Hotel at Tzaneen

The restaurant was a highlight, the food was like “little angels moon walking on my tongue,” and the staff there were so hospitable. Kids have a play area by the restaurant, too. The rooms were spacious and very clean; when we had a door issue, it was sorted quickly. The cleaning staff were professional, and the lady who checks their work was bubbly and welcoming, though I was too shy to ask her name. Security made us feel welcome and safe. Hotel@Tzaneen is conveniently located and hosted us wonderfully. I’m holding back one star because there was water in the parking area. Given how clean the place was, maybe it was a minor pipe issue, but I’ll keep that star.

The food was good, and the service was good too, except the wait for a meal was nearly an hour. The rooms were clean. They could improve the linen by switching to 100% cotton.

The room had basic problems as well: the TV didn’t work properly, the bathroom lights were out, and housekeeping hadn’t started by the time we got back at 3 PM, even though we’d asked before leaving. There was no urgency or accountability from the staff, and the whole operation felt careless and poorly coordinated, from maintenance to the restaurant kitchen. Management gave no sign that guest care or service quality mattered. Breakfast at Crawdaddy’s was a disaster. The restaurant was nearly empty, yet my simple order for Sunnyside up eggs took almost 30 minutes. After I asked twice, a chef came out with an excuse about other orders. The whites were still raw when the eggs arrived, so I sent them back and waited another 20 minutes. Then the chef lectured me that they were “soft.” That showed both arrogance and ignorance, since “soft” describes the yolk, not undercooked whites. For a hotel that presents itself as reputable, this was completely unacceptable. Hotel@Tzaneen and Crawdaddy’s need to get back to basic standards if they want to call themselves hospitality businesses. Right now they’re an embarrassment to the town. I’d strongly advise people considering a stay to look elsewhere.

The room could use better facilities: there wasn’t a two-pin plug, and the aircon didn’t work, which made it uncomfortable. The meals were really good, though, and I enjoyed them. My stay at Hotel@Tzaneen was okay overall, but fixing those room issues would make it a much better experience.