 In mid July, Mr. Moo and I were lucky enough to get treated to a night away at Sun Square, Montecasino by charming GM, Kaliq Essop. This was a great opportunity to look at what the hotel and casino could offer for a quick night holiday within the city. Montecasino is easy to access, close to commercial hubs and is pretty much a max of 35 mins from most of Gauteng. The room was spotless, with a queen size bed (with LOTS of super plump pillows....a must for me), a great view and a big shower. The room also came with aircon, DSTV, desk, safe, hangers and goodies to make tea or coffee. As a 3 star hotel, it met every basic need and was beautifully turned out and very comfortable. Service from every, single staff member was efficient and incredibly friendly and they made us feel like a million bucks. At a room cost of around R1500 for a room for 2 people per night, it is actually very reasonable, especially with an all you can eat buffet breakfast at the stunning Aarya Restaurant, included for both people. It was wonderful to be able to go for dinner at a great restaurant in the casino, go for a stroll, enjoy a bottle of wine....and then take a leisurely walk back to our hotel, stopping for a scoop of ice cream on the way. No rush, no hurry, no worry about drinking and driving, and perfectly safe at all times. About that breakfast at Aarya... you need to go just to experience that breakfast!!!! Now I need to make a special note here. Go hungry. Aarya is a fantastic place to have dinner with well priced EXCELLENT food that you just want to eat till you burst...but the breakfast spread they put on for the hotel guests is something that took my breath away. Fresh, bright, delicious, with everything executed by the nicest, friendliest staff that I have ever met at 7am on a Sunday morning! The photos I took, while really lovely, don’t even do the food freshness and quality any justice. We loved staying at the Tsogo Sun Square Hotel. From the doorman to the lady that came to assist with the air-conditioning unit during the evening, we were treated with the utmost care and respect. Yes, R1500 is something most of us can’t do EVERY month, but for a quick urban retreat that you don’t need to drive hours to and where your car is safe and you have some amazing restaurants on your doorstep, just to get away with your significant other now and then....it is definitely the way to go every now and then to take a break or 3 during your year. If you keep an eye on the Montecasino site, time your visit for when an event is happening (we went to watch the Bulls game in the outdoor arena on Saturday and to the Chocolate and Wine festival on the Sunday). But the very best thing about the hotel and staff is that while it may be a 3 star hotel, the service to customers is 100%, 5 star! Note: The night at Sun Square was sponsored by the hotel. Staff of the hotel and restaurant were not aware of this, and all experiences were what a normal guest would have. Thank you to GM, Kaliq Essop. |
