on a Saturday night and insufficient staff during check out.

8

Rajeev

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

You couldn't ask for a better location on the the Durban Beachfront. This is a well run hotel, with friendly and attentive staff. The rooms are not plush, but the bed was firm and they have a good quality TV. The breakfast had a wide variety of options. Overall it offered excellent value for money, compared to other choices in the area

10

Busisiwe

22 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

In the middle of everything, entertainment and sea side.

8

Susan

29 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

It's quite a nice and beautiful hotel close to beach shops etc however they have to manage their sewer system because the room will be smelling urine all day even the corridors so I think it's the sewer system which is not perfect Besides that we really enjoyed our stay

10

Arnaldo

21 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Really value for money. Everything works. Staff was great. Breakfast very good. Easy to get an Uber. Super localization

10

Maria

17 May 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

This big hotel is situated in front of the sea with great views. It has been renewed but still feels a bit oudated. Breakfast room crowded. Ok for a short stay.

10

Janet

27 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel is waterfront . Very busy with families during the holidays.

10

Kabo

11 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had to book this as an emergency change when the initial hotel I booked (Avondale) was not available/closed. Turned out to be a great option. Amazing service and right by the beach, making it easy to get to the Comrades expo and start line. Definitely worth it.

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Dining

Breakfast is regularly praised for quality and variety, and many enjoyed the restaurant and bar; downsides include crowded breakfast periods, inconsistent drinks, and bar or food service ending earlier than expected.

Related guest reviews

10

Gwen

21 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The place was clean, i love white bedding and it was changed every morning, very comfortable, variety of meals in the morning and room service too was served well orders taken promptly and delivered to the room. I was impressed with the overall service and will make it my home whenever I visit Durban..Thank you Blue Waters Hotel

6

Mark

26 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Negatives.. Tired hotel, typical of the Durban area unfortunately. Main pool on the 10th floor was under maintenance so not open. The main reason we booked this hotel! Constant noise of water flowing through pipes 24 hrs a day. Couldn’t sleep for the two days we stayed Ground floor bar played the same music all day, very loudly! No tab for drinks meant having to walk around the other side of bar to pay by card for every drink bought. Positives… Staff were very good. Couldn’t do enough to help. The breakfast was very reasonable, considering the amount of guests, although no coffee machine meant waiting ages for hot drinks after ordering. Evening buffet meal was of a good standard.

10

Stephen

27 May 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The staff was extremely nice.the hotel breakfast was delicious and the bar was great. I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my balcony and the room was comfortable i didnt get to the roof top pool but I heard it was awesome. The little pizza places at the bar was really good . I really enjoyed my stay

8

Juliana

19 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean and comfortable room. Location great for the beach and nearby facilties like restaurants. Breakfast options were plenty and well catered. Disappointed by early closing of bar services on a Saturday night and insufficient staff during check out.

4

Holger

31 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Not sure where to start. Let’s start at the bathroom. I don’t think the toilet has ever seen any bleach. I have used an UV light and the toilet lit up as god was visiting himself. Then the rain shower. Great to see a rain shower but all holes were mostly blocked and the head sprayed upwards to the ceiling more than on the body. Oh we can’t forget the Aircon. It was so noisy next to you, it’s like a 787 taking off. Luckily you can switch it off with a big bang. Oh now to the bed. If you are on the smaller side, you are good. If you are 5ft10 / 179cm, your heels are on the edge of the mattress. I think it’s max 190cm long. With the headboard about 5cm thick, you haven’t got much space to move. The nice touch was the noisy fridge and the half finished bottle of water. Great. Hotelbar was rather poor as well. Never did I have to pre-pay for a drink at a hotel bar. Maybe it’s Durban practise? Also they close at 10pm so better hurry up and get some watered down cocktails in. The view from the room was great and the breakfast good too. Can’t fault the breakfast. Would I stay here again? Certainly not. This place needs more than a refurbishment. But they had booze and a slushy machine upon checkin. Maybe to soften the blow when you see the room and that hygienic toilet and seat!

8

Bruce

4 Nov 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

Shows it age. Poor sound proofing. Trouble with restaurant staff - would not let us to just get a salad at the buffet evwen thouight it was on the menu and the buffet had all of the ingredients setup. Told us wouls would have to go through romm service but the only salads thet offered were Greek and Thai, Two block walk in the rain to get to a real restaurant. On the other hand the included breakfast buffet was excellent. In spite of these shortcommings, they hotel was well worth the price

8

Fernando

2 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

Boa localização, café da manhã razoável/bom mas muito cheio, elevadores mal dimensionados e lentos para o tamanho do hotel.

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6

Damien

11 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

V tired place - needs significant capital spending on it . Would not serve us a pizza at 8:45pm, when it clearly states the bar serves food at 9pm so I went to another hotel (Belle Aire) had dinner there. My travelling companion went to his room and ordered a pizza room service. Elevators only worked intermittently- not good when you’re on the 13 th floor. Will def not return.

10

Jocelyne

25 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nous y revenons depuis plusieurs années et nous apprécions . Certes il aurait besoin d'un rafraîchissement maintenant mais il nous convient bien,la chambre est spacieuse,bien propre avec une belle vue sur la mer.Le petit déjeuner est excellent,servi dans une jolie salle et le personnel est très accueillant.Il est bien situé .

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8

Russell

2 Dec 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Great bang for your buck, Restaurante food is delicious and the bar served tasty drinks

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$98
February	US$97
March	US$119
April	US$96
May	US$87
June	US$98
July	US$125
August	US$102
September	US$92
October	US$118
November	US$95
December	US$143

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $69	16 $74	17 $81	18 $83	19 $84
20 $74	21 $74	22 $71	23 $131	24 $179	25 $178	26 $184
27 $131	28 $142	29 $141	30 $145

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $161	2 $175	3 $172
4 $130	5 $126	6 $134	7 $137	8 $137	9 $145	10 $150
11 $123	12 $126	13 $131	14 $137	15 $136	16 $161	17 $151
18 $123	19 $127	20 $127	21 $137	22 $137	23 $151	24 $156
25 $117	26 $127	27 $125	28 $137	29 $137	30 $151	31 $151

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Deluxe Quadruple Room – Sea Facing

Deluxe Executive Family Suite Sea Facing

Deluxe Family Room – North Sea Facing

Deluxe King Room – South Facing

Deluxe King Room – Sea Facing

Deluxe Family Room – Disability Access

Deluxe Quadruple Room (North Sea Facing)

Deluxe Twin Room – Sea Facing

Deluxe King – North Sea Facing

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Blue Waters Hotel

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