DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cape Town - Upper Eastside {ZAF}
Jan 27, 2014, 7:21 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 53
November Stay - Mixed, Unlikely to Go Back
I ended up staying there for one night in November when the Cape Town Lodge messed up my last minute $46 booking.com reservation for a Sunday night and wanted to charge me 3x that price as they were supposedly sold out. The Lodge didn't look all that special to me and I knew I could stay at the Doubletree for about $100 and wanted to check it out given the good reviews and pictures so opted to go there for one night. I am Hilton Gold and supposedly got an upgrade but the room was small and pretty scuffed up, not like the pictures - looks outside to be a new hotel but insight more like a motel. No offer of breakfast (I asked) and only one internet voucher so YMMV. I had an interesting view of the vacant lot next to the self storage lockers where some funny business was going on throughout the night. It is quite far from most everything but I did go out for dinner to Jamaica Me Crazy (it was good) but I walked briskly home. It was actually somewhat close to the Test Kitchen that is on my list of places to try but it was closed the night I stayed. I just stayed the one night. If I got a loft suite and had a car I would have been happier.
The rest of the week I stayed at the Adderley Hotel for about $80/night for a king suite. Very spacious with kitchen, microwave, small refrigerator and right downtown. It matched the pictures and the bed was very comfortable. Internet was extra but in the end they didn't charge me as my room was prepaid. I would have liked a better light for the desk for working as no direct lamp. Quite comfortable and felt like my home away from home. Try the Savoy Cabbage (like eating at the zoo except the animals are on the menu) for a nice dinner in a nice architectural setting mixing old & new - its also BYO for a small corkage fee although the wines are also reasonably priced. Try Baia Seafood at the waterfront for great food & views of Table Mountain.
The rest of the week I stayed at the Adderley Hotel for about $80/night for a king suite. Very spacious with kitchen, microwave, small refrigerator and right downtown. It matched the pictures and the bed was very comfortable. Internet was extra but in the end they didn't charge me as my room was prepaid. I would have liked a better light for the desk for working as no direct lamp. Quite comfortable and felt like my home away from home. Try the Savoy Cabbage (like eating at the zoo except the animals are on the menu) for a nice dinner in a nice architectural setting mixing old & new - its also BYO for a small corkage fee although the wines are also reasonably priced. Try Baia Seafood at the waterfront for great food & views of Table Mountain.
Jan 27, 2014, 9:06 pm
#32
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: LH 1*SEN
Posts: 450
Really??? I can't believe it... breakfast was free when I stayed in October and I was able to get as many free internet vouchers I wanted...
Yes, these two are a MUST!
Yes, these two are a MUST!
Jan 27, 2014, 10:12 pm
#33
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 53
Really??? I can't believe it... breakfast was free when I stayed in October and I was able to get as many free internet vouchers I wanted...
No offer for breakfast despite asking. There was a long line in front and behind me, some large group staying at the Hotel, so perhaps they were rushed although I did point out the Gold status and they did say I was already automatically upgraded but no breakfast or lounge access. So if it was entitled they certainly didn't go out of their way to provide it. I grabbed a nice coffee from the adjacent coffee shop instead and they gave me a free chocolate. The hotel had a large breakfast area next to the lobby which I assumed from the long lines was intended for the group that was staying there, but I guess I could just as well have lined up and ate there too I suppose as it wasn't being policed and there was lots of buffet breakfast foods.
On the internet extra vouchers weren't offered, I was just told that I was entitled to a voucher as I was Gold which they gave me. I found this strange too. While extras weren't automatically offered I didn't push this and didn't need any more vouchers for my brief stay as one was just enough as I managed my usage. Still, why wouldn't they say that at check-in as it made me cautious in using up my benefit? I did, however, get a cookie at check-in. This may be YMMV and I was just unlucky - certainly worth asking for at check-in, perhaps twice if the first answer isn't what you were expecting.
Yes, these two are a MUST!
No offer for breakfast despite asking. There was a long line in front and behind me, some large group staying at the Hotel, so perhaps they were rushed although I did point out the Gold status and they did say I was already automatically upgraded but no breakfast or lounge access. So if it was entitled they certainly didn't go out of their way to provide it. I grabbed a nice coffee from the adjacent coffee shop instead and they gave me a free chocolate. The hotel had a large breakfast area next to the lobby which I assumed from the long lines was intended for the group that was staying there, but I guess I could just as well have lined up and ate there too I suppose as it wasn't being policed and there was lots of buffet breakfast foods.
On the internet extra vouchers weren't offered, I was just told that I was entitled to a voucher as I was Gold which they gave me. I found this strange too. While extras weren't automatically offered I didn't push this and didn't need any more vouchers for my brief stay as one was just enough as I managed my usage. Still, why wouldn't they say that at check-in as it made me cautious in using up my benefit? I did, however, get a cookie at check-in. This may be YMMV and I was just unlucky - certainly worth asking for at check-in, perhaps twice if the first answer isn't what you were expecting.
Yes, these two are a MUST!
As I had to change Hotels I went to the Hilton across the street from the Cape Town Lodge to get a taxi. I just missed one and it wasn't really a taxi stand so the hotel instead offered to take me in their own small house car. I was grateful for this but do be aware that there is quite a premium charged for this service, it was about 3x the cost of a reputable booked taxi as I found out when I booked my own taxi for the trip back downtown. The driver was quite nice and gave some tourist tips (like take the hop on hop off bus, which I usually hate but it made sense here for one day for a trip to Table Mountain as no current Citibus goes there yet and the taxi fare is almost the same as the Hop on fare for one day).
