The Riverside Hotel Durban

What The Riverside Hotel Durban does

The Riverside Hotel Durban is an independently operated, four-star hotel located on the banks of the Umgeni River at 10 Kenneth Kaunda Road, Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its core product is 168 rooms and suites across eight configurations (Standard, Family, Triple, Paraplegic-accessible, Deluxe, Corporate Deluxe, Two-Bedroom Suite, and Suite), complemented by a diversified on-site ecosystem that includes the Riverside Grill restaurant, Cyril's Bar, a coffee bar, room service, Riverside Spa, a mini gym, kids' play area, outdoor pool, a hair salon (Martin Pearman Hair Creative), and the Crowbar-operated Hops Riverside sports bar. Conference and event infrastructure is split between the Riverside Business Centre (5 venues) and the Riverside Conference Centre (6 venues), capable of hosting up to 250 delegates, while ancillary revenue streams include a resident shuttle service to King Shaka Airport and nearby malls and 10 packaged tour itineraries (Durban city, Zulu cultural, Big 5 safari, Sani Pass, etc.) priced per couple for 2-night stays.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer distribution model layered with travel-trade channels: a live IPMS247 booking portal on the website, a central phone reservation line (+27 31 563 0600), walk-in front-desk sales, OTA listings (Afristay, TripAdvisor), and GDS codes across Sabre, Apollo, Worldspan, Amadeus, and HCD for global travel-agent bookings. Underlying technology is largely commodity: the IPMS247 PMS plus standard hotel amenities (DSTV, free WiFi, secure parking) — there is no proprietary platform, app, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Revenue is generated across multiple streams — accommodation (the largest), food and beverage, conference and events with catering, tour packages, spa treatments, and shuttle fees — with pricing predominantly quote-based (room rates) or fixed-per-unit (tours R9,160-R12,160 per couple, year-end catering R457 per person, shuttle R150-R500 return). The customer base combines leisure travellers (families, couples, weekend-getaway markets) with corporate and institutional group business (conferences, AGMs, sports-team accommodation) in roughly equal measure, evidenced by named logos such as SAICE Durban, Jam Clothing, Volleyball South Africa, the Aquelle Cycle Tour, and the Phoenix Light Group.

Name

The Riverside Hotel Durban

Legal name

The Riverside Hotel Durban

Website

https://riversidehotel.co.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Riverside Hotel Durban is an independently operated four-star, 168-room urban resort in Durban North, South Africa, offering on-site dining, spa, conference facilities for up to 250 delegates, tour packages, and airport shuttle service to leisure travellers and corporate/institutional group clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Accommodation and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & Corporate Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Conference Center Hotels (THAGALAF), Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation services
• Conference event hosting
• Hospitality dining services
• Tour travel packages
• Spa wellness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban North

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Accommodation: Room rentals across 168 rooms including Standard, Corporate Deluxe, Family Rooms, Deluxe, Suites, and Two Bedroom Suites. Revenue generated from nightly rates with varying prices based on room type.
2. Food and Beverage: On-site Riverside Grill restaurant, Cyril's Bar, Room Service, Coffee Bar. Restaurant serves breakfast (06:30-10:30), lunch (12:00-17:00), and dinner (17:00-22:00). Additional venue Hops Riverside Bar and Restaurant operated by Crowbar.
3. Conference and Events: The Riverside Business Centre (5 venues) and The Riverside Conference Centre (6 venues) hosting conferences, business meetings, and functions. Catering services for events including year-end functions at R457 per person.
4. Tour Packages: Durban discovery tour packages including city tours, Zulu tours, Valley of 1000 Hills, Big 5 safari tours, and Sani Pass excursions. Packages range from R9,160 to R12,160 per couple for 2-night stays.
5. Spa Services: Riverside Spa offering rejuvenating treatments with 50% spa voucher on arrival for hotel guests.
6. Shuttle Service: Airport and local area shuttle service for hotel residents. Pricing: King Shaka Airport R500, Gateway Mall R200 return, Pavilion Mall R250 return, La Lucia Mall R150 return.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Riverside Hotel Durban is a four-star hotel operating 168 rooms and suites across eight categories, supported by multiple on-site dining venues, two dedicated conference and business centres accommodating up to 250 delegates, a day spa, airport and local shuttle service, and packaged tour excursions around Durban and KwaZulu-Natal. The property is sold predominantly through direct booking channels (website, phone, walk-in) and global travel-agent distribution systems.

