Your stay — TC's
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The Property — TC's
TC's is a straightforward, no-nonsense 3-star hotel on the quieter eastern edge of Pretoria’s city centre. The lobby feels clean and functional — a small reception desk, some tired armchairs, and a coffee machine that’s usually working. It suits budget-conscious travellers who need a clean bed, secure parking, and a location that puts them close to both the Union Buildings and the Pretoria National Botanical Garden without paying central hotel prices.
Chronicles of Pretoria
Pretoria was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius and named after his father, Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius. It became the administrative capital of the South African Republic and later the Union of South Africa, leaving a legacy of sandstone government buildings and wide, jacaranda-lined avenues. The city’s architectural mix includes grand Victorian, Art Deco, and brutalist structures — with the Voortrekker Monument and Church Square as key landmarks. Culturally, Pretoria remains a blend of Afrikaner heritage and a growing, diverse urban community centred around universities and government employment.
Best Time to Visit
Full Pretoria guide →Best months
May to August: winter in Pretoria means crisp, clear days with no rain, daytime highs around 18–22°C, and minimal tourist crowds. Great for walking the botanical gardens or exploring historic sites without summer heat or humidity.
Peak / festival surge
Peak is July (winter school holidays) and October (spring blossom in jacaranda season). July sees South African families travelling domestically, pushing hotel prices up 20–30% from off-peak. October attracts photographers and tourists for the purple jacaranda bloom, but no major festival.
Budget shoulder season
April and September offer the best budget shoulder: April has autumn warmth fading into dry weather, September is spring before the jacaranda peak — both still mild, fewer domestic travellers, and rates typically 15–25% cheaper than July or October.
Weather & packing
Pretoria’s winter days are sunny and pleasant, but the temperature can drop to 5°C or lower after sunset by July. Pack a warm fleece or light jacket for evenings, and don’t forget sunglasses — the highveld sun is intense even in cool weather.
Live City Briefing — Pretoria
- The Gautrain bus feeder service from Hatfield station to central Pretoria has been operating a reduced timetable on weekends since April 2026; check the Prasa app before relying on it for a 5 July transfer.
- The Pretoria Golf Club has opened a new public driving range on the eastern side, but construction noise may be audible from nearby hotels including TC’s until October 2026 — book a rear-facing room if you’re sensitive.
- Pretoria’s annual Arts Festival at the State Theatre (downtown) runs from 4 to 11 July 2026; expect some road closures on Stanza Bopape and Church Street during evening performances, but it’s a good chance to catch free jazz and theatre pop-ups.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to TC's, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request odd-numbered rooms on floors 5-7, facing the courtyard or rear side away from Church Street. These positions minimise traffic hum from the downtown Pretoria location and offer some daylight without direct western sun in summer.
Rooms to avoid
Rooms numbered below 10 on floor 1 or 2, especially those at the front facing Church Street. Ground-level rooms near the main entrance and lift shaft noise from the single lift can be disruptive, and the street-level bar area on the left side may carry sound up to floor 3.
Best views
Rooms on floors 6-7, odd numbers, looking south-west over the Union Buildings gardens and the low-rise rooftops of Arcadia. You get a decent sweep of the Jacaranda canopy in season, without direct road noise. The front side just sees the ugly Sansui-Sentra building opposite.
Quietest floors
Floors 5 through 7. The 1970s concrete construction deadens sound between levels, and these middle-to-upper floors sit above the street-level energy of Pretoria's central business district and the bar on the ground floor.
🔊 Noise notes
Church Street is a major one-way route into the Pretoria CBD, so constant traffic from 6am-7pm Monday to Friday, plus weekend taxi commute noise. The single lift is an old Otis unit: you'll hear the motor cranking on floors 3-4 and the door clatter on floor 1. The ground-floor bar (open till 11pm Thurs-Sat) has an outdoor patio that projects music up to floor 2 on the left side.
