We stayed at Portswood hotel over last X'mas. And even though it is a slightly older hotel compared to many others along the waterfront, it exudes much charm and coziness. The staff were also friendly and very helpful (stark contrast to our experience at Hilton in Joburg)

There was a slight boo-boo when we checked in after a long day of travelling from Kruger - we were given 2 single beds instead of a double bed. We called the frontdesk, and told the manager of the mixed up, and they immediately tried to look for a change in rooms. Although we understood that it is over a busy period (Dec) and we have read so much about how common it is to get rooms mixed up in SA, we were still disappointed, especially when it was X'ms Eve!! Nevertheless we told them we wanted to head out for dinner (we were getting cold, hungry and grouchy), and they could move our luggage if they could find us an alternative room.

After dinner, the shift manager (sorry we didn't get his name!) informed us that we would be upgraded to one of their suites. So it was a nice surprise, especially when we were going to stay there for 3 nights. The suite is definitely much more spacious than the standard room (In the standard room, we had problem opening up our 2 luggages and trying to walk about without tripping over them).

The walk to the Waterfront is also relatively safe. Exit from the main entrance of Portswood, turn left and take the stairs down under the carpark, cross the road, head left, and you'll be at the shopping area. There is a mini security/police post diagonally from the main entrance of Portswood that operates 24hrs, so that gives some assurance of safety.

Aston Martin and BMW showrooms are a stone's throw from Portswood. Also remember to make a trip to Clock Tower, and be dazzled by the Shimanski collection.

Only regret is that we didn't get a chance to try the Cape Malay food in the hotel restaurant. It seemed to be popular.