City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo Review (Johannesburg Airport Hotel)
- Helena
- 57 minutes ago
- 6 min read
If you’re looking for a convenient, comfortable and surprisingly good-value airport hotel at Johannesburg's O. R. Tambo International Airport, the City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo is one that absolutely deserves your attention.
What was meant to be a simple overnight stay between flights turned into a genuinely enjoyable experience, and one that exceeded expectations at almost every turn.
This was booked by booking.com, which earns about 10 Avios per £1 spent, because yes this is always a consideration when booking a hotel.
Location & arrival experience
We landed into Johannesburg at around 09:40 local time, you can read my flight review here, with roughly 24 hours to spare before our onward flight to Botswana. Flying in the day before is always a sensible move when you’ve got a separate ticket or a more remote destination ahead, and this hotel proved to be the perfect choice for that buffer.
The hotel is directly connected to the airport terminal, which is a major advantage. However, it’s worth noting that finding it isn’t entirely straightforward on your first attempt.
You’ll want to head to the first floor of the terminal and follow the signs for City Lodge Hotel. It sounds simple, but in reality, we did end up wandering around a fair portion of the terminal before locating the correct route. The golden rule: if you’ve stepped outside, you’ve gone the wrong way, this is a fully indoor transfer.
A quick aside, a fun coincidence during this stay was bumping into a follower who had been on our flight from Heathrow and was also staying overnight here before continuing on to St Helena. A reminder of just how small the travel world can be.
Check-in
Despite the official check-in time being 14:00, the hotel was able to accommodate us with one of our two rooms immediately upon arrival, something that is never guaranteed, but hugely appreciated after a overnight flight.
The check-in process itself was efficient. A quick confirmation of booking details, standard formalities, and keys were issued within minutes. There was no unnecessary waiting around, and the tone was set immediately by the friendliness of the reception team.
A particularly nice touch was that a member of staff assisted us with our luggage and escorted us to the room, something you don’t always see at this price point or in an airport hotel setting.
Each room cost £102.76 per night, but didn't include breakfast which worked out as £11.25 per person.
After a short rest, we headed back into the terminal for a wander, browsing shops and making a quick stop at Woolworths (which, unexpectedly, turned out to be excellent for picking up last-minute items like sliders).
When we returned to the hotel at around 13:00, we were greeted by one of the reception team who recognised us and proactively offered early access to our second room. It was a small but telling moment, the staff here are not just efficient, but genuinely attentive.
The Rooms
Cleanliness & layout
Both rooms we were allocated were twin rooms, and both were presented to a very high standard.
Laura and Emily’s room, the first we accessed, was spotless throughout. The bedroom and bathroom were both immaculately clean, with everything exactly where it should be. The only minor hiccup was that the air conditioning remote was missing batteries, but this was a small and easily fixable issue in the grand scheme of things.
The second room, which I shared with my other friend Zoe, was equally impressive.
Spacious, well laid out, and again, exceptionally clean. There was ample room for luggage, which is always important when travelling long-haul or with multiple bags.
Comfort & sleep quality
This is where the hotel truly excels.
The beds were outstanding, striking that ideal balance between firmness and softness. Supportive enough for a proper night’s sleep, yet soft enough to feel comfortable. The pillows were equally well judged, offering support without being overly firm.
And the duvet? Perfect for fully cocooning yourself after a long day of travel, whether you call it “burrito-ing” or something else entirely.
All of us slept exceptionally well, which is perhaps the most important metric for any airport hotel.
Noise levels
Given the location, above a multi-storey car park and directly adjacent to one of Africa’s busiest airports, expectations for noise were understandably low. In reality, it was far better than anticipated.
Yes, you can hear aircraft movements, but it’s muted and not disruptive. It never reached a level that interfered with sleep, which is a real achievement given the setting.
Bathroom & amenities
The en suite bathrooms were another highlight:
Immaculately clean. On this occasion, spotless meant spotless.
