49 on Blackburn

49 On Blackburn is an aparthotel for divers who like a little room around the fins, the camera and the evening meal. You get an apartment with a kitchen, living area and private balcony, rather than a single room designed mainly for sleeping between flights.

The useful detail comes in the form of air conditioning, a rooftop pool and free Wi-Fi throughout the property. English is spoken by the hotel team, while the website is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian.

This is a place for a self-contained stay. You can cook, sit down properly, put on a streaming service and keep the evening at your own pace. After all, not every dive day needs a soundtrack and a timetable.

The address is on Blackburn Road in Durban, in the Durban North area rather than on the beachfront itself. Beachwood Beach is about 2.2 miles away by car, while Virginia Beach is roughly 2.8 miles away by road or a 45-minute walk. The sea is close enough for a beach outing, but this is an urban base, not a hotel where you step straight from your room onto the sand.

You have useful places to eat nearby. Mamma Lucianas Glenashley is about 600 feet away, Kolay is roughly 1 mile away on foot, and Pride Bar and Grill Take Away is around 3,100 feet away on foot. Brooklyn Butchery and Cafe is about 0.7 miles away, with Bang Bang Liquors roughly 0.9 miles away.

For something beyond the immediate streets, Greenwood Park is about 0.9 miles away, Japanese Gardens Durban North around 2 miles away, and Umgeni River Bird Park roughly 2.5 miles away. Umhlanga Lighthouse is about 6 miles away, while uShaka Marine World is around 8 miles away.

The apartment layout is the main reason to choose this address over a conventional hotel room. The two-bedroom apartment suits a couple who want a separate sleeping space, or a small group who would rather share an apartment than divide themselves between several rooms. The three-bedroom apartment gives a larger group proper breathing space, with two bathrooms and room for up to eight guests.

Both apartment categories come with fully equipped kitchens, including a fridge, oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, kettle and kitchenware. There is a dining table as well as a sofa and seating area, so you can make breakfast, eat a takeaway or simply spread out your holiday clutter without balancing everything on the bed. A washing machine is useful when salt, sunscreen and laundry have started forming their own ecosystem.

Air conditioning helps you cool down after a hot day, while the private bathroom includes a shower, separate toilet, hairdryer and dressing gown. Balconies and patios add outdoor space, and the apartments include a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and a streaming service such as Netflix. Upper floors are reached by stairs only, so keep that in mind when choosing an apartment and carrying luggage.

There is no hotel restaurant or bar to organise your evenings around, which makes the apartment kitchens particularly useful. You can make tea or coffee when you wake, prepare something substantial after diving and keep drinks cold in the fridge. The dining table gives you somewhere to eat that is not the edge of the sofa, a small but respectable victory after a long day.

For meals away from the apartment, Mamma Lucianas Glenashley is only about 600 feet away. Kolay, Pride Bar and Grill Take Away, Brooklyn Butchery and Cafe, and Mugg & Bean on the Move give you several nearby options, with the latter around 1.4 miles away on foot. The property also has vending machines for snacks and drinks.

Outdoor cooking is possible with the barbecue facilities, and the terraces provide somewhere to sit with it. There is no breakfast arrangement or board formula to plan around, so you have the freedom of a self-catering stay and the responsibility of deciding what goes in the pan.

The rooftop swimming pool is the obvious post-dive retreat, with city views rather than a postcard beach panorama. It is heated and paired with a sun terrace, outdoor seating, sun umbrellas and loungers. A few quiet lengths, then a chair and a cold drink: not a complicated programme, which is often exactly the point.

Private balconies, the patio and the terrace give you several places to sit outside without having to make an occasion of it. The apartments also have living areas with sofas and a flat-screen TV with streaming access, useful when the weather, the legs or both have decided that the evening should remain indoors.

For a day away from the water, Durban offers nearby parks, gardens and wildlife attractions. Greenwood Park is within about a mile, Japanese Gardens Durban North is roughly 2 miles away, and Umgeni River Bird Park is about 2.5 miles away. Babysitting is available for families, and the apartments include a high chair for younger children.

King Shaka International Airport is roughly 17 miles away by road. An airport shuttle is available through the property, and you can also use the free private parking on site if you are driving. Durban North Conference Centre is about a six-minute walk away, which may matter if a conference is part of the trip rather than an accidental encounter with one.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is by 10:00. You need to give the property your expected arrival time in advance, and check-in requires photo identification and a credit card. The minimum check-in age is 18. Private check-in and check-out are available.

Quiet hours run from 23:00 to 06:00, and smoking is not permitted. Parties and events are not allowed, which suits a property built around apartments, balconies and people who may have an early start. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, with a tested connection suitable for HD streaming and video calls.