Jan 28, 2014, 10:27 am
#34
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: LH 1*SEN
Posts: 450
That's really kinda strange, cos it seems you have stayed at a completely different place... I did book a king loft suite, so I could not be upgraded to a better room (cos this is the best room). But I was offered free breakfast and unlimited free internet vouchers without even having to ask for it. Parking was free as well, cos they could not offer me a room upgrade.
Feb 21, 2014, 2:47 am
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routičres, PCR
Posts: 13,609
We finally had our stay at the DT CT. It was a 3-night stay booked on points (1x for me, 2x for Mrs Roger, combined into one stay and we both earned points on incidentals).
I can understand some of the comments above. Reception was adequate, sometimes sparkling, but I had to ask about complimentary breakfast (2 Golds) and one or two other items that I would have expected to be volunteered.
The hotel was 100% full when we arrived. As we were being processed, they turned away two separate parties wanting to book for the night.
Given the full occupancy, I didn't ask about a loft suite u/g. Looking at the floor map on the back of the door, we had one of the smallest rooms - adequate as we had things to do in and around CT but hardly spacious.
What puzzled me was the location, in an industrial area some way from interesting parts of CT. It reminded me of locations in France for Formule 1 hotels, in low rent industrial areas. This effectively meant that we were dependent on our car and the hotel shuttle to the V&A Waterfront. The shuttle worked well, and they doubled up to two vans for some of the time.
One unexpected extra, they loaned us two beach towels for our drive to the sea.
I can understand some of the comments above. Reception was adequate, sometimes sparkling, but I had to ask about complimentary breakfast (2 Golds) and one or two other items that I would have expected to be volunteered.
The hotel was 100% full when we arrived. As we were being processed, they turned away two separate parties wanting to book for the night.
Given the full occupancy, I didn't ask about a loft suite u/g. Looking at the floor map on the back of the door, we had one of the smallest rooms - adequate as we had things to do in and around CT but hardly spacious.
What puzzled me was the location, in an industrial area some way from interesting parts of CT. It reminded me of locations in France for Formule 1 hotels, in low rent industrial areas. This effectively meant that we were dependent on our car and the hotel shuttle to the V&A Waterfront. The shuttle worked well, and they doubled up to two vans for some of the time.
One unexpected extra, they loaned us two beach towels for our drive to the sea.
Feb 23, 2014, 12:50 pm
#36
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: LH 1*SEN
Posts: 450
What puzzled me was the location, in an industrial area some way from interesting parts of CT. It reminded me of locations in France for Formule 1 hotels, in low rent industrial areas. This effectively meant that we were dependent on our car and the hotel shuttle to the V&A Waterfront.
May 1, 2014, 7:36 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
So, as I'm definitely renting a car and staying three nights later this month, the DT looks like a good bet. I'm a HH Gold, rate is very agreeable. Any advice? Worth paying about $30 more a night for one of the loft suites in a relatively slow season? I'll be in the hotel room a bit on this trip, so the space is a consideration, but will also be by myself.
May 1, 2014, 9:18 pm
#38
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 53
Go for the Loft
You've seen my reports and those of others who like this property. Car and loft would be preferred I think. My non-loft HH Gold upgraded room was un-spectacular to say the least. There is another post today in hotel deals where rooms are going for only $59 which is a lot less than I paid but I think this is far out date wise anyway for you if you are going soon. Hotel was relatively full when I stayed with a large bus group so you may have better luck with complimentary upgrades. Apparently Gold should get free breakfast and extra complimentary internet codes so you should be more assertive when asking for these than I was.
May 2, 2014, 8:38 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
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Posts: 26,062
You've seen my reports and those of others who like this property. Car and loft would be preferred I think. My non-loft HH Gold upgraded room was un-spectacular to say the least. There is another post today in hotel deals where rooms are going for only $59 which is a lot less than I paid but I think this is far out date wise anyway for you if you are going soon. Hotel was relatively full when I stayed with a large bus group so you may have better luck with complimentary upgrades. Apparently Gold should get free breakfast and extra complimentary internet codes so you should be more assertive when asking for these than I was.
May 3, 2014, 6:32 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2013
Programs: LH 1*SEN
Posts: 450
So, as I'm definitely renting a car and staying three nights later this month, the DT looks like a good bet. I'm a HH Gold, rate is very agreeable. Any advice? Worth paying about $30 more a night for one of the loft suites in a relatively slow season? I'll be in the hotel room a bit on this trip, so the space is a consideration, but will also be by myself.
May 23, 2014, 11:52 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
Currently here now. Decided to pay up front for the loft suite upon reservation, was about 40 USD more per night and, even by myself, well worth it in my mind. Also received a fruit basket delivered to my room after check in, not sure if because I am Hilton Gold or because I paid for the loft suite. It had a good variety. I'm heading down to the Neighbourgoods market today for breakfast, so no review of the hotel brekky today. It looks to be a 10-12 minute walk each way, but with the often crowded Market parking I figure it is best to leave the car in the garage. Loft suite is plenty of space, I have a king. All loft suites are top floor, and it is very quiet. One minor note, seems the roof is made of some sort of metal, and an early morning thunderstorm caused quite a racket in case some are sensitive to that (I'm not really). Nothing was mentioned about me being HH Gold at checkin, in terms of breakfast or Internet, but Internet speed has been fast enough (and I've been streaming video for the past hour). Overall, very impressed, especially at the price. The presidential suite was offered for about another 35-40 USD more over the price of a loft suite, and also as an upgrade via the Hilton "upgrade your stay" or whatever that page is called that shows up after confirming your booking, I was tempted but decided to pass.