Cresta Botsalo Hotel

Cresta Botsalo Hotel is a 3-star, mid-range business-and-family hotel in Palapye, on the main A1 highway roughly midway between Gaborone and Francistown — about 254km from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. It has long operated as part of the Cresta Hotels group, but the property is notably absent from Cresta Hotels' own current Botswana property list on crestahotels.com (which shows 11 hotels, not including Botsalo), and the hotel's dedicated page on that site returned no content when checked directly, despite still being search-indexed. This is a data-quality flag worth confirming directly with the hotel or Cresta Hotels before treating group-level rates, loyalty programme or booking channels as current — the on-the-ground TripAdvisor listing and management responses still identify it as 'Cresta Botsalo Hotel' as of early 2026.

The 51-room hotel comprises two distinct wings: an older original section and a newer, better-furnished wing (per repeated guest feedback, the newer wing is preferable). Rooms are air-conditioned with a desk, coffee/tea maker or electric kettle, cable/satellite TV, and bath/shower; pool-view and non-smoking rooms are available. On-site facilities include a swimming pool, a fitness centre/gym, free Wi-Fi, free parking, a business centre with internet access, and conference facilities (note: the hotel's former casino-building conference space has reportedly been converted back into a standalone casino, no longer used for events). Dining is at the Savuti Grill restaurant, with a poolside bar for drinks.

Guest reviews (4.0/5 from 123 reviews, ranked #2 of 6 hotels in Palapye) consistently praise staff service and location but flag the older wing's dated furniture, décor and inconsistent air-conditioning — worth requesting the newer wing when booking. The hotel makes a practical stopover for guests transiting the Gaborone-Francistown corridor or breaking a journey before/after crossing into South Africa, and sits near Old Palapye, the historic former Bangwato capital and resting place of King Sir Seretse Khama.

At a Glance - Property type: 3-star, mid-range business/family highway hotel in Palapye — historically a Cresta Hotels property; CURRENTLY NOT LISTED on Cresta Hotels' own live Botswana hotel roster (verify group affiliation before quoting) - Rooms: 51 rooms across two wings (older original wing + newer renovated wing); pool-view and non-smoking rooms available - Max guests: Not explicitly stated; standard rooms typical of 2 guests sharing - Children policy: Marketed as family-friendly with kids' activities; no minimum age stated - Key activities: Highway stopover/business base; on-site pool and gym; proximity to Old Palapye historic site (Bangwato capital, resting place of King Sir Seretse Khama) - Facilities: Swimming pool, fitness centre/gym, Savuti Grill restaurant, poolside bar, business centre, conference facilities, free parking - Power/Wi-Fi: Grid power, air-conditioned rooms; free Wi-Fi (guests report good speed) - Ownership/history: Historically operated under the Cresta Hotels group; current group affiliation unclear — the hotel's own page on crestahotels.com returned no content and the property does not appear on the group's live Botswana hotel list; confirm status directly - Source: TripAdvisor listing (123 reviews, #2 of 6 Palapye hotels) ; crestahotels.com/hotels/botswana/cresta-botsalo (returned no content) ; WebSearch trade listings