| The Oyster Box | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Location | uMhlanga, near Durban, South Africa. |
| Coordinates | 29°43′41″S31°5′14″E / 29.72806°S 31.08722°E |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Oyster Box is a luxury five-star hotel in uMhlanga, just north of Durban, South Africa. It is known for its spa and the outdoor pools which have views on the Indian Ocean. [1]
The cottage, originally called Oyster Lodge, was built privately in 1863 with teak, corrugated iron and reinforced concrete. In 1952, the hotel was bought by Ken and Kay O’Connor (brother and sister) who turned it into a tea garden, then a restaurant, and finally a hotel in March 1954. [2]
The Oyster hotel has been the official custodian of the Umhlanga lighthouse. [2]
In 2006, the hotel, then owned by Wayne Reed, was bought by Stanley and Bea Tollman of Red Carnation Hotels. Renovation work lasted from 2007 to 2009. [2]
In October 2016, the South African version of the Monopoly, Monopoly Mzansi, included the Oyster Box as one of the country's top 22 locations and the only hotel in the game. [3]
In July 2011, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco hosted their wedding reception at the Pearl Room and spent their honeymoon in its £4600 a night Presidential Suite.[ citation needed ]
The hotel has been visited by Princes Harry and William of the UK, and King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulus. [2]
In November 2016, Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, had lunch at the Oyster Box. [4]
The Oyster Box was voted #1 top hotel in South Africa by Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2016. [5]
In June 2016, the Democratic Alliance reported that SA's minister of social development Bathabile Dlamini stayed at the pricey hotel, thus questioning how the bill was paid. [6] [7]
Durban is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South Africa, on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean, Durban is South Africa's busiest port and was formerly named Port Natal. North of the harbour and city centre lies the mouth of the Umgeni River; the flat city centre rises to the hills of the Berea on the west; and to the south, running along the coast, is the Bluff. Durban is the seat of the larger eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which spans an area of 2,556 km2 (987 sq mi) and had a population of 4.2 million in 2022, making the metropolitan population one of Africa's largest on the Indian Ocean. The city has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, wet summers and mild, dry winters.
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uMhlanga, alternatively rendered Umhlanga, is a residential, commercial and resort town north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which was created in 2000 and includes the greater Durban area. The name means "place of reeds" in the Zulu language, and the correct pronunciation of "hl" in uMhlanga is similar to the Welsh "ll".
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