MINT Express Sandton View

My room was cleaned every day, which I appreciated. But I didn't enjoy the stay. There was no hot water whenever I wanted to bathe, and on another day there was no water at all. Imagine having to go to a meeting without bathing. The staff weren't friendly.

Mint was a real Johannesburg experience. We drove past the road between Alexandra and Sandton, the one in that photo captioned "the most unequal country in the world." I'd thought it was hyperbole, but it's real. As we wound through this unusual route, my anxiety shot up, and I felt such relief when we reached Mint. It's tucked between the two worlds, giving you a break from the city's rush while keeping some of Jozi's high spots within reach. I was amused that reception is in a classic Johannesburg structure, a "Zozo". The entrance security officers were friendly, check-in went smoothly, and we had no problems during the stay. The way the place is built shields guests from the eyesore of Alexandra, which was a big plus for me, though maybe a bit snobbish. I'd stay again. It was excellent value for money.

The service left me very disappointed. We booked for six people but found only three towels in the room. We asked for the rest and were told they’d be brought up, but they never arrived. We also had strangers knocking at our door. Since we were just girls, we went to reception for help, but no security guard came and nobody seemed concerned about our safety. We were frightened enough to call people outside the hotel for support. What if we hadn’t had anyone to call? Then, after checkout, staff said everything was fine and we could leave. Later they charged us for a hairdryer they said was missing, even though we’d never seen one. If it had been taken, shouldn’t that have been brought up before we checked out? I chose this place for a weekend expecting decent service. It was a terrible stay, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

The security kept interrupting us, which was the one issue. Otherwise, everything was good, the rooms were clean and ready, and we enjoyed ourselves a lot.