The Kelway

South Africa , Eastern Cape-Port Elizabeth
PORT ELIZABETH, Brookes Hill Drive
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75 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2025

Dennis

Great experiencez

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2025

kevin

Great place to stay, breakfast was nice. Could do with some more vegan options for breakfast and something in the resturant for the eveningh

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2025

kevin

Used this to stay at the beginning and the end of my stay. Nice rooms, quiet and near the seafront

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2025

Paul

Great hotel!

Great hotel. Far better than the star rating suggests. Fantastic staff, really nice location and view. Great breakfast! Even monkeys in the morning

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2024

Thomas

Great staff - especially the man covering management duty at night.
Room / hotel clean
Breakfast good
Restaurant good
Close to airport
Location could be more convenient - no shops nearby and need a good walk to get to the beach. Uber needed.
AC wasnt working in initial room but got moved in a different but similar room within reasonable timeframe

Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Jan 2024

Gillian

Tired hotel but amazing staff

The staff are amazing, the hotel is little tired and seems to cater for overnight grouos cominv in by coach

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2023

Manishi

The Hotel should try servinge Indian Style Vegetarian Dish options for their guests. I requested if they could make a Vegetable Potato Curry. The Chef was able to cook up a delicious Curry and I had a very satisfying meal on the second day evening.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

21 Feb 2022

Ian

The Kelsey we stayed here 2020 it was good the hotel is still a good place to stay breakfast weee good the restaurant at night was poor with not a lot of choice to chose from also beds are very low the hotel needs to get it act together and improve these things also we had to go down almost every day as the keycard kept not working

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2021

Carin

Excellent stopover for an early morning flight

Comfortable stay. Very close to airport. Extremely friendly staff who helped with all our questions

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Oct 2021

Nomaphelo

Everything, wonderful staff excellent service, will recommend for other people as well

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

08 Feb 2020

Peter

Spoilt by poor information from hotels.com

Our stay was spoilt as you did not tell us about the renovation work on the kitchen etc which is being carried out. This meant that only breakfast was available and nothing else. Your lack of information spoilt our trip. Suggest you get your act together. A discount would have been nice!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Nice welcome to the hotel by staff and good food in restaurant, would stay again

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2020

Busiswa

My mom and mother-in law spent their new year and the new year's eve at Kelway Hotel. The staff there was welcoming and kind. They also enjoyed the food. Thank you for taking good care or my moms

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Staff were friendly and it’s in walking distance to the beach,

Business_and_leisure

8/10

Excellent

03 Aug 2019

Madhumeeta

Resturant is really nice. hotel doesn't provide water which is very disappointing. I booked for sea view room but I got normal room which was also not okay.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2019

George

Homely stay

Superb hotel great friendly helpful staff
Good breakfast plenty of choices cooked food and continental choices
Room decent size and comfortable Value for money we have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to travellers

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2019

Michael

It was fantastic, very friendly, helpful and comfortable.

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2019

Bridget

Kelway Hotel Business trip.

A pleasant stay. Comfortable room.
Staff were friendly.
Room service was convenient. Food was good.
Wifi signal was good.
Room would be so much better if it had a small fridge.
Draw in the room I stayed in needed cleaning.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2018

Shai

Nice

Nice stay

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Aug 2018

Aaron

A Good place to Stay in Hunmewood, Port Elizabeth

This property is only a three minute walk to the beach and close to Bayworld and the main points of interest in Humewood. The breakfast was excellent and the room was fine, although a little worse for wear. Staff were friendly and helpful.

8/10

Excellent

02 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Good for an overnight stay after arriving late into Port Elizabeth.

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2018

Coralie

Good value hotel

Close to airport. Check in quick. Went to room up stairs and was given a double bedded room despite specifying twin beds required. The beds were split into two and new bedding put on whilst we waited - not good after a journey of 6 and a half hours. We paid for dinner there - beautiful fish though chips not quite cooked, and prices reasonable. Breakfast very nice too. Toiletries included shampoo and conditioner, lovely. The next morning we went for a walk by the sea, slope down to the sea front, and came back to have lunch - again very nice. Wifi worked fine in our room. Was very quiet when we were there. Staff all very helpful.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Apr 2018

Jill

A Pleasant stay.

