Xenia Signature Collection by Totalstay

I was travelling for business and had client meetings the next day, but that evening I had to rush out and buy clothes and essentials so I could meet professional standards. My expenses still haven’t been reimbursed. TotalStay sent my bag away with Norwegian Cruise Line by mistake, and admitted their staff hadn’t followed internal processes properly. Since then, trying to get my belongings back has meant continued silence, deflection and no urgency. I’ve been far more patient than a customer should have to be after being so plainly wronged, but that seems to count for nothing. This was one of TotalStay’s more premium hotels, with rates that suggest a higher level of service. I expected more accountability and care from a property positioned that way. The whole experience was deeply disappointing.

Apartment 119 was stunning, spacious and clean. The cleaning lady came each day at a time that suited us and left fresh towels. It’s beside a school, though, and the noise echoes. Getting into the apartment was a frustrating start. Our tag wouldn’t work, and after calling reception again, we spent over five minutes in the hallway trying to explain the issue on the phone. I was told the manager was out, with no further explanation. We finally asked a woman cleaning a nearby room to help, and she got us in. A gentleman arrived while we were bringing our things inside, apologized, and was puzzled by the faulty tag too, but managed to figure it out. The arrival was bumpy in other ways as well. After registering, we had trouble with the boom gate and had to call reception twice before security opened it. No one explained which door from the basement parking led to the lifts, so we had to call again for directions.

The room itself was pleasant, and the beds were comfortable. But checking in took at least an hour, with just one person at the desk and 15 people waiting in line. We were there for a night because of a festival at DHL stadium, and service was poor from arrival through getting our bags into the room. The location didn’t feel like somewhere I’d walk alone or at night. Only one elevator was working, and it moved between floors very slowly.

Nombulela, the cleaning lady, was the one person I can praise. She did an excellent job. The rest of our stay at Xenia under Totalstay was a total nightmare. My family and I had stayed here before under Rockwell rentals, but this time we spent two weeks together and another week with me alone, and there was always something adding stress to what should have been a lovely Cape Town visit. We rented two bedroom apartment 411 and one bedroom apartment 102. The washing machine had to be replaced because it didn’t work, the fridge was full of ice and left water on the floor in the morning, and the apartment ran out of electricity because there weren’t enough units. There was no aircon in the bedrooms, so sleeping comfortably wasn’t possible. I’d have expected the electricity, fridge and appliances to be checked before guests arrived. The access system kept kicking us out, and staff treated us as if we were trying to get in for free. Garage access problems weren’t fixed quickly, and again we were treated like we hadn’t been staying at Xenia for weeks. The security staff at reception were rude, and I won’t even get into how my daughters were treated there. This was during October-November 2025. I was so glad to leave on checkout day, and don’t think I’ll stay here again.