In South Africa, not that the information is particularly relevant, bad hotels are a rarity at the middle and bottom end of the market. Some of the smallest towns have excellent hotels and boarding houses which are as much suited to the Gladstone bag toting salesman of yesteryear as they are to the tourist of today. Hazards arise at the upper end of the market where sporadic mediocrity is often charaterized with horrendous prices.
An example should suffice to illustrate the point. Cape Town is a gross offender in the high price stakes considering itself, as it does, a worthy opponent to London for its attractions and ambiance. Without the advantage of any special offers I recently ran a price comparison between the Radisson Blu, Waterfront Cape Town and Radisson Blu, Portman Square London, same dates and equivalent rooms. The price for a double room at the Waterfront was SAR5,200 a night while London cost out at £267 which is just about half the price. You may take your pick as you choose but Cape Town is a dorp compared to London and nowhere near worthy of an equivalent or greater price structure. Johannesburg is a crime ridden slum and Graaf Reinet has much to commend it. In Nairobi the Stanley was good while the whores congregated at the circular bar at the Hilton. In Arusha there was once a hotel called the Arusha Hotel and there was always the dear old Pamodzi in Lusaka.