A small hiccup with our booking on arrival, but after we sent a message to hotels.com, we were upgraded to a better room, which was great. overall a pleasant stay. Included breakfast was very good. Would stay here again.

8/10

Excellent

25 Feb 2018

Keith

Easy stay

It did what it says on the tin!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2018

Fran

Lovely view with balcony

Great hotel in a good situation close to restaurants and bars. Nice safe area too.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jan 2018

Shane

Standard

It was pretty standard. The room’s balcony and outdoor furniture was filled with dried bird poop. The breakfast was not bad. Overall I think I would expect a bit more for a four star establishment

Family

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2017

Gemma

Adequate hotel with nice staff

The hotel is in a good location for getting to the airport. Staff were nice and the room was fine. The hotel is a little tired around the edges e.g. broken sun loungers and bathrooms needing a facelift. But fine for a night or two if in the area. I wouldn't make PE a destination unless you need to be there to catch a flight or something similar.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2017

Dan

Fabulous

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2017

Verified traveler

Close to the beach

Beautiful hotel right across the road from the beach

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2017

Verified traveler

Room size was kind of small compared to other hotels I've stayed at in South Africa. Location was essential for us since we were flying out early in the morning (was a 10 minute drive to the airport) Their breakfast was very good and all staff were friendly. Also close by to a gas station and lots of dinner options.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 May 2017

Evan

FIrstly checkin i wasnt given room with sea view as per booking. had to go download booking 3hrs later and change rooms after providing evidence. Wifi worked for 75% of the time.
returned 1am and no guards at guard house. Found guard sleeping in chair in reception area on Sunday morning, not even reception person could awaken him even after tugging his arm....??? How safe are our vehicles etc if he was sleeping so deep and inside instead of out in car area?

8/10

Excellent

10 Mar 2017

Johann

Friendly staff and helpful

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2017

Chelsea

Birthday surprise

It was such a lovely experience! I went to stay there for my birthday and the manager knocked on my door and surprised me with chocolate mouse cake with a lit candles in it and a bottle of champagne. They made me feel very special on my 22nd birthday

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2016

Sly

Great location

It was good

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2016

Natalya

beautiful view, friendly staff, tasty breakfast, generally good wifi although didn't work as well in the room (if i'm recalling correctly), helpful front desk, 24 hour front desk, convenient location if with car. generally positive stay.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2016

Lindsay

Kelway Stay

I always enjoy my Stay at the Kelway good breakfast good friendly staff just don't prefer staying on the 3star side of the hotel with the smaller tvs and single beds

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2016

ashley

very good

2/10

Poor

01 Mar 2016

Verified traveler

Was not impressed.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2016

Julien

Worth a stop if in PE

The hotel is great and the restaurant Farriagers is fantastic, the food is excellent. Staff very friendly also.

Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Jan 2016

CLAIRE

Nice hotel

Beautiful room with balcony with sea view, comfortable bed. However, there was no fridge which you would expect in a hotel of this standard and they were having a problem with the internet so no wifi whilst we were there. Good selection of food at breakfast although service was very slow. 1 minute walk to the beach.

Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Dec 2015

Lavesh

Great breakfast, nice view and fine ambience.

Great breakfast, nice view and fine ambience.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2015

Zipho

comfortable

Didn't spend much time at the hotel itself.

Partner

4/10

Poor

24 Jun 2015

Verified traveler

Not worth the 4 star rating

This hotel was quite disappointing overall considering it is a 4 star. I would rate some hostels I have stayed at better.
- the showers are so bad you get more wet standing in the rain outside. You would expect the hotel to have a decent shower.
- the king bed was just two singles put together. So there was a gap in the middle which was uncomfortable at times.
- the hotel actually charged my card (used to guarantee with hotels.com) without me agreeing to it; so instead of paying in the local currency I now have to pay my credit card fees on top.
- there was a member of staff who actually stalked me for a few days until he got a tip. I thought that was very unprofessional and in the end I actually went and got cash just to stop him from annoying me.
- the hotel had maintenance and plumbing work without informing me in advance. Mid way thorough a shower the water just turned yellow and then stopped running.
- there is no fridge and the safe is too tiny to fit much except a few very small items.

