Self-Catering Aparthotels in Pretoria Compared
Pretoria suits self-catering well: many visitors come for work, government business or long family visits, and a kitchenette and a balcony make a week in the capital far easier than a hotel room. The seven listed properties are all aparthotels, and most cluster around Menlyn Maine, the modern precinct in the eastern suburbs beside the Menlyn Park shopping centre. Every one has a kitchenette rather than a full kitchen, so think breakfasts and simple dinners rather than ambitious cooking. I compare them below by setting, pool, space and guest score, from 129 at Menlyn Maine and Emerald Studio Menlyn Maine to the two Regency properties and Circa Aparthotel by unit 187.
Pretoria is South Africa's administrative capital, a city of wide avenues, the Union Buildings on Meintjieskop and the Voortrekker Monument on its southern hills, famous for the jacaranda trees that turn its streets purple in October and November. Its eastern suburbs around Menlyn have grown into a modern district of offices, shops and apartment hotels.
Seven aparthotels and what sets them apart
Self-catering in Pretoria works best for business trips, long stays and travellers who want a quiet base with a pool after a day in the city. The seven listed aparthotels are similar on paper, with kitchenettes, balconies and pools, so the differences that matter are the setting within Menlyn Maine, the type of pool, the space in the unit and the services such as housekeeping or a gym.
Four of the seven are in the Menlyn Maine precinct itself. 129 at Menlyn Maine has the best score of the group, 9.3, though from only 21 reviews, with one-bedroom apartments, kitchenettes, city views and both an outdoor pool and a rooftop pool. Emerald Studio Menlyn Maine, at 9.2 from 31 reviews, is the only adults-only option, with a rooftop pool, a garden and a terrace, plus a restaurant, a bar, a pool bar and a coffee shop on site. For couples or solo business travellers who want to eat in some nights and go out others, these two are my first picks.
Menlyn Maine 1413 and Menlyn Maine Triology - 10 On Capital complete the Menlyn Maine group, both scoring 8.7. Menlyn Maine 1413, from 46 reviews, offers stylish one-bedroom units with a kitchenette and a balcony, a rooftop pool, a lush garden, a terrace and a bar. Menlyn Maine Triology - 10 On Capital, from 76 reviews, stands out for families, since it offers self-catering family rooms with air-conditioning and city-view balconies, along with a rooftop pool, a bar and on-site private parking. If you are travelling with children and need more than one bed in the unit, it is the one I would check first in this precinct.
The two Regency properties suit longer stays. 522 The Regency Menlyn has the higher score, 9.0 from 59 reviews, and spacious, recently renovated one-bedroom units with a kitchenette and a balcony, plus a fitness centre, a sun terrace, a garden, a year-round outdoor pool, a restaurant, a bar and free private parking. REGENCY APARTMENT HOTEL-ST@Y is the most reviewed of all seven, 8.8 from 176 reviews, with apartments that include a kitchenette, a city-view balcony and streaming services, a swimming pool, a garden, a spacious terrace and a bar. Its larger sample makes it the safest bet among the seven.
Circa Aparthotel by unit 187 is the most service-oriented choice. Its recently renovated one-bedroom units have a kitchenette, a balcony and free WiFi, and the aparthotel adds a fitness room, a 24-hour front desk, daily housekeeping and full-day security, which is rare in this category. It scores 8.9 from 21 reviews and is 44 km from O.R. Tambo International Airport, similar to 129 at Menlyn Maine, which is 42 km away. Whichever you choose, remember that all seven have kitchenettes, not full kitchens, and that the Union Buildings and the Voortrekker Monument are a drive away from the eastern suburbs.
A traveller's takeFor a business week in Pretoria, I would choose Circa Aparthotel by unit 187 for its daily housekeeping, 24-hour front desk and fitness room, or 522 The Regency Menlyn if I wanted a restaurant and a year-round pool on site. For a family visit, I would book a self-catering family room at Menlyn Maine Triology - 10 On Capital in Menlyn Maine, with a rooftop pool and the Menlyn Park shopping centre close at hand for groceries.
