Ascot Boutique Hotel

Hotel just off Grant Avenue in Norwood with affordable (in the upper mid range), spacious, clean rooms. Thick carpets give it an outdated feel though and should be re-done in my opinion. Old style lift gives it a classic feel in line with its authentic state and the surrounding setting of the old buildings in the neighbourhood. Staff are helpful and friendly. Manager is kind, attentive and very professional yet accommodating. There is an on-site bar, restaurant, room service and a telephone in room to contact reception. Some rooms have balconies that overlook the vibrant Grant Avenue nightlife. Tea and coffee facilities in room plus a fridge. Bathrooms have shampoo, conditioner & soap. They are very lenient when it comes to check out time which is a huge plus and greatly appreciated by most guests in my opinion. Parking and car safety was a concern for me as it was in a side street just off Grant avenue which is surrounded by neighbouring Orange Grove - notoriously seen as an unsafe neighbourhood. All in all a good experience and would definitely recommend when in Norwood.

Horrible Experience – Not a 4-Star Hotel My stay was terrible. The room was dirty, with bodily fluid in the basin and cockroaches present. I did not feel safe, the TV remote was broken, and although the hotel claims to offer room service, at 7am I was told only the bar operates—and they only serve alcohol, not coffee. I checked out after one night, even though I paid for two, because the conditions were unacceptable. This is by far the worst hotel I’ve stayed in, and I would never recommend it to anyone. Stay AWAY!!

Worst experience at a hotel. My sister and I booked at the Ascot and at check in was asked by the man at reception if someone else would be joining us, even after saying we needed a room for 2. The person who helped us at check in was misogynistic and this was deeply upsetting. When I asked him if I could park my car in the basement his reply was, "No. You will need a man to drive the car in". I was shocked and asked why, his response was that it is a steep driveway and it's difficult to get in, and that he could not drive in there. It was unacceptable for him to say this to a guest, and assume that I cannot drive my car into a tough parking space because I am a woman. He proceeded to show us to the room, in the elevator, he apologized for how he looked because he "had a party and it was a rough night". This was so inappropriate and unnecessary. Once at the room he came into the room after opening it and asked, again, if someone else would be joining us. This made us feel very uneasy. The hotel is not located in the nicest or seemingly safe area. Outside our window on the street below, there were rowdy drunk people who were talking very loudly. We did not feel safe. The rooms are clean but dimly lit. In the passage, there was an empty beer glass and the hotel smelled quite intense with detergent. Not a very pleasant smell. After feeling upset by the man at reception, the dimly passageway and rooms, and the feeling of being unsafe, we checked out immediately. At checkout, we were helped by a different man who was much nicer. Maybe we would have had a different experience if he helped us from the beginning.

I have stayed in many different hotels in South Africa. This is the worst 4 star hotel I have ever been to. Here are my reasons : 1. There were no spoons in the room to make coffee or tea. 2. They placed sachets of the cheapest type of coffee in the room. 3. There were no bath towels in the room. 4. There was a loud drilling sound. Extremely unpleasant experience. I was advised there is a factory nearby. So this is a long term issue. 5. Parking is horrible. Hotel car park is a nightmare. I didnt feel safe parking car on road. 6. Door leading to balcony was old and very difficult to close. 7. Very noisey, with traffic and I was apparently on the quieter side of the hotel. I would suggest management also train staff to double check rooms before allowing check in. I checķed out the same evening. I just told front desk I had a family emergency as i was not in the mood to get into details as to my unhappiness. This hotel should be downgraded to a 1 star or 2 star hotel. I have stayed in much better 1 star and 2 star hotels in South Africa. And to top it all off, I was called the next day with a staff member saying they noticed 2 towels missing, implying I took it. When i saw their number pop up on my phone, I thought they were calling to check on my stay but sadly it was to accuse a guest of stealing towels which was not there in the first place.