The Jack Rose

The location was great, and I was very happy with my stay. I walked to the mall five times and nothing bad happened. You can also walk to the train station that connects directly to the airport, as well as the starting point for the tourists red bus tour. The staff were friendly, and my spacious room had a kitchen and bathtub.

I’m deeply disappointed. We paid for two nights and ended up sleeping on the sofa and floor to avoid water leaking from the A/C onto the bed. We reported it, but staff did nothing, and our request for another towel was ignored. For a couple, there was only one towel at check-in; another had been left on the shower floor, apparently as a makeshift bath mat. There was sugar, but not enough coffee or milk. The sheets and towels had brownish and yellowish stains, and the kitchen counters were stained too. The remote control didn’t work, and I woke up with bites that may have been from bed bugs in the mattress. The breakfast area wasn’t open when we arrived around 6:50 AM, despite being told breakfast started at 6 AM, so we had to wait. We were also told the restaurant closed at 6 PM, but it apparently closes earlier at 10 AM. The breakfast itself was the only somewhat positive part, though the utensils seemed unclean. This was an appalling waste of money and resources at a poorly managed, poorly maintained property. I can’t recommend it to anyone wanting a comfortable, hygienic stay. For what we paid, we expected better than sleeping on the floor because of a leak.

The location is the big advantage: I could walk to Rosebank Mall, the Gautrain station, the red tour bus, and plenty of places to eat. The hotel itself isn’t the best, but it was functional. The student accommodation side got loud with screaming and talking, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

Breakfast was a good, filling buffet. My studio apartment was huge, with self-catering equipment, a fridge, and a large smart TV, though the TV wasn’t subscribed to any service providers. There was no soap or lotion in the room, so I had to ask at reception. The bathtub was dirty and stained, and needs cleaning.