La Splendida

We stayed here for a 5 night visit to Capetown. The hotel is clean with friendly staff. There is a popular restaurant down stairs that serves very good food. We ate there for breakfast and dinner each day. The hotel is a 50 rand uber trip to the V&A water front and is across the road from stop 12 on the hop on hop off bus. We had a sea and mountain view from our room. Read less

I travel frequently, and this was, without exaggeration, one of the worst hotel stays I’ve experienced anywhere in the world. The problems started at check-in. The front desk staff were constantly engaged in loud personal conversations or scrolling on their phones. Not the kind of welcome you expect at any hotel, let alone one that markets itself as boutique or premium. When I arrived at my first room, I was immediately hit with a damp, mouldy smell. The towels were frayed, and the amenities provided were minimal and disappointing — particularly because they consisted of small, single-use plastic items. In a city like Cape Town, which positions itself as environmentally conscious, this felt not only outdated but out of step with sustainability practices. It was surprising and disheartening to see such disregard for eco-friendly standards. Worse still, a constant knocking noise echoed through the room. When I reported it, I was casually told it was “just the ice machine.” Bizarre and unacceptable. I was moved to a second room — and things didn’t improve. Room 2 had only one usable plug point, and it wasn’t even a standard South African outlet. It required a special adapter, which most travelers wouldn’t carry. The plug was also located far from the bed, meaning I couldn’t charge my phone overnight within reach — something quite basic and expected in any modern room. That room was also directly above reception and partially over the restaurant. Loud conversations from guests and staff kept me awake well into the night, and at 6 a.m. I was jolted awake by staff dragging tables and chairs outside for breakfast service. Speaking of breakfast: the service was abrupt and unprofessional. The waitress barked “What’s your room number?” before I could even greet her. Several tables were permanently marked “reserved” for guests who never arrived — observed at both breakfast and lunch. I was allowed one coffee and one breakfast item, and any extras (like a second cup of coffee) had to be paid for at exorbitant prices. Meanwhile, staff members were laughing and shouting so loudly it felt more like a staff party than a hotel restaurant — while the rest of the guests sat quietly. Later, I returned to find the entrance to my room covered in hanging electrical cables. Maintenance was installing an aircon in the room next to mine, hammering and drilling nonstop until 5 p.m. I was offered another room (the third!) but by then, the construction noise had spread through the entire wing, so it was pointless. Because I had an exam the next morning, I took my breakfast back to the room to eat later. When I opened it, I found the fridge had frozen the entire plate solid. Their idea of “compensating” was to offer me a lunch plate — delivered with the air of doing me a personal favour. It still didn’t end there. The aircon in my room stopped working, likely due to the installation next door. I was then moved to a third room — at this point, completely exhausted and disillusioned. What made this worse is that I’ve worked in customer service myself. I understand that small issues happen. But the combination of repeated failures — noise, rudeness, faulty facilities, environmental insensitivity, and lack of basic hospitality — point to deeper systemic problems with how this hotel is run. Had I not prepaid, I would’ve left. I felt trapped by my booking, and it ruined what should’ve been a peaceful, restorative stay. Avoid this hotel if you value sleep, service, or sustainability. Read less