At this controversial South Africa hotel, guests stay in a re-creation of the shacks inhabited by the poor. Each shanty sleeps four and goes for $82 per night.
'Luxury Shanty Town,' South Africa —
At this controversial South Africa hotel, guests stay in a re-creation of the shacks inhabited by the poor. Each shanty sleeps four and goes for $82 per night.
courtesy emoya shanty town hotel
The hotel has come under fire for presenting luxury travel under the guise of "slumming it." On its website, the hotel advertises itself as "the only Shanty Town in the world with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!"
'Full African Experience' —
The hotel has come under fire for presenting luxury travel under the guise of "slumming it." On its website, the hotel advertises itself as "the only Shanty Town in the world with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!"
courtesy emoya shanty town hotel
"The Shanty Town is ideal for team building, braais (barbecue), fancy theme parties and an experience of a lifetime," says the hotel's website.
Themed living —
"The Shanty Town is ideal for team building, braais (barbecue), fancy theme parties and an experience of a lifetime," says the hotel's website.
courtesy emoya shanty town hotel
Shanty Town is located within the Emoya Wildlife and Conference Estate, home to more then 30 species of animals, including lion, giraffes and ostriches.
Private game reserve —
Shanty Town is located within the Emoya Wildlife and Conference Estate, home to more then 30 species of animals, including lion, giraffes and ostriches.
courtesy emoya shanty town hotel
In a clumsy play for verisimilitude, the shanties are equipped with donkey geysers (hot water heaters) and long drops (outdoor toilets).
Donkey geysers and long drops —
In a clumsy play for verisimilitude, the shanties are equipped with donkey geysers (hot water heaters) and long drops (outdoor toilets).
courtesy emoya shanty town hotel
Gallery: Emoya Shanty Town Hotel

Story highlights

Emoya Luxury Hotel offers "the only Shanty Town in the world with under-floor heating and wireless Internet access"

Hotel re-creates millions of shacks of South Africa's poor

Media response has been incredulity and outrage

CNN  — 

Emoya Luxury Hotel in Bloemfontein, South Africa, has been all over the blogosphere in recent weeks.

But the exposure might not be the type that the “unique accommodation experience” had bargained for.

Gizmodo called the hotel “A Fake Slum for Luxury Tourists Who Don’t Want to See Real Poverty.”

Steven Colbert coined the word “glumming” – glamorous slumming – in his on-air dressing down.

Christiane Amanpour examined it in the context of “poorism,” or poverty tourism.

The hotel does sound like something out of a Saturday Night Live sketch.

At Emoya’s Shanty Town, guests stay in a re-creation of an “informal settlement” – shacks made of corrugated iron sheets.

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“Millions of people are living in informal settlements across South Africa,” reads the Shanty Town homepage.

“Now you can experience staying in a Shanty within the safe environment of a private game reserve,” continues the website.

“This is the only Shanty Town in the world equipped with under-floor heating and wireless internet access!”

Read: Underwater hotel room opens on remote African island

Each shanty in the “town” goes for 850 South African rand ($82) a night, sleeps four people and has electricity and running water.

In a clumsy play for verisimilitude, rooms are equipped with donkey geysers (water heaters) and long drops (outdoor toilets).

Scorn and outrage

The hotel promises to deliver “the full African Experience.”

The concept hotel launched in March, according to the Emoya Estate’s Facebook page, but the backlash is recent.

“What were the creators of this thinking?” wrote commenter Whitney Trotta on the hotel’s Facebook page on December 4.

“Have they ever seen poverty? Or lived in it? This is such a slap in the face to anyone who actually lives in a shanty town. Emoya Hotel & Spa you should explain yourselves. You are getting a horrible reputation worldwide for this.”

Emoya Hotel declined CNN requests for an interview or official comment for this story.

Read: 10 things to know before visiting South Africa