If you are looking for a hotel convenient to the airport after a long flight (or to catch an early flight), forget about staying here. It's 9km away from the airport and their shuttle took 40 minutes to pick me up. (They had the nerve to claim I must have been busy and missed one although I ran after every shuttle to check it was the Grand's and had two kindly competing hotels’ shuttle drivers helping me. Every other airport hotel had 3 shuttles that passed during this time). At Reception, they quickly admitted their 2cnd shuttle broke a while back and they hadn't bothered getting a second one. In fact, they practically begged me to speak to the Manager in the hope I could persuade him to get a second shuttle Also, the shuttle only starts running at 6 AM. If you have an early flight, you have to pay for a taxi and it costs a whopping 200 Rand that early in the morning for a ten minute ride (they won't book any other taxis than their own inhouse service--not what I expect from an "airport" hotel). (Airport taxis will charge 120 Rand to get you to the hotel during more normal hours.)
If you are looking for a Grand place--don't stay here. Ditto if you are a business traveller. The lobby area and restaurant are nicely decorated, but the corridors leading to the rooms are narrow and littered with trash, dinner trays, ironing boards and even a toilet brush. The rooms are nicely decorated but the shower stall in the bathroom is tired. The rooms are clean, but the mess in the narrow corridor will put you off.
They first gave me a room which had just been repainted. It smelt so badly that they had both the window and aircon on. Second room was fine--not fancy--but fine and they finally honored my non- smoking room request, but I had to ask
No Internet in the rooms and no minibar. You have to sit in the lobby and buy wireless access at 60 Rand an hour or 40 Rand for 30 minutes. You have to pay for breakfast too, so add this all up with the taxi fares above if arriving or leaving outside of their normal shuttle hours before thinking this hotel is a good deal.
The hotel staff (other than the shuttle drivers) is wonderful though. They can't do enough for you. They serve a simple buffet dinner (not great but okay) and because I am a vegetarian so there was little for me to eat. They got the cook to come and ask me what he could do for me. (Note: this is a general problem in SA. You will get charged full whack for a buffet you can only eat small bits of in this meat mad country.) It seems strange that such a poorly managed hotel which obviously cuts corners on guest comfort and convenience can attract such friendly and helpful staff. Unlike another guest on this forum, I did get a very prompt wake up call.
Over all though, I won't be back. In fact many people staying here tonight are only here because all the other airport hotels are full. This should give you an idea of what to expect. My company travel agent booked me in here and I'm advising them against doing this again. If you are on a budget or a tourist and have time to wait for the shuttle this hotel is okay.