Product overview

The Riverside Hotel Durban is a 4-star resort-style hotel offering a comprehensive portfolio of hospitality services. The core offerings include 168 rooms and suites across 8 room types (Standard, Family, Triple, Paraplegic, Deluxe, Corporate Deluxe, Two Bedroom Suite, and Suite), paired with multiple dining venues (Riverside Grill restaurant, Cyrils Bar, Coffee Bar, Hops Sports Bar, and Room Service), and extensive conference facilities (Riverside Business Centre with 5 venues, Riverside Conference Centre with 6 venues, accommodating up to 250 delegates). Supporting services include Riverside Spa, Shuttle Service, Tour Packages, Mini Gym, Kids Play Area, Pool, and Hair Salon. The hotel also operates Riverside Academy, an educational initiative providing hotel management training in partnership with Newbridge College.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Riverside Grill: On-site restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner with poolside dining options
• The Riverside Business Centre
• The Riverside Conference Centre
• Riverside Spa
• Cyril's Bar
• Riverside Academy
• Hops Riverside Bar and Restaurant
• Martin Pearman Hair Creative

Products and services

• Accommodation (Rooms and Suites)

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Newbridge CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership established in 2023 to create the Riverside Academy - an innovative hospitality training initiative. The program provides higher diploma students with practical workplace training while studying hotel management. The Riverside Hotel sponsors tuition costs, uniforms, and training materials for selected students. Partnership combines academic learning with hands-on experience within a real hotel environment, preparing students for hospitality industry careers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southern Sun Hotels: South Africa's largest hotel group operating full-service and conference-focused properties across major cities including Durban. Comparable as a 4-star equivalent full-service hotel competing for the same corporate, conference, and leisure demand in KZN.
• Beverly Hills Hotel (Umhlanga): 5-star luxury hotel on Umhlanga Ridge ~5 km from Riverside. Comparable on KZN luxury leisure market, F&B quality, and conferencing, though positioned one tier above Riverside's 4-star rating.
• Protea Hotels by Marriott: Mid-to-upscale full-service hotel brand with strong Durban presence (Protea Hotel Edward, Protea Hotel Umhlanga Ridge). Comparable on tier, conference offering, and corporate/RFP competition.
• Premier Hotels & Resorts: Independent South African hotel group with full-service properties including Premier Hotel Umhlanga. Directly comparable as an independent 4-star operator competing on conference and corporate demand in the same Durban North/Umhlanga corridor.
• aha Hotels & Resorts (Southern Sun subsidiary): South African 3-4 star hotel collection with properties in KZN. Comparable on tier, conference offering, and value-conscious corporate/leisure traveler in the same regional market.

Regional players

• City Lodge Hotels: South African select-service hotel group with Durban North and Umhlanga properties. Comparable on regional corporate travel demand though positioned slightly below Riverside on full-service amenities and conference scale.

Broad incumbents

• Hilton Durban / Hilton Garden Inn Umhlanga: International full-service and select-service hotels in the Durban/Umhlanga corridor competing for the same corporate RFPs, conference groups, and international leisure travelers via Hilton Honors loyalty.
• Sun International: Large South African hospitality group operating resort and urban hotels with significant conference and gaming capacity (Suncoast, Sibaya). Overlaps with Riverside on Durban leisure and MICE demand at a larger scale.
• Fairmont Zimbali Resort: Luxury resort on KZN North Coast with extensive conference and leisure amenities. Comparable on full-service resort offering, conference scale, and Indian Ocean-adjacent positioning though at a meaningfully higher ADR tier.
• Tsogo Sun Hotels: Major South African hotel operator with Durban-area full-service properties. Comparable on conference, F&B, and leisure offerings though operating at a broader portfolio scale with gaming-adjacent hotels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RiversideDurban
• Facebookfacebook.com/RiversideHotelDbn
• Instagraminstagram.com/theriversidehoteldbn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-riverside-hotel-durban

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Riverside Hotel Durban