La Splendida Hotel Cape Town

NOT splendid

We were disappointed. "Splendid", it was not. We arrived on a Sunday (Big mistake). Both Sundays we were there had very loud music playing from the restaurant so that we could not have a conversation with the check-in clerk, who was aloof and unresponsive. All the other days in the week were much better. Back to the restaurant - a very nice vibey, funky atmosphere if you don't live there. My initial impression was one of a trendy club with a few rooms bolted on the back of the building. Despite signs everywhere to the contrary, in the eight days, we were never once sanitised nor had our temperatures checked. Worrying during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our first room was dirty and horrid, with mould on the curtains and a nonfunctioning TV and airconditioner. We were quickly given a new room (without any comment or apology), which was ok with a magnificent view of the stadium, golf course and park. A very basic but adequate room. We had to ask to have the bath cleaned after 5 days... Our general impression was that cleanliness and hygiene were lacking. The little safe could not lock and we were simply shrugged off by the Manager. The corridors and stairwell are dark. The smell from the bins just outside the lift was stifling. Parking is available for 8 cars, but the guests all struggled since this is inadequate. Furthermore, 1 of the 8 bays was occupied permanently by a van that had been in an accident and had been in that spot for months. A second bay was occupied by a trailer which had also been there for a long time. The Hotel is very centrally situated with magnificent views. It is a great base to have if you want to tour everywhere, experience Cape Town life and have an average place to shower and sleep. Also as an added bonus, you can party downstairs in the restaurant which often sounds more like a nightclub. But, you need to be forgiving and overlook hospitality issues that other hotels offer as standard. The staff take smoke breaks (directly below the no-smoking sign) in the back parking lot, making noise for the guests trying to relax or sleep immediately above them, whether during the day or at the end of late-night shifts. It is well-known that first impressions count and ours was way below what we were expecting with a disinterested manager and an emotionless clerk. The photographs on the website are from a while ago - the furniture is not a s great as they appear. We booked online directly with the Hotel and paid R50 per night more than the advertsied price.