Radisson Blu Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront

The rooftop pool and its views were a highlight. Our room was spacious, and the hotel felt modern and up to date. Staff were really nice and helpful, and the food on site was good. It's in a safe area, not far from the airport, and the airport transport was a useful plus.

The view was especially nice after a long day. I was there on a business trip and found Radisson Blu very calm and quiet, so it was easy to rest and get work done.

We used Tana as a base for flights around Madagascar and stayed here twice in one week. The first visit was a couple of days in a Junior Suite overlooking the shanty town, which was an interesting view with something always happening. The second room faced the waterfront, though that was really just a big field where locals played football and washed clothes. I found the shanty town view more interesting. The best meals were at The Larder. The food was good quality and came in huge portions, and the staff there were very friendly and helpful. Breakfast there was good too. That was quite a contrast with our first night at The Fire Lake restaurant: service was appalling, the food only OK, and people who came in after us got their food before we even received the drinks we'd ordered on arrival. We had to chase things repeatedly. My husband doesn't eat fish, but they served him a “vegetarian” amuse-bouche that contained fish. On the first day, the rooftop bar server was attentive. The next day, another server stayed behind the bar, seemed to hide away and play on his phone, and never came out. They also advertised local craft beers, which my husband enjoys, but had run out. We found them later at The Larder. It's frustrating that two bars in one hotel couldn't seem to communicate. As Radisson Premium customers, we're entitled to an upgrade. At our first check-in, we were told no upgrade rooms were available, although the website still showed two, both then and later that evening. We came away thinking they simply weren't interested in upgrading us. The second time, our room was downgraded from superior to basic. It lacked toiletries, dressing gowns, towels and bottled water, and it took three requests to get the missing items. Reception said this was the room we had booked. We later learned the hotel was full and had a large group staying, so we had been downgraded. I guess upsetting one couple was easier than upsetting a large booking. Someone else who stayed around the same time has since mentioned being downgraded to a standard room too, so ours clearly wasn't an isolated case. There was also confusion about the following night's booking. We understood it was at the same hotel, but staff insisted it was at the sister Radisson Tamboho hotel. Why split a two night booking between two hotels? We got it changed, but never found out what had happened. Four weeks later, we're still waiting for our refund or refunds, so check that you've been allocated the room you paid for. Before posting, we emailed the local cluster manager and still hadn't heard back after a month. It feels like a manager who doesn't care sets the tone for the staff. We had a very mixed experience. The Larder team and the first barman were great, while Lake House and some reception staff left a lot to be desired.

I had a great time with my bestie at Radisson Blu. Service was smooth and came with smiles. When it rains, they greet you with an umbrella, such a caring touch ^_^