Protea Hotel President, Bantry Bay, Cape Town

We booked a package to Cape Town (26-30 May 2011) through Kulula Holidays which included flights, car hire and accommodation at the 4 star Protea Hotel President.

Before arriving at the hotel I called to check on the room allocation and to ensure that we had a non-smoking room.  I was told that we had been allocated a room with twin beds and requested that we be moved to a room with a double or queen bed.  I was transferred four times and no one I spoke to was able to assist.  Eventually the person I spoke to promised he would call me back once it had been sorted out.  By the time we arrived at the hotel no one had called us back, but we were told we had been upgraded to a room on the newly renovated 6th Floor of the hotel.

Note to traveller: If you are a non-smoker always check that you have a non-smoking room and/or that you are on a non-smoking floor.  The smell of smoke can be extremely unpleasant.

Service at the front desk was efficient and friendly.  Some hotels provide free parking for guests, however parking at this hotel is charged at R40 per day.

The Room

Decor in the room was simple and tasteful.  What was surprising was the amount of space and the inclusion of a kitchenette.  We had booked room only and don't usually have a big breakfast, so the kitchenette was great for tea & toast in the mornings.

Firm king-size bed

Ample cupboard space

Kitchenette with microwave, bar fridge & cutlery/crockery on request

Spacious shower although basin/counter-top area was very small

Lots of space to move around

Comfy couch with lots of cushions

Work station with several plugpoints; luggage bench too narrow to fit suitcase

We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel although it is probably a good idea to wait until they have finished renovating.  Building works begin at 10h00 on weekdays and it is extremely noisy and disruptive.  If you are staying for business however, it should not impact you.

www.proteahotels.com/protea-hotel-president.html

Park Inn Sandton, Johannesburg

We checked in on 24 April 2011 and settled into our room on the 4th Floor. We quickly discovered that the electricity card was not working which meant no lights in the bathroom area. Once we had called reception it was but minutes before a technician arrived at our door. He checked the card and told us he needed some time to fix it and that he would have us moved to another room.

It took another 15 minutes or so for us to be assisted to our new room which was on the 7th Floor. The view was far better as the previous room looked out on to an empty parking lot. Our window now had a beautiful view of the Sandton suburbs. Service was quick and friendly.

Note to traveller: Ask for the best view when booking a room at a hotel. It can make a big difference to the enjoyment of your stay.

We really liked the contemporary decor of the hotel with clean lines and modern fittings. The 'white pebble' seats at reception caught my interest. Although not exactly comfortable they looked great.

I liked the way they incorporated the colours from their logo into the decor, e.g. planters by the pool area, furniture, crockery in the breakfast area, etc.

Interesting Features

Wallpaper/Blinds - the wall featured a black and white photo of the Nelson Mandela bridge. On closing the blinds the image followed through from the wall across the closed blinds. We did find it strange that the wallpaper ended abruptly with no border or transition to white wall.

Luggage bench - ample space for luggage on a wooden bench by the window.

Effective use of space - all-in-one bathroom counter, cupboard and tea station; which also created a division between the bedroom and bathroom. Separate toilet and shower. Space in front of toilet quite tight; could be uncomfortable for a tall or bigger built person. Mirror at the end of the bathroom gave the illusion of more space.

Nice touch

Kleenex Calendular tissues - scented and very gentle on the nose; nice change from 'regular' tissues.

Shower - option of rain shower head or wall-mounted hand-held shower

Suggestions for improvement

Dustbin in the bathroom - it's not just this hotel, but we often find that there is no bin in the bathroom. If you want to throw anything away you have to use the bin in the bedroom.

Tea station - the addition of a tea towel and small dish for the teabags would be welcome. We ended up using the white facecloths to clean up.

Soap dish - also something amiss in many other hotels; soap gets very messy when wet, need a soap dish that allows the soap to drain and keep dry.

Breakfast

The breakfast area was warm and sunny. The food was displayed well and there was a good variety. On that day our omelette and waffles were overdone but overall the food was good.

Overall Impression

We enjoyed our stay and would refer people to this hotel. It suits both business and leisure travellers.

www.parkinn.com/hotel-sandton