The Residence hotel

Arrived at the hotel early morning after a long trip from Austin, TX and were pleasantly surprised that the hotel had a room ready for us and we were offered a wonderful breakfast with both made to order and buffet options, mimosas and coffee. Wonderful way to start our trip. ||The room was huge, well appointed, and very comfortable with a beautiful deck overlooking the garden. The hotel was quiet, beautiful, and very clean.||Drinks in the piano bar were great and the dinner was amazing. I had a carpaccio trio of warthog, ostrich, and springbok that was stellar with the warthog exceeding expectations.||The service was outstanding, location perfect for the start of our trip, and all of the staff were very kind, helpful, and a pleasure.

For a Joburg place this hotel offers privacy and safety. The room was very spacious, service was top notch and we enjoy the breakfast everyday. The Spa was also good. The decor is interesting and it manages to hold its authenticity. Dinner was worth it. A great stay.

We had a great experience at the Residence Hotel. The service was impeccable and the grounds were a delight. A message/spa day is a must here as well. One of the best I've had. The food and service were all top notch. Parts of the rooms are a bit dated, but easily overlooked as, on the whole, this place is 5 stars. Will definitely return!

I was very disappointed with my stay at The Residence in Johannesburg. The room was small, old, and poorly maintained, with a bed so tiny that my feet hung off the end. The sheets were rough, the blinds didn’t work, and there was no Wi-Fi in the bedroom. The television was broken, and I even found belongings left behind by a previous guest. Dirty room, not cleaned. Noise was another issue—my room was directly outside the office and gift shop, where staff talked right outside my room. I was woken early by a vacuum bashing in the hallway at 6:45 a.m. The property itself is a maze of uneven floors, irregular stairs, and tripping hazards. I was also disappointed that the outdoor fire pit was unavailable to guests because it was reserved for a private party. The eggs Benedict was inedible, the bacon was poor quality, the toast was burnt, and the tea was served cold. Service was slow, the seating area was dirty, and basics like napkins were missing. The only positive was the staff, who were kind and tried to be helpful—Sipho in particular was excellent. Unfortunately, that alone does not make up for the overall experience. For a hotel that presents itself as luxury, it felt more like a three-star hotel at best. Do not stay in room 4. No jacuzzi, no sauna. False advertising on their website. Massively disappointing. NOT king beds. Two tiny twin beds that my feet hung off the end.

I was deeply disappointed with The Residence hotel. Our very first impression was them forgetting our airport transfer, leaving us confused at the airport. We received 0 apologies from the hotel, and also found out our other transfers had been forgotten too. When rebooking the transfer I had to ask multiple for the time that we wanted, the receptionist was rude and kept trying to set whatever time she wanted. The rooms themselves are odd. It’s a complete coin toss on what kind of amenities you’ll get, the size of the room and how comfortable it is. We were three rooms and came on two different dates so we saw it all. Considering we paid for suites and some of our rooms had windows you couldn’t look through is just appalling. The bath didn’t work in multiple rooms, one of the rooms the bath would sway if you leaned to one side. Everything felt like they were trying to appear as a luxury hotel but it was just not hitting the marks. Staff would get overwhelmed and confused by a simple check in, they had no space for luggage so it would just sit in the narrow entrance and you had to walk around it. The restaurant was decent, good options and nice waiters. But again during breakfast, it just did not meet the luxury standard. Serving cheap packaged crackers for guests who paid 500+ usd per room is absurd.

We are staying here right now on our first trip to Africa, traveling from the USA. I wanted a boutique hotel experience rather than a large name brand commercial hotel. We have been blown away from the moment we arrived. The hotel exceeded my expectations. I m traveling with a family of 6, the youngest is 10. After arriving and seeing the rooms, the family all agreed that this is the most charming property we have ever stayed at. And we have stayed at some nice places. They have drivers available to take you on tours or to drop you and pick you up from different areas. The dinner last night was a great experience. The resident piano player adds a nice touch. My kids have eaten more of their share of candy in the reception area. 10/10 recommend.

This hotel was so great that we came back again on the same trip! Lovely staff, great breakfast and luxurious rooms. We felt really looked after and will definitely be back and recommend it to everyone!

Overnight stay between the Blue Train and an up country safari. Comfortable rooms with a pleasant garden view. Steak for dinner was a joy and the breakfast before heading to the airport was delicious. Very good staff.