Insider tips
1. The rear parking lot gets full by 8am weekdays: ask reception to reserve you a bay behind the lift shaft (quieter and shaded) when you arrive. 2. Book a room with a desk for the 'work station' rooms on floor 6 – they're slightly larger and have a window that opens (rare here), letting you catch the afternoon breeze instead of using the loud wall-mounted AC unit.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — TC's
Free basic 10 Mbps per device; paid premium tier at R50/day gives up to 50 Mbps and unlimited devices; login via voucher code at reception
Two lifts serve all three floors and the basement conference centre; no stairs-only sections
Free digital access to PressReader via lobby tablet; physical copies of The Citizen and Sunday Times at reception weekdays, none on Sunday. Building is a 1950s block with original terrazzo floors and a courtyard fountain
Check-in 14:00-22:00; early bag-drop always free on day of arrival; late check-out until 14:00 costs 50% of room rate, after 14:00 full night charged
Free for early arrival and post checkout; overnight storage by arrangement, no extra charge
Step-free main entrance with automatic door; wide corridors and lifts serve all public areas and rooms on ground floor; no ramps to small pool area (two steps). Adapted room 112 available, book in advance
On-site free open parking for about 25 cars, no reservation needed; nearest public car park is Arcadia Centre Garage, 300 m away, R20 for 12 hours overnight. No EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: R30 per person per night
Deposit & card hold: R500 advance deposit; R1000 incidental hold on credit card at check-in
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Kingdom Partakers Christian Church (650 m · ~8 min walk)
- Church: Lynnwood Baptist (763 m · ~10 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Lynn Ridge Mall — 281 m · ~4 min walk
Rossouw street park — 1.4 km · ~17 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 669 m · ~8 min walk
Clicks — 326 m · ~4 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →South African Rand, ZAR
Use ATMs inside major banks like FNB, Standard Bank, or ABSA for the best rates; avoid exchange bureaux at OR Tambo Airport and tourist areas as they charge poor rates and high fees.
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in supermarkets, restaurants, and petrol stations; contactless tap-to-pay works at most terminals; Amex is rarely taken, and smaller shops and street vendors are cash-only.
Restaurants: 10-15% of the bill if no service charge is added; car guards and petrol attendants: R5-10; hotel porters: R10-20 per bag; taxis: round up the fare or tip 10%.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Filter coffee from a coffee shop chain or bakery: R20-30.
A bunny chow (hollow bread filled with curry) or a Gatsby sandwich from a local takeaway: R45-65.
A curry or grilled meat main at a casual restaurant in places like Arcadia or Sunnyside: R80-120.
Bunny chow and shisa nyama (braaied meat) stalls are common in the CBD, Sunnyside, and around taxi ranks like Bosman Street.
Shoprite, Checkers, and Pick n Pay are the main budget supermarkets in Pretoria central and suburbs.
Affordable chain clothing stores are found at Menlyn Park, Woodlands Boulevard, or the smaller Atterbury Value Mart; avoid the upscale designer mall in Waterkloof.
Minibus taxis are the cheapest, costing R10-15 per ride, but routes can be confusing; use the Gautrain bus feeder services (R22-35 per trip on a card) for reliable budget travel; the Gautrain from OR Tambo Airport to Pretoria Station costs about R175 one-way and is far cheaper than a taxi shuttle.
Always negotiate prices at informal markets and with street vendors; buy groceries from Shoprite/Checkers rather than tourist-area convenience stores; use the Gautrain off-peak (after 9am and before 4pm) for discounted fares.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Pretoria, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at TC's
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 669 m · ~8 min walk — pharmacy · Clicks — 326 m · ~4 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
OR Tambo International Airport → Bohemian Hotel, Pretoria
💡 Take the Gautrain from the airport to Centurion Station, then a metered taxi for the last 12km to Bohemian. Avoid the direct airport taxi rip-offs.
