Golden Horse Hotel

Golden Horse Hotel sits on New England Road on Pietermaritzburg's western approach, and it stands apart from the city's heritage guest houses as the only property in town built around a full casino floor alongside its rooms — a livelier, more modern base for guests who want gaming, an outdoor pool terrace and a restaurant-and-bar scene without leaving the property. Eight room categories run from the Standard Queen and Standard Twin up through the Deluxe King, Junior Suite, King Suite and Presidential Suite.

The pool terrace and gaming floor anchor day and evening alike: guests can move between a swim, the casino tables and slots, and the on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast through dinner, or a drink at the bar. A 24-hour front desk, paid airport shuttle and concierge/tour desk round out the practical side, with a child-friendly buffet service for families travelling through.

On Booking.com, Golden Horse Hotel holds an 8.3 out of 10 "Very Good" rating from 515 reviews, with staff scored 8.8 and cleanliness 8.8. Guests repeatedly single out the team: one wrote of "the super helpful and friendly staff," while another called the rooms "very neat and clean with very good quality linen and towels," and a third said the included breakfast was "really great and worth the price of the stay."