9.3Self-catering129 at Menlyn Maine
Self-catering apartments with city views and two pools in Pretoria
129 at Menlyn Maine is an aparthotel in Pretoria with comfortable one-bedroom apartments, each with air conditioning, a kitchenette and city views. There is an outdoor swimming pool and a rooftop pool, which gives children and adults two places to swim, and free WiFi is included. It is 42 km from O.R. Tambo International Airport, so allow time for the transfer. Guests score it 9.3 across 21 reviews.
9.2Self-cateringEmerald Studio Menlyn Maine
Adults-only aparthotel with a rooftop pool and city views in Pretoria
Emerald Studio Menlyn Maine is an adults-only aparthotel in Pretoria, so families with children need another property. For adults, each apartment has air conditioning, a kitchenette, a private bathroom and city views. A rooftop swimming pool, a lush garden and a terrace are on site, along with a restaurant, a bar, a pool bar and a coffee shop. Guests score it 9.2 across 31 reviews.
9.0Self-catering522 The Regency Menlyn
Spacious aparthotel units with kitchenettes, balconies, and an outdoor pool
522 The Regency Menlyn is an aparthotel in Pretoria with spacious, recently renovated one-bedroom units, each with a kitchenette and a balcony. That gives a family more room than a single hotel room. A fitness centre, a sun terrace, a garden and a year-round outdoor swimming pool are on site, with a restaurant, a bar and free private parking. Guests score it 9.0 across 59 reviews.
8.9Self-cateringCirca Aparthotel by unit 187
Renovated aparthotel units with kitchenettes and balconies in Pretoria
Circa Aparthotel by unit 187 in Pretoria offers recently renovated one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, each with a kitchenette, a balcony and free WiFi. A fitness room, a 24-hour front desk, daily housekeeping and full-day security are on site, which suits a family on a longer stay. No pool is listed. The aparthotel is 44 km from O.R. Tambo International Airport. Guests score it 8.9 across 21 reviews.
8.8Self-cateringREGENCY APARTMENT HOTEL-ST@Y
Self-catering apartments with a pool, city views, and a bar in Pretoria
Regency Apartment Hotel ST@Y in Pretoria offers self-catering apartments, each with air-conditioning, a kitchenette, a balcony with city views and streaming services. That kitchen space suits families who want to cook, and there is a swimming pool, a garden and a spacious terrace for children to be outside. Free WiFi and an on-site bar are included. An 8.8 rating from 176 reviews supports it as a practical base for longer family stays.
8.7Self-cateringMenlyn Maine 1413
Stylish aparthotel with a rooftop pool and kitchenette in Pretoria
This Menlyn Maine aparthotel in Pretoria offers stylish one-bedroom units with a bathroom, a kitchenette and a balcony. A rooftop pool, a lush garden, a terrace and a bar are on site, and free Wi-Fi covers the air-conditioned property. It suits couples and small families who like to self-cater. An 8.7 rating from 46 reviews is good, though the review base is small.
8.7Self-cateringMenlyn Maine Triology - 10 On Capital
Self-catering aparthotel with a rooftop pool and city views in Pretoria
Menlyn Maine Trilogy 10 On Capital is an aparthotel in Pretoria with self-catering family rooms, air conditioning and city-view balconies, which gives parents a kitchen and some outdoor air. Guests can use a rooftop pool and a bar, and free WiFi and private parking are included. The property is well placed for local attractions. Guests score it 8.7 across 76 reviews.
Local tips
- Plan simple meals: every listed aparthotel has a kitchenette, not a full kitchen with an oven.
- Choose Emerald Studio Menlyn Maine for a couples' trip, since it is the only adults-only aparthotel on this list.
- Book a family room at Menlyn Maine Triology - 10 On Capital if you travel with children, as most other units here are one-bedroom.
- Visit in October or November to see the jacaranda trees in bloom across the city.
- Stock up at the Menlyn Park shopping centre when you arrive, as it sits beside the Menlyn Maine precinct.
- Pick Circa Aparthotel by unit 187 if daily housekeeping matters to you on a long stay.