Cresta President Hotel

Rooms and decor

Cresta President Hotel is a pale, 5-floor building that has stood familiarly on Queens Road, next to Gaborone's Main Mall, for decades. It's one of the few hotels in Botswana's Cresta Hotels chain that chose a spot in the historic heart of town rather than out on the edge. The moment you step into the lobby it feels like a well-kept older business hotel — warm earth tones, a touch of wood and South African wicker, and staff who greet you with "Dumela" in the local way. The roughly 110 rooms spread across 5 floors are done in a classic capital-city style: soft beds, thick blankets, a desk by the window, plus a TV, fridge, and a clean en-suite bathroom. Many rooms have a small balcony opening onto the pool courtyard, and if you stay on that side you get quiet and just enough morning light. The overall look isn't sleek modern boutique, but it lands as genuine and familiar — if you prefer homey over flashy, this is your lane.

Food and amenities

The center of life here is the outdoor pool courtyard, ringed by big trees and sun loungers, with a small pool bar pouring cold drinks through the afternoon. Plenty of reviews describe the relief, after a long day of meetings, of nursing a cold Botswana St Louis beer by the water as the sun drops. The main restaurant runs a breakfast buffet every morning — continental options, eggs made fresh, tropical fruit, and South African local dishes to try; simple but filling enough to start the day. In the evening it serves à la carte, with Botswana's well-known beef steaks and freshwater fish on the list, priced more kindly than chain hotels of the same tier. There's also a small gym for a run and some light weights, free Wi-Fi throughout, and free parking on site — that last one is a real plus for anyone who's rented a car, since parking on Main Mall during business hours is no easy thing. Staff speak fluent English, and reviewers repeatedly say they're kind and happy to arrange tours, call taxis, and point you to good food.

Location and getting there

This is Cresta President's strongest card. The hotel sits in the middle of Main Mall, the pedestrian square that has been Gaborone's trading heart since the capital was newly founded in the 1960s. Step out of the lobby and you're on a long pedestrian strip lined with shops, souvenir stalls, local restaurants, banks, and government offices, all within a few steps. A short walk gets you to the Three Dikgosi Monument, the three chiefs who founded Botswana and the city's signature photo landmark. Parliament is just beyond, and the National Museum and Art Gallery, which holds the history and art of the Tswana people, isn't far. Getting in and out of town is easy too — the airport, Sir Seretse Khama International (GBE), is about a 20-minute drive, and the Riverwalk or Game City Mall is roughly 10–15 minutes by taxi. Put simply, if you want to wake up and start exploring the core of Gaborone on foot with no commute, this location is close to perfect for a compact capital.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The most common gripe is the dated building and the older, classic rooms — if you're hoping for modern-boutique style out of a travel magazine, adjust your expectations. This is an honest 4-star business hotel more than a head-turner, and some bathrooms and fittings show the age of a building that has been part of this town for years. Next, Main Mall on a weekday evening tends to be quiet, with most shops closing around 17:00–18:00; for a night out or any buzz you'll need a taxi to the new CBD or Riverwalk, about 10–15 minutes away, and weekends are quieter still as many shops shut. The in-room Wi-Fi can also be unstable for a hotel at this level, so if you have online meetings you may end up working in the lobby where the signal is better. Lastly, restaurant service can run busy and slow at peak times — ordering a little ahead helps.

Our take

After reading through real reviews on Agoda and Booking, Cresta President Hotel is a 4-star stay that sells a central Main Mall location, an easy Botswana friendliness, and the basics done in one place — pool, pool bar, free parking, breakfast buffet — from around $63 a night, which is fair for a spot this central. It's the best fit for business travelers and work trips with meetings in the government district, or travelers using Gaborone as a starting point before driving out to Mokolodi or pushing north to Chobe and the Okavango Delta. If you want a design-led boutique or a buzzy night scene, this isn't the answer — but if you want an honest, central place that doesn't hurt the budget, with staff who look after you like a guest of the house, we give it 8.1/10 and recommend it gladly.