Mandela Holidays from AU$3,938

The hotel was in a great location, convenient to lots of sightseeing and attractions, and the staff was welcoming. The hotel itself was clean and updated, which was a plus. However, I was a little disappointed because the photos were somewhat misleading and didn’t accurately reflect the property. The entrance was located down an alley, which wasn’t necessarily a problem, but the alleyway was very dirty and not what I would have expected. The hotel also advertised having a bar, but it was actually just a coffee bar. While it was available 24 hours a day, complimentary coffee was only offered for two hours in the morning. Overall, the convenient location, cleanliness, updated interior, and friendly staff were positives, but the misleading photos, condition of the entrance, and advertised amenities didn’t quite meet my expectations.

First, this is no a traditional hotel. It’s two floors of a dirty old apartment building. You enter via door code next to several trash cans and walk up two flights of stairs to an elevator to the third floor reception, which is only open 8am-3pm. Staff was helpful providing after hours access via WhatsApp chat. The room was fortunately cleaner and brighter than the stairway and corridor, which stank of cigarette smoke, with modern finishes. However, the air conditioning did not work and since there’s no on-site staff, it was not addressed until the following day. Additionally, the best was among the oldest, least comfortable my wife or I have ever tried to sleep on. Lots of corridor noise throughout the night. We ended up departing after only one night into our three night stay so we could better sleep.