Spacious and well designed, you could have a full blown dance party in there with 12 of your nearest and dearest!
Excellent water pressure (particularly noticeable when washing hair, and always something I appreciate.
Quality basic toiletries.
Everything worked as it should, and the shower experience in particular stood out as being far better than expected.
Additional in-room amenities included:
Fridge
Wardrobe space
Desk area
Television
All in good working order, although the TV gave us a fright when we noticed the date and time on it read 13:34 on the 8th May ... how long had we napped?
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Facilities
Pool area
One of the more surprising features of this hotel is the outdoor pool area.
It’s a genuinely pleasant space, complete with sun loungers and outdoor seating, making it feel far more relaxed than your typical airport hotel environment. There are also tables and chairs set up for outdoor dining, which adds to the atmosphere.
However, it’s worth noting that this area also serves as the designated smoking zone, which does impact the experience slightly depending on timing and occupancy.
Gym & business facilities
The hotel also offers a gym, as well as meeting and conference rooms for business travellers.
While we didn’t make use of these facilities, their presence adds to the hotel’s versatility, equally suited to a quick overnight stay or a short business stopover.
Food & drink
Lunch
We returned to the hotel for lunch after a brief wander in the terminal and were pleasantly surprised by the breadth of the menu.
Options included:
Pizzas
Burgers
Pasta dishes
Sandwiches and toasties
More traditional mains
I opted for the tuna toastie, which was served with both salad and chips. It was simple, but really rather nice, but exactly what I wanted. Paired with a lemon iced tea, it made for a satisfying and relaxed meal.
Service throughout lunch was quick, efficient, and friendly, very much in keeping with the rest of the stay.
Dinner
Dinner offered two clear options:
Ordering from the à la carte menu
Opting for the buffet at 120 ZAR per person (approximately £5.29)
We chose the buffet, and it was quite frankly stupid value for money.
The offering included starters, a selection of mains (including a particularly good roast lamb), and desserts. For the price point, the quality was impressive.
Breakfast
Breakfast continued the same theme, a solid, well-rounded offering with everything you could have possibly wanted from a breakfast buffet ... bar congee. But that's just me! So I can't dock them points for that.
Special mention for their coffee, which was poured at the table. So often when coffee is served like this in a hotel it has that burnt/bitter taste. This coffee did not taste like that, and was actually rich and almost chocolatey in it's taste.
Everything else was well organised, fresh, and exactly what you need before heading back to the airport for an onward journey.
Service
Service is where the City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo really shines. Oh my goodness, their staff were the loveliest, warmest and joyful hotel staff I have experienced in a long while.
Every single member of staff we encountered was friendly, approachable, and genuinely helpful. There was a consistent sense of attentiveness throughout the stay, from reception to restaurant staff.
Nothing felt forced or overly formal, just warm, natural hospitality delivered consistently well.
Overall verdict
The City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo delivers exactly what you want from an airport hotel, and then goes a step further.
Pros:
Direct indoor access to the terminal
Exceptionally comfortable beds
High standards of cleanliness
Friendly, proactive staff
Strong food offering with excellent value buffet
Quiet rooms despite airport location
A pool
Cons:
Slightly tricky to locate on first arrival
Pool area doubles as a smoking zone
City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo Johannesburg March 2026 review final thoughts
Airport hotels are often about convenience over experience, but this is one of the rare exceptions where you get both in equal measure.
From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, the experience was consistently positive. Comfortable rooms, good food, excellent service, and a location that makes onward travel effortless.
On our return to Joberg we even went back to the hotel to chill before checking in for our flight. There was the option of day rooms had we wanted to book one, although I totally forgot to ask a price.
If you’re transiting through O. R. Tambo International Airport, this is a hotel that not only makes logistical sense, it’s one you’ll actually enjoy staying in. I for one, would book this again in a heartbeat.
As mentioned, you can book City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo via Booking.com.
Helena
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