Richards Bay Hotels with a Pool, Compared
Every one of the six Richards Bay hotels on this page has a pool, and in a town where summer days are hot and humid that is more than a bonus. The settings differ: BON Hotel Waterfront puts its pool and terrace on the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, Premier Hotel The Richards has a mosaic pool between the Indian Ocean and Lake Mzingazi, and Indaba Lodge Hotel has an outdoor pool directly on the bay. Gecko Inn and The Bay View Hotel both keep their outdoor pools open all year, the first with barbecue facilities and a gym, the second with a sun terrace, a lush garden and yoga classes.
Richards Bay is a port town on the Zululand coast of KwaZulu-Natal, with one of the largest harbours in South Africa, warm Indian Ocean beaches such as Alkantstrand, the freshwater Lake Mzingazi and the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront. It is practical rather than touristic, and many visitors use it as a base for Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Its hotels are mostly mid-range, and a pool is part of almost every stay in this hot, humid climate.
Where to stay
Waterfront Terrace, Garden Pool or Lakeside
A hotel pool earns its place in Richards Bay because the town is a base for long, hot days out, at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, on the iSimangaliso estuary or at the port, and a swim at the end of them is welcome. The beaches, such as Alkantstrand, are good, but a pool is easier with a late return. I would choose by the setting around the water: a waterfront terrace, a garden with a braai, or a quieter classic hotel near the lake.
BON Hotel Waterfront Richards Bay has the most sociable pool setting in town. Its pool and terrace sit on the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, with restaurants and the marina around it, and the hotel adds a restaurant with an open kitchen and large rooms with water views, king-size beds and air conditioning. Its 8.3 score from more than 1,200 reviews is the most reliable rating among the six. Indaba Lodge Hotel Richards Bay, directly on the bay, offers an outdoor pool, an elegant restaurant and a bar, with spacious rooms; it is about ten minutes by car from the airport and an hour from the Umfolozi reserve.
For a pool you can use every day of the year, Gecko Inn and The Bay View Hotel are the two to compare. Gecko Inn, rated 8.5 from 145 reviews, the best score here, has a year-round outdoor pool, barbecue facilities, a gym and laundry service, a good mix for a longer stay on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. The Bay View Hotel, rated 8.1, pairs its year-round pool with a sun terrace, a lush garden, a fitness room and yoga classes, and it is a short walk from Alkantstrand Beach, so you can alternate between the sea and the pool on the same afternoon.
Premier Hotel The Richards offers the most distinctive pool, a mosaic pool in the garden of a classical-style hotel located between the Indian Ocean and Lake Mzingazi. Rooms are individually decorated, there is a gym, and the Mossel Restaurant serves local and international cuisine next to a rustic bar. Its 7.6 score from 765 reviews is modest, so I see it as a choice for the setting rather than the service. Lake Mzingazi, the freshwater lake on the edge of town, is home to hippos and crocodiles, which is a good reason to keep swimming to the pool and the beach.
Premier Splendid Inn Bayshore rounds out the list with a swimming pool, garden-view units, a restaurant serving regional dishes and braai facilities. It is close to the Indian Ocean beaches and lists nature excursions, useful for families or couples who plan to visit Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park or the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Its 7.6 score rests on 518 reviews. Across all six hotels, the pools are hotel pools rather than resort lagoons, so I would set expectations accordingly and choose by what surrounds the water: the waterfront, a garden, the lake or simply a quiet terrace after a game drive.
A traveller's takeI would book BON Hotel Waterfront for a pool stay in Richards Bay: its pool terrace on the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront puts restaurants a few steps away, and its 8.3 score rests on the largest number of reviews in town. For a quieter base with a year-round pool and a braai, I would choose Gecko Inn instead. My advice is to plan pool afternoons around early mornings at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, and to admire Lake Mzingazi from the shore, never from the water.
8.5PoolGecko Inn
Family-friendly stay in Richards Bay with a pool and gym
Gecko Inn is a family-friendly 3-star stay in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, and the outdoor pool is open year-round. Rooms have satellite TV and a seating area, handy for evenings with children. A barbecue area and a gym are on site, laundry services are available and the 24-hour front desk helps with late arrivals. Free WiFi is included. Guests score it 8.5 across 145 reviews.
8.3PoolBON Hotel Waterfront Richards Bay
Stylish rooms with water views and a pool in Richards Bay
BON Hotel Waterfront is a four-star stay on the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront in Richards Bay. Large rooms have water views, king-size beds, private bathrooms, air-conditioning and satellite TV. A restaurant with an open kitchen and a pool with a terrace complete the offer. An 8.3 rating from 1,206 reviews is good. I would recommend it for couples and business travellers who want a stylish room on the waterfront rather than a family programme.
8.1PoolThe Bay View Hotel
Family-friendly hotel with a pool, spa wellness, and beach access in Richards Bay
The Bay View Hotel in Richards Bay is a three-star hotel that welcomes families with air-conditioned family rooms and private bathrooms. The outdoor pool is open year-round, with a sun terrace and a lush garden beside it, and the restaurant is family-friendly. A fitness room and yoga classes suit parents, and Alkantstrand Beach is a short walk away. An 8.1 rating from 271 reviews supports it as a sensible, relaxed family base.
7.8PoolIndaba Lodge Hotel Richards Bay
Spacious rooms with a pool and dining, close to Richards Bay Airport
Indaba Lodge Hotel offers spacious air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi, satellite TV and tea and coffee makers, a useful set for a family on the move. An outdoor pool, an elegant restaurant and a bar are on site. Richards Bay Airport is a 10-minute drive and Umfolozi Game Reserve about an hour away. A 7.8 rating from 1,314 reviews is decent. I would recommend it as a practical base for a first night or a reserve day trip.
7.6PoolPremier Hotel The Richards
135 rooms in Meerensee, between Lake Mzingazi and the Indian Ocean
For a family, The Richards works as a stopover rather than a destination. The pool on its terracotta deck, the garden and a restaurant open for all three meals cover an evening and a morning, and Alkantstrand beach is about 3 km away by car. The Indian Ocean here is warm, which makes a beach morning easy before driving on. What is missing is everything that makes a holiday hotel: there is no kids' club, no direct beach access, and Richards Bay is an industrial port town rather than a seaside resort. With 7.6 from more than 760 reviews, guests describe a functional hotel rather than a memorable one.
7.6PoolPremier Splendid Inn Bayshore
A family-friendly hotel in Richards Bay with a pool and restaurant
Premier Splendid Inn Bayshore is a three-star hotel in Richards Bay and a practical base for KwaZulu-Natal. The garden-view units have private bathrooms and satellite TV, and the swimming pool and braai facilities suit a family evening outdoors. The restaurant serves regional dishes. Indian Ocean beaches are close, and it sits in a non-malaria area, which matters to many families. I would recommend it for value-minded stays, not luxury.
Local tips
- Book BON Hotel Waterfront for a pool terrace on the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront with restaurants around it.
- Choose Gecko Inn for a year-round pool, a gym and barbecue facilities at the best guest score in town.
- Stay at The Bay View Hotel to switch between its year-round pool and Alkantstrand Beach in one afternoon.
- Never swim in Lake Mzingazi: it is home to hippos and crocodiles, so stick to the pool and the beach.
- Plan pool time after an early game drive at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, about an hour from Richards Bay.
- Expect the warmest swimming between November and March, when the Zululand coast is hot and humid.