Perhaps it was just the time I went but there was so many negative points I would not want to stay here again. That being said the majority of staff were kind and helpful. The hotel is in a decent location and has potential if they can get the little things right. You get a nice relaxing place to sit outside the bar which overlooks the beach. It is also secure with cameras.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2015

Brandon

Business trip

This is a great hotel for business and beyond. The staff was extremely accommodating and the breakfast buffet that was included with the room was amazing. Room is very clean and comfortable.

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2015

Martin

Couples getaway - relax and unwind.

Couples getaway - relax and unwind.
Close to restaurants and beaches.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Mar 2015

Erin

Nice hotel, affordable

I did not stay at the Kelway long, arrived late at night and left by 10 am. But the location was perfect and breakfast was great.

8/10

Excellent

03 Mar 2015

Sahil

Great!!!

I have stayed at this hotel many times and have always had a great stay. Staff were always friendly to me and have been accommodating to any request I gave them. I stayed in more than 10 different rooms including the Premier room 200 and all were great in their own regards. I would stay here anytime

2/10

Poor

02 Mar 2015

EZEEM

NEVER EVER AGAIN

I booked a seaview room and paid the extra for it. And it wasn't cheap! I phoned at 17.30 to say I will be late as I am working late (on business trips you do what you have to do) Upon arrival I was sent to a \"backroom\" next to an outdoor fridge. This monstrosity buzzed and drilled and shook and I could not shut an eye. The foam mattress shovelled around and I had to drag it back onto the base several times during the night. I was most annoyed and wanted my \"seaview room\" that I had paid for, but was told \"sorry we are fully booked\". The place is old and not crisp. Nothing like the internet pictures. I could not wait for daybreak to storm out there. I later requested a copy invoice for a business claim - still waiting. This was worse than a backstreet 1* joint. NEVER EVER AGAIN!!!!

10/10

Exceptional

01 Mar 2015

Verified traveler

Great stay

It was wonderful. friendly service from all the staff. Will definitely go again.

Family

8/10

Excellent

31 Jan 2015

Chris

Stay too short

Unfortunately it was just a stay over, would loved to have seen more of cityum

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Jan 2015

Susan

Friendly Inviting Hotel

A well located hotel in Port Elizabeth within walking distance of the beach. Friendly Helpful Reception Staff with Smiles on their faces.
The doors to the rooms at first glance look ill fitting and unkempt but on entry the rooms are spacious, bright and well appointed with all facilities that a better class of hotel has.
The beds were clean and comfortable,
The bathroom was a bit small with no space for your toiletries but clean with an easy to adjust shower.
With a nice television and tea/coffee facilities, no one could ask for more.
The restaurant was well appointed with an above average buffet breakfast and adequate lunch/dinner menus. The waiting staff were excellent.
We would certainly stay there again with no hesitation.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2015

LMDH

Our Favourite Hotel in South Africa

My husband and I traveled for 3 weeks in South Africa and our stay at the Kelway in Port Elizabeth was a highlight. The staff was excellent and the room was clean and comfortable. It is 5 km from the airport and just steps to the beach and restaurants. The pool area is very nice ( a bit too small for swimming, but good for cooling off). The breakfast was soooooooo good. They have a large breakfast buffet with everything you could ask for. We ate on the terrace with a view of the beach. Overall fantastic experience.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2014

Epeli

Nice place in Port Elizabeth

Very nice place to stay

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2014

Nkosazana

Hotel, Kelway

The hotel was very neat and friendly. The neighbourhood was good. Quite close to the beach and Restaurants. The Sea-view is stunning.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Dec 2014

Michael

KelwayHotel

I had an enjoyable 3 night stay, will stay again.

4/10

Poor

30 Nov 2014

Verified traveler

An ageing hotel that leaves much to be desired.

A 3 star hotel masquerading as a 4 star. I arrived after a 12 hour drive hoping to check in and freshen up. instead I was told that the room type I had booked was not available. What followed was an hour of frustration to sort things out only to have the Gm lie to me and take me for a fool. Totally frustrated I gave them one hour to solve the problem and went out elsewhere for dinner. on my return the problem was still not resolved. Only after a rather terse conversation with the GM over teh phone did they come to the party and assist. Why did it take over 2 hours to get to a solution?

