Protea Hotel by Marriott Polokwane Landmark

The rooms at the Hotl have been upgraded and are lovely and clean. Staff across reception, housekeeping, and dining are professional, and the managers are always around keeping an eye on operations. Whenever I come to Polokwane, I'll stay here. Excellent.

The food was really good, and they catered generously for my vegetarian needs. The rooms are spacious and fairly modern, and the friendly staff went out of their way to make things comfortable and help me.

The food wasn't bad, but the service was poor and the stay was uncomfortable. The hotel is right beside the N1, though you have to take the R101 to reach it. The room had a serious safety issue with the bedside lamp switch, and someone could easily get electrocuted. I reported the plug and the rattling aircon to reception, but nothing was done. The old aircon kept stopping during the night, and the bathroom was shoddy, with a bath-shower combination. Paint was peeling from the walls and rails, and the room smelled damp and mouldy. The key cards were scratched and old, so I had to return to reception three times to have the key reprogrammed or replaced. That might sound minor, but after carrying bags upstairs, having to repack the car is a real pain. I wouldn't recommend staying here.

The hotel was very clean, and the reception and restaurant teams were great. Everyone was so helpful and friendly that I felt at home, even far from home.