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Johannesburg · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a pool downtown in Johannesburg

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 8 Johannesburg hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Johannesburg, out of the 8 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.4 down to 4.2.

Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel is the one I would book myself.

Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel

Highest rated of the five

Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel

★★★★★4.4 from 7,837 reviews

Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.4 from 7,837 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property and found under downtown.

8 hotels in Johannesburg qualified for this list and five made it. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out

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All five, ranked

  1. Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel1

    Fort Pontchartrain a Wyndham Hotel

    ★★★★★4.4 from 7,837 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit2

    The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

    ★★★★★4.4 from 3,667 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  3. Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown3

    Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown

    ★★★★★4.4 from 717 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

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  4. The Detroit Club4

    The Detroit Club

    ★★★★★4.3 from 283 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  5. MGM Grand Detroit5

    MGM Grand Detroit

    ★★★★★4.2 from 23,906 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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How this list was put together

8 Johannesburg hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.