8/10

Excellent

05 Nov 2014

Bruce

Saturday Night at the Kelway

All good, but my colleague's room was not made up on the Saturday night....as he is a frequent guest, and had recommended the Kelway, this rather spoiled an otherwise good experience

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2014

Decent hotel experience

I wasn't expecting a luxury hotel experience but was expecting a warm room, comfortable bed and nice shower. I got a comfortable bed but the room was freezing and the shower head was ridiculous. Water sprayed in every direction except down. The entire bathroom floor flooded every time I attempted to shower. I complained about the shower on multiple occasions, and they even sent over a handyman, but it was to no avail. Also, my sea view was of the ships, not the actual water.

That said, I think they would have moved us to another room if the hotel wasn't booked up. The staff were very nice.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2014

Mic

Sea view?

Everything was perfect, just expected a seaview but could only see he cliff behind the hotel. Excellent breakfast.

8/10

Excellent

14 Jul 2014

icybing888

nice and neat

the hotel is very clean and the service is very good.

8/10

Excellent

14 Jul 2014

icybing888

nice and neat

It's nice and neat, the service is very good.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2014

Verified traveler

Nice Environment

The view is beautiful

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2014

Célia

Great hotel, great value

A very nice, calm hotel. Nice restaurant, nice food and good price. However from 6 in the morning you can hear planes passing. Not very annoying though.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2014

World Traveler 23

Loved it!

The hotel is quaint. Bathroom was small, but fixtures and décor were nice. Glad to have free WiFi. The breakfast filled me up for the day. Scrumptious and good choices. I walked to several locations and enjoyed the scenery. View of the ocean and hearing the waves crash on the beach made for good rest and sleep. Staff was superb. Loved it!!!

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2014

riggedfortravel

Descent hotel, needs work

This hotel is descent, and ok value - but it needs to be updated. With some minor cosmetic changes it could be a pretty awesome budget friendly place. The carpeting is old and smelly, and the bathroom needed some cosmetic maintenance. The paint in the sink was all chipped and nasty (room 48). The bathroom also didn't smell clean. But the rooms aren't too bad, and the balconies are great. The breakfast is quite good, but on all occasions the coffee was TERRIBLE (undrinkable) and stale. Staff very polite and helpful however. I really got the feeling that if someone just paid some attention to the maintenance of this place it could be awesome.

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2014

Beshie

My stay was good. Friendly hotel staff.

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2014

Verified traveler

Ok Place

I was allocated a room that had a pigeon nest and those pigeons were noisy from the afternoon right until the morning.

8/10

Excellent

21 Nov 2013

Fiona

Brief stay

We arrived late and left early but found our brief stay plesant. Room was clean and hotel in general was bright and cheerful looking. We were flying out early and location was handy to airport.

8/10

Excellent

12 Nov 2013

Caja

The room was very clean. Staff very helpful.

4/10

Poor

09 Nov 2013

ANDREW

don't go !!

I BOOKED A SEA FACING ROOM WITH DOUBLE BED. GOT THE BED BUT THE ROOM WAS FACING A ROCK WALL AT THE BACK OF THE HOTEL. THE CONDITION OF THE HOTEL WAS POOR, WITH DIRTY CARPET THOUGH OUT. OVERALL IT WAS DIRTY AND UNPLEASANT. THE EVENING STAFF SAID I COULD SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE MORNING WHEN I INFORMED THEM I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE ROOM. BUT.. IT WAS PRETTY CHEAP.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2013

Matt

Overpriced, but near airport

Bit pricey when you consider the standard of hotel you can get for a similar price further east on the garden route.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2013

Awesome

Very comfortable rooms, excellent staff and service. Great buffet breakfast included and restaurant has small but excellent menu. Well worth it and very affordable.

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2013

sdptw13

Lovely but quirky hotel

Great breakfast and some lovely rooms in this hotel. The front desk were very friendly. There were a few problems during the stay that were eventually resolved. Would stay here again.

8/10

Excellent

12 Dec 2012

ricketts

great views

perfect location.The staff were very helpful and knowledceable.especially handyman sebastian i think

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 Mar 2012

RLR612

Value for money paid

Besides the little mishap with the room allocation this turned out to be a good Hotel to stay in. Breakfast was OK & the staff handled all my queries promptly and with a smile.

Family