InterContinental Hotels Group Stay Forum - HI Sandton

Stayed here overnight on business. Thought I'd try this HI as a) it will tick a CtC box for brands; b) it's a new build property; and c) it was walkable from Gautrain and to my appointment.

The online booking was a nightmare - no confirmation received and booking showed as cancelled on my account. Hotel reinstated it but when I arrived it was on the best flex rate not the AP rate I had booked. Rate was adjusted by the friendly people at check in. Hotel seems aimed at the package tour trade with lots of foreign guests milling about and tour buses gathering in the morning.

Public areas are OK - spacious lobby with nice looking sofas to relax in, and wide corridors with nice colour scheme though walls are totally bare. Room was a standard queen and pretty disappointing. Small (but adequate for my purposes) with just bed, armchair, small desk and desk chair. Mini bar is empty and you need to ask to have it stocked. Bathroom was small (have to close the door to use the loo) with only a shower. But it's a very large shower with a shelf/seat and two shower heads. Toiletries consisted of soap, shower gel and shampoo of obscure provenance. Towels are small but adequate.

For a new build it is very diappointing. The quality of the workmanship is terrible. Especially in the bathroom where the tiling and grouting looks like it was done by the real tiler's drunk cousin in half an hour. In addition every surface is already showing signs of abuse - permanent marks on the "marble" vanity top and on the desk. The bedside reading lamps are a cheap joke.

Plus points include a window that opens; plugs above desk level, nice carpets (same as in corridor). And very friendly staff. Can't really think of any others.

The restaurant menu was so uninspired (burger, penne arrabiata etc.) that I didn't even go inside. The top floor bar - about which they make much song and dance - does have a terrace with a decent view over Sandton but is in no way an inviting space. I had a glass of red wine which cost R50. Well, it was more like a fishbowl (easily 300ml) - of pretty horrible wine. The only one they serve by the glass. I left half of it.

Verdict: pretty disappointing. I'm in no hurry to try this hotel again.

What status do you have with IHG? As Platinum I am always upgraded to a luxurious suite that doesn't exhibit any of the problems you mention. I wonder if you got a crew room? This hotel hosts a lot of air crews and those folks tend to deal harshly with their quarters. I haven't noticed tour buses there ever, but maybe that is changing?

As for food, I would never consider eating there with all the great restaurants nearby. Even if I don't want to go out, I just go to the grocery store next door and grab a cooked chicken to eat in my room. Costs less than a beer in the hotel bar.

I am Amb/Gold. There are only 2 types of rooms available to book on the internet: a Standard (with a queen bed or 2 singles) and a King Leisure. The former has a shower only and the latter a "bath shower combo". Given I was alone and prefer a stand alone shower I booked a standard queen. As was to be expected my Amb status did not result in any upgrade.

Obviously I did not see the suites but "luxurious" is not a word that I would apply to any part of what I saw.

Edit: Some doubt on location - see posts 5, 7 and 8. Message retained for the sake of continuity.

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Our stay was a couple of years ago, so our experience may not be up to date. My feeling at the time was that the hotel was adequate as a HI but no more. As a plat, I'm not aware of having received an upgrade but don't recall any complaints. We ate locally - plenty of opportunities in and around the mall next door - or bought snacks in the supermarket (Pick'n'Pay?).

I queried the lack of BBC/Sky in preference to Arabic TV channels. The reason they gave was the number of Arab airline crews who stayed there.

One curiosity: parking below the hotel was chargeable (though not charged IIRC) while parking outside at ground level was not chargeable if you could find a place.

Proximity to the Gautrain makes this a plus for me (not completed when we were there).

Roger, you could not have stayed at this hotel a couple of years ago - it has only just been built! It is on Rivonia Road. The Holiday Inn you are referring to was probably the one in Maude Street which has now become a Southern Sun hotel (like most of the other HI's in ZA).

ETA: Roger may well be right - the hotel has been open since Sep 2008. See posts below.

Whoops! Thanks for the correction. :)

I haven't got my receipts any more, but Maude Street sounds familiar.

[Edit: Some doubt on location - see posts 5, 7 and 8.]

Roger you are not wrong! The Pick'n'Pay is next to the hotel in Village Walk.

I first stayed there in January 2009 and returned in June the same year for the British Lions Tour. At the time it was only 5k a night through PB.

As a platinum I was upgraded to a large room with a large bathroom, bath & shower.

I actually found the rooftop bar to be exceptionally good value for a hotel bar but prices may have shot up in the last 2 years.

This hotel has been open for over 2 years. I enjoy the location. My only regret is that Village Walk is not the centre it used to be.

Oh dear. Maybe I've got it all wrong! I really thought it was less than 2 years old. But then I've never thought of staying there until now.

My only regret is that Village Walk is not the centre it used to be. On this point, however, I am an expert: there are plans afoot for an entire redevelopment of the site. But still early days.

The OP should have done a search! Here is what I think is the original thread on this property. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/intercontinental-hotels-priority-club-inter-continental-ambassador/904870-any-reports-holiday-inn-sandton.html

Maybe the mods can merge these two?

Oh dear. Maybe I've got it all wrong! I really thought it was less than 2 years old. But then I've never thought of staying there until now.

On this point, however, I am an expert: there are plans afoot for an entire redevelopment of the site. But still early days.

Good to hear. I remember the days when there was a sports cafe and a decent cinema.

There have been two or three HIs in the Sandton area and it got very confusing until the rebranding took place (Southern Sun). I am not even sure that this one was around on my last stay three years ago. There was a low rise on the far side of the mall and a high rise next to the IC. And there once was a CP down from the Hilton on Rivonia...

Here's the story from the hotel's own web site:

Holiday Inn Sandton, Rivonia Road opened its doors on the 1st September 2008 to welcome business and leisure travelers to the commercial hub of Africa and is the latest addition to the Hospitality Property Fund portfolio of hotels. The opening of this four-star Johannesburg hotel marks the re-entry of the international Holiday Inn brand into South Africa after a 4 year absence.

The rights to the Holiday Inn brand were originally held in South Africa by Southern Sun, who bought out and rebranded the hotels in 2005. This marked the end of the presence of the international Holiday Inn group in South Africa.

So apologies for misleading Roger and anyone else by providing more confusion than there already was.

At least with the time frame of 2.5 years it's slighly more explicable why the room has taken some abuse.

So apologies for misleading Roger and anyone else ...None needed. :)

I value your info on FT and look forward to enjoying more.

frequent lurker, but I guess this is a good enough reason to register - I'm fairly actively involved in the hotel and can confirm it's the only HI in Sandton and most posts above are 100% correct. HI Sandton (and the new HI Rosebank) are the only two full service Holiday Inn hotels in Johannesburg.

There is also a Crowne Plaza in Rosebank (the Southern Sun Grayston used to be a Crowne Plaza)

Regarding the Conditions/comments on the hotel - all of them have been taken note of and I can assure you that room standards will never be compromised because of crew (there is not and will never be a distinction between rooms offered to air crew or business guests).

We are in the process of making sure the issues mentioned in the post are addressed (especially the finishes and fixtures and fittings as part of our ongoing maintenance, but also the food and beverage service and TV channel availability).

If you would like to try the hotel again at any point, feel free to PM me so we can find out if there has been an improvement in your stay experience.