Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani

The service quality has been going downwards. When you try to call housekeeping or room service or front desk, no answer. Everyday. When someone answers they still need to transfer the call to someone else and then you sit and wait for so long you eventually hang up. Everyday something is missing from the coffee station, one day it's the stirring sticks, one day it's something else. The service at the breakfast place is low. You order coffee then wait 15 minutes for it. When you ask again they say ok we'll order again. Really?! I used to enjoy staying here now it's do it yourself all the time when you already paid for relaxation and resting time.

Great service and clean rooms. Nice views of the ocean. Rather small rooms to share. Not sure how a family would manage for a weekend. Good food and friendly staff. It did take a while to get the room ready though and that was quite annoying

I recently stayed here for over 5 days booked on both sides 2 days at Maharani section and 3 days at Elangeni section. Firstly service from both sides was outstanding, very warm stuff, always helpful up till the car guard infront of the hotels amazing service and willing to assist always they made u feel safe even wen traveling with public transport. Food- food is good not amazing, Elangeni is very noisy with it being open to public and mostly booked by the public. If you want something more peace ful use the other restaurants on the premises. Their fizz jug drinks that comes with ur buffet booking is tasteless. Maharanis chairs at their breakfast point does not cater for all shapes and sizes as I witnessed a group of elderly women struggle to sit in their chairs during breakfast. Variety on their buffet and breakfast is average. Rooms: Elangeni gave us our first room very spacious with beautiful view of the ocean that was breathtaking, but the beds are not comfortable at all what a struggle getting out of bed. We were then moved to another room the smallest room with bad air conditioning. Maharani: - room was spacious, clean and beautiful but the Bed! Very uncomfortable basically swallows you into the centre of the bed. The hotel is immaculate in all but furniture and design needs a bit of an upgrade. It’s a walking distance to the beach which is amazing and the safety at the beach and visibility of police is great. Nonetheless it was a great stay.

My recent stay at Southern Sun Elangeni in Durban was a mixed experience. While there were several positive aspects, there were also a number of maintenance and presentation issues that detracted from what I expected to be a premium hotel experience. Upon arrival, I was directed to use the underground parking area. Unfortunately, this was not the most welcoming first impression. The parking area did not reflect the standard one would associate with a hotel of this standard. Throughout my stay, there was a persistent sewer-like odour, coupled with noise from the air-conditioning machinery, which made the area particularly unpleasant. In addition, the stairway leading from the parking area to reception appeared tired and lacked the level of presentation expected from a leading beachfront hotel. The room itself was warm, comfortable, and offered a beautiful ocean view, which was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my stay. However, the décor felt dated and lacked the modern touches commonly found in contemporary hotel rooms. Simple conveniences such as USB charging ports were notably absent. While none of the individual issues were major on their own, the accumulation of numerous small shortcomings created an overall impression of a property that is in need of refurbishment and greater attention to detail. Stains on the carpets, drawers and cupboard doors that were misaligned or hanging, cracked tiles in the lifts, scuff marks on walls, and general signs of wear and tear were evident throughout the hotel. These details contributed to an environment that felt tired rather than well-maintained. The shower curtain was another feature that felt outdated and out of place in what should be a modern guest experience. Additionally, the television picture quality was noticeably poor and appeared blurry. In an era where high-definition viewing is standard, this was disappointing. Southern Sun Elangeni undoubtedly benefits from an excellent location, spectacular ocean views, and comfortable accommodation. However, I believe the guest experience would be significantly enhanced through a comprehensive refresh of the facilities and a stronger focus on maintenance and modernisation. With some investment and attention to detail, the hotel has the potential to better reflect the quality and reputation associated with the Southern Sun brand.