Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel

The food was delicious and beautifully presented, and the staff were friendly and there whenever we needed them. From booking through to departure, the service at Yalla Yalla was better than I expected. Reception, the cooks, cleaners, and the people working behind the scenes all helped make my stay in Witbank pleasant and memorable. I really enjoyed it, and I’ll certainly return when I’m in town. Thanks to the whole team!

The service from the woman at reception was the only thing that earned this place two stars. She was attentive and excellent at solving customer problems. The indoor pool also looked crystal clear. Everything else made for an uncomfortable stay, and I was glad to leave after one night. The rooms look appealing from a distance, but the details and finishes were in poor shape. My London-themed room was a decent size, but the white parts of the England flag decor looked dirty yellow-brown, and the carpet’s grey stripes seemed to have once been white. The bed cover had the same issue. The pedestals were warped and fraying, the walls had cracks and watermarks, and the dusty bed base looked like creatures might come out of it. In the South African summer, the ineffective ceiling fan left me sweating and struggling to breathe. There was no air conditioning, and though the TV looked modern, I didn’t get to watch it from the uncomfortable bed. Dinner was a disaster. The three-wing starter and butternut were burnt, and the spinach, if that’s what it was, tasted acrid. The large shiny plate looked promising, but the portion was small and mostly tasteless apart from a charcoal or cigarette-butt flavor. I was hungry after a hard day at the coal face and ate what I could, then had to find other food. Breakfast wasn’t much better. The hash browns were swimming in oil, the baked beans were cold, the eggs were hard enough for squash, and the bacon looked dark grey and past its best-before date. I had a long stop at the Total garage on my way back to Joburg, possibly because of the bacon. There was no choice of toast, though the fruit salad was fresh, crunchy, and bright. Both meals were served in gloomy rooms without natural light. The supposedly uncapped Wi-Fi kept cutting out. My MTN 4G was much more dependable. If the appearance is what matters to you, you may like it, but underneath it’s an eyesore.

The food was delicious, which was a welcome surprise given the bad reputation hotel food can have. The dining staff and chefs looked very professional, too. My husband and I spent the weekend at this hotel and felt treated like royalty from arrival to departure. Mulalo was always professional, and her friendly, bubbly manner made the stay even better. We stayed in the Mexico suite. The linen was clean and smelled fresh, and the heater and electric blanket took the winter chill away. The room was spotless, without a speck of dust. We recently got hitched, and the owner thoughtfully arranged our matching "Mr & Mrs" gowns on the ottoman. Thanks to Retha and the team. I’d recommend the hotel to anyone passing through or heading to witbank, and I hope it continues to prosper.

I spent 21 days there during August 2023 with four colleagues, and we all enjoyed our stay. The staff were professional and friendly, which made things easy. They were open to arrangements, and we could extend our stay if needed. The food and drinks were enjoyable, and the place was neat and secure. I’d recommend Yalla Yalla Boutique Hotel to anyone travelling to Witbank Emalahleni.