Once one of South Africa’s most prestigious luxury hotels, the Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg welcomed an impressive list of celebrities and world leaders, including Margaret Thatcher, Nelson Mandela, Whitney Houston and François Mitterrand.
Among its famous guests was Michael Jackson, who stayed at the hotel during his HIStory World Tour in October 1997.
Michael performed two concerts at Johannesburg Stadium on 10 and 12 October 1997, bringing his spectacular world tour to South African audiences. The tour also included two concerts in Cape Town on 4 and 6 October, followed by the final show in Durban on 15 October.
Opened on 1 October 1972, the 30-storey Carlton Hotel was once considered one of the finest hotels in the country. It formed part of the Carlton Centre complex, a major Johannesburg landmark that combined luxury accommodation, offices and shopping facilities.
However, changing fortunes in Johannesburg’s city centre led to the hotel’s decline. The main hotel tower closed in December 1997, with the remaining Carlton Court annex shutting its doors in April 1998.
Nearly three decades later, the former luxury hotel remains abandoned, its empty interiors a striking contrast to the glamour and international visitors it once welcomed.
The future of the historic complex remains uncertain. In August 2026, state-owned company Transnet announced plans to sell the Carlton Centre as part of a wider disposal of properties it no longer considers essential to its operations. Government departments and public-sector organisations were given the first opportunity to express interest before the property could be offered to private investors. A previous attempt to sell the complex had failed, and no confirmed redevelopment plan for the former hotel has been announced. Its future may now depend on finding a buyer willing to invest in restoring this once-iconic Johannesburg landmark.
The Carlton Hotel is now a fascinating piece of Johannesburg history, with its connection to Michael Jackson adding another memorable chapter to the story of this once-iconic landmark.
