"Few other indie bands - save maybe Arcade Fire or Interpol - are able to articulate the gulf between heartbreak and hope with such cryptic lyrical class or melancholic, minor key majesty." - Miles Keylock, Editor, Rolling Stone SA.

“Reminiscent of the best moments of bands such as REM and Interpol.” - Jon Monsoon, Editor, Muse.

“Honey Badger is the band’s third offering, after the EP Beautiful Mornings and Films for the Next Century. All three are superb.” - Chris Roper, Editor, Mail & Guardian.

The Black Hotels are an alternative rock group from Johannesburg. Formed in 2006 they comprised singer/guitarist John Boyd, guitarist Neil White, and bassist Lisa Campbell. Their first release was a 5-track EP called Beautiful Mornings.

In 2009 the group were joined by drummer Warrick Poultney and keyboardist Matthew Fink  to record their first full-length album, Films for the Next Century. The album was nominated for a South African Music Award for Best Alternative Album. The Star Tonight named it 'Album of the Year' and The Sunday Times included it in its list of 'Top 10 Albums of 2009'. 

In 2011 the group released their third record, Honey Badger. The album received four-star reviews in Rolling Stone, The Star Tonight, Muse Magazine and GQ. That same year they supported Kings of Leon at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town and FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. 

In 2012 Fink and Campbell left the group and in 2013 bassist/guitarist Lu de Pina joined to begin work on a new album. In April 2014 The Black Hotels released Holidays, their fourth studio record with Laurie Levine on backing vocals.

The Black Hotels have established themselves as one of South Africa's critically acclaimed alternative rock groups. Their music has featured in both television and film, most notably the feature films White Wedding and Jozi. Singles Natalie, Beautiful Mornings and No Sign Of Science have been national radio hits with a number of other songs featuring on local independent and regional radio stations. They have also performed at most major local music festivals including Oppikoppi, Rocking The Daisies, Splashy Fen, Aard Klop and Synergy Live.








John Boyd is following