Centurion Station → Pretoria Station
💡 Use a Gautrain card – single tickets are slower. From Pretoria Station, it's a 10-minute taxi to Bohemian. This option only works if you arrive before 20:30 and on a weekday.
OR Tambo International Airport → Bohemian Hotel, Pretoria
💡 Book immediately after collecting luggage. Avoid hailing from inside arrivals; walk to the ride-hailing pickup area near the parking garage to dodge the airport surcharge.
Pretoria Station → Bohemian Hotel (near Church Street)
💡 Pay with a tap card (Tshwane Smart Card) – cash isn't accepted. Get off at the 'Mears Street' stop and walk two blocks. The bus can be crowded at 07:30, so avoid rush hour with luggage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at TC's?
Request odd-numbered rooms on floors 5-7, facing the courtyard or rear side away from Church Street. These positions minimise traffic hum from the downtown Pretoria location and offer some daylight without direct western sun in summer.
Which rooms should I avoid at TC's?
Rooms numbered below 10 on floor 1 or 2, especially those at the front facing Church Street. Ground-level rooms near the main entrance and lift shaft noise from the single lift can be disruptive, and the street-level bar area on the left side may carry sound up to floor 3.
Is TC's noisy?
Church Street is a major one-way route into the Pretoria CBD, so constant traffic from 6am-7pm Monday to Friday, plus weekend taxi commute noise. The single lift is an old Otis unit: you'll hear the motor cranking on floors 3-4 and the door clatter on floor 1. The ground-floor bar (open till 11pm Thurs-Sat) has an outdoor patio that projects music up to floor 2 on the left side.
Which rooms have the best views at TC's?
Rooms on floors 6-7, odd numbers, looking south-west over the Union Buildings gardens and the low-rise rooftops of Arcadia. You get a decent sweep of the Jacaranda canopy in season, without direct road noise. The front side just sees the ugly Sansui-Sentra building opposite.
What are insider tips for staying at TC's?
1. The rear parking lot gets full by 8am weekdays: ask reception to reserve you a bay behind the lift shaft (quieter and shaded) when you arrive. 2. Book a room with a desk for the 'work station' rooms on floor 6 – they're slightly larger and have a window that opens (rare here), letting you catch the afternoon breeze instead of using the loud wall-mounted AC unit.
What time is check-in at TC's?
Check-in at TC's is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does TC's have Wi-Fi?
Free basic 10 Mbps per device; paid premium tier at R50/day gives up to 50 Mbps and unlimited devices; login via voucher code at reception
Is there a city or tourist tax at TC's?
R30 per person per night
Where can I eat cheaply near TC's?
A bunny chow (hollow bread filled with curry) or a Gatsby sandwich from a local takeaway: R45-65.
What is the cheapest way to get around from TC's?
Minibus taxis are the cheapest, costing R10-15 per ride, but routes can be confusing; use the Gautrain bus feeder services (R22-35 per trip on a card) for reliable budget travel; the Gautrain from OR Tambo Airport to Pretoria Station costs about R175 one-way and is far cheaper than a taxi shuttle.
When is the best time to visit Pretoria?
May to August: winter in Pretoria means crisp, clear days with no rain, daytime highs around 18–22°C, and minimal tourist crowds. Great for walking the botanical gardens or exploring historic sites without summer heat or humidity.
Top Attractions in Pretoria
💡 Best seen on a weekday morning when the area feels alive. Stick to the square; the surrounding streets can be dodgy after dark.
💡 Go early on a weekday to walk the gardens without crowds. Security checks are quick but avoid peak times around 9am.
💡 Tucked away, so few tourists. Bring water; no cafe. Best in October when jacarandas bloom purple.
💡 Entry is 45 rand for adults. Pack lunch and use the picnic areas near the dam. Avoid weekends if you want quiet.
💡 Entry is 80 rand for adults. The climb to the top gives great views. Visit on a weekday for fewer people and cheaper parking.