Saint James on Venice

Great

Got outside room

Super convenient for a comrades start and close to Florida road without being on top of it. The most excellent bed we have ever slept in. Other ratings were concerned about the maintenance of the outdoor property, the proximity of staff to the downstairs rooms, and carpets - none of these were an issue. It’s a beautiful classic morningside colonial era house with all its quirks and the owners have done right to keep it that way; unlike the Benjamin on Florida road which has become entirely soulless and lost its character.

Fix the aircon. It’s plainly obvious it’s neglected and I wouldn’t stay on summer in Durban without it. Give your kitchen staff some more training- although they were very friendly and the food was good, it would’ve been helpful to know up front what wasn’t on the menu.

The style and theme

Proximity to restaurants

Whilst this property has a high star rating, it doesn’t feel like one. The cleanliness was not up to scratch and much of the room was clearly not maintained (I don’t mind old fixtures, but there were many broken items or items that weren’t cleaned/taken care of). The shower is inside the bedroom with no enclosure, so we requested for a change in room with a fully enclosed bathroom. Aircon leaked water on us every time we slept with it on. Carpets felt like they don’t get cleaned regularly either. Oftentimes had to wait outside for a security to open (as there was no one permanently stationed). If there was an event, there was no prior notice and the noise from the event could be loudly heard. I don’t mind events, but the very least is to inform guests. This hotel could do with a lot of TLC and attention to detail. We subsequently checked in to an actual hotel chain (3 star non boutique hotel) for the same price and found it significantly better.