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