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The Best Hotels in Windhoek, Namibia

Enjoy your meals at Immanuel Wilderness Lodge with a side order of outdoor beauty
Enjoy your meals at Immanuel Wilderness Lodge with a side order of outdoor beauty | Courtesy of Immanuel Wilderness Lodge / Expedia

Windhoek in Namibia is a springboard of a city, with many people spending a night here en route to the Sossusvlei dunes or Etosha National Park. However, quick turnarounds don’t do the city justice. Here, the hotels are worthy of extended stays, too, with features such as sky lounges, lagoon pools and wildlife-viewing decks. From safari-style lodges to chic B&Bs, here’s our pick of the best hotels in Windhoek – bookable on Culture Trip.

Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel

Boutique Hotel, Hotel

Social area at Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel, with leather sofa, three armchairs, books and a fireplace
Courtesy of Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel / Expedia
The timeline of this immaculate hotel can be traced back to 1901 when it was part of a working vineyard. Wine still plays a big role in the story here. There’s a whole lounge dedicated to it, and you can sip it alongside signature cocktails – try the lavender and peach sangria – in the rooftop Sky Lounge. Overindulged? Recuperate in the plush spa, with a heated jet pool and a treatment list as long as the yellow pages.

Olive Grove Guesthouse

Guesthouse

Four-poster bed at Olive Grove Guesthouse
Courtesy of Olive Grove Guesthouse / Expedia

Pairing concrete bedheads with wrought-iron furniture, Moroccan-style lights and silverware, and textured throws and cushions, the 11 ensuite rooms at the Olive Grove Guesthouse have a chic one-of-a-kind look. Take a dip in the plunge pool flanked by loungers if you stay here in the warmer months, and don’t skip breakfast – the menu is themed around different countries. Think Canadian pancakes, full English fry-ups and Scottish porridge – served with a shot of whisky and a wink.

Windhoek Country Club Resort

Resort, Hotel

Double bed in ensuite Windhoek Country Club room
Courtesy of Windhoek Country Club Resort / Expedia

In southern Windhoek, the smart Windhoek Country Club Resort backs onto an 18-hole golf course. There’s plenty for non-golfers here, too, such as a lagoon-style pool with a cave-style pool bar and the Kokerboom restaurant, where you can help yourself to buffet dishes such as game carpaccio and steaks cooked to order. In the warmer months, visit the outdoor deck to enjoy your meal, accompanied by views of the river-like water feature.

UrbanCamp

Glamping

Accommodation takes the form of glamping tents and sheltered camping pitches at UrbanCamp on the western edge of Windhoek. Bathrooms are shared, and the set-up includes a few bijoux outdoor showers for the warmer months. The hotel’s pool area is a highlight, overlooked by the restaurant and beer garden, where the menu features German dishes, such as schnitzel, with a Namibian twist – think oryx meat instead of pork.

Naankuse Lodge

Eco Hotel, Hotel

View through Naankuse Lodge, with a long soft seat in front of a living and dining area with several seats
Courtesy of Naankuse Lodge / Expedia

Deep within 3,200ha (7,907 acres) of a nature reserve, this lodge is a 45-minute drive northeast of Windhoek. There’s a choice of bespoke chalets and holiday homes here. In some rooms, free-standing baths are set next to floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the wilderness. Don’t miss the opportunity to join local San people around the campfire and ask them about their traditions and way of life.

Hotel Thule

Boutique Hotel, Hotel

Dining area with several set tables and a window view over Windhoek at Hotel Thule
Courtesy of Hotel Thule / Expedia

This red-roofed hotel sits on top of a lofty hill overlooking Windhoek. The best place to appreciate the setting is at the On the Edge Restaurant. It has floor-to-ceiling windows that serve up bird’s-eye views of the Namibian capital. The menu mixes European and Namibian dishes; try the kapana (flame-grilled beef) followed by the malva (a South African baked dessert). The indulgence can be worked off in the outdoor pool the morning after.

Onjala

Boutique Hotel

Exterior view of Onjala Lodge, amid grassland
Courtesy of Onjala / Expedia

The lodges, bungalows and suites of Onjala are set within 1,700ha (4,201 acres) of a nature reserve, about 90km (56mi) northeast of Windhoek. Zebras, antelopes, giraffes and ostriches roam freely around the tranquil site. To get a bit closer to the animals and to have a chance of spotting a leopard, you can get in on the daily 4pm game drive. Later, you can swap wildlife spotting for stargazing in the lodge’s observatory.

Windhoek Game Camp

Boutique Hotel, Hotel, Camping

Dining table set for six people in front of lit fireplace at Windhoek Game Camp
Courtesy of Windhoek Game Camp / Expedia

A 20-minute drive north of the city centre, Windhoek Game Camp is home to eight luxury safari-style self-catering lodges. Each one has a kitchen, a dining area, an outdoor braai (barbecue) area and a wooden deck overlooking the mountains. The whole place is enveloped by countryside, where giraffes, oryxes, springbucks, waterbucks, impalas, nyalas and warthogs roam freely. A breakfast buffet is included in the room price and served in the communal open-sided safari lodge overlooking the pool.

Immanuel Wilderness Lodge

Boutique Hotel

Semi-circle of soft seating around a table by a staircase and doors leading outside Immanuel Wilderness Lodge
Courtesy of Immanuel Wilderness Lodge / Expedia

Set within three traditional thatched buildings, the rooms at Immanuel Wilderness Lodge, 20 minutes from Windhoek, come with stone floors, dark wood furniture and mosquito nets over the beds. Each one has a private patio overlooking the beautiful wilderness too. The property also has a watering hole, where springboks and guinea fowl come to drink. Meanwhile, you can enjoy food and drinks in an open-sided thatched restaurant that puts on four-course menus, with dishes such as hartebeest steak, every evening.

Tenbergen Pension Hotel

Independent Hotel, Hotel

Diners eat inside and outside Tenbergen Pension Hotel, as seen from beyond water features outside
Courtesy of Tenbergen Pension Hotel / Expedia

This distinctive blue-and-white hotel in Windhoek is a 15-minute walk from the National Botanic Garden of Namibia. Despite being in the city centre, the rooms have a beachy look, with lots of wood and sea- and sand-coloured fabrics. Each room has a coffee machine, a fridge and a microwave for in-room breakfasts. For something more substantial, head to Krisjans Bistro, with its vintage scooter at the entrance; it serves up dishes such as bacon french toast and waffle towers.

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