Soho Hotel & Casino At Sun City

“Lovely renovated rooms and fantastic staff, but guests should not be placed under building works”

We stayed at Sun City Hotel and Casino for 6 nights, travelling as a group of 4 adults and 2 children across 2 rooms. We were initially placed in rooms 115 and 116 on the ground floor, which we had specifically chosen because we were travelling with children and wanted easy access to the gardens. … more

We stayed at Sun City Hotel and Casino for 6 nights, travelling as a group of 4 adults and 2 children across 2 rooms. We were initially placed in rooms 115 and 116 on the ground floor, which we had specifically chosen because we were travelling with children and wanted easy access to the gardens. Unfortunately, we only stayed there for 1 night before requesting to be moved. The entire first floor directly above us was being stripped and renovated, and the noise during the day was completely unacceptable (see pictures and video). There was continuous loud banging, hammering, and drilling as tiles and fittings were being removed. This is not what anyone expects when coming to Sun City for a relaxing holiday. What made this even more disappointing was that, after we moved, new guests were placed into rooms 115 and 116 despite the building works continuing above. I find it unacceptable that management would knowingly allocate these rooms while major renovation work was taking place overhead. It was not only disruptive, but also felt like a safety concern. At one point, water even started leaking through the ceiling into our room as a result of the works above. The dust from the construction was also severe and completely inappropriate for paying guests to be exposed to. We were eventually moved to rooms 465 and 466 on the fourth floor, at the other end of the hotel. These rooms were absolutely stunning, newly renovated, luxurious, and extremely comfortable. Once we moved, the rest of our holiday was excellent. The only downside was losing the ground floor garden access that we had originally wanted for the children. The housekeeping staff deserve special praise. They worked incredibly hard to keep the rooms spotless and beautifully presented, including turn-down service. Their effort and attention to detail really stood out. We had breakfast every day at the Sun Terrace, and this was one of the highlights of our stay. The food was consistently delicious, and the staff were warm, friendly, and very accommodating. We have an 11-month-old baby, and the team were especially kind and welcoming towards him. The chefs were patient and happy to help with requests. What also impressed me was how relaxed the breakfast experience felt. Even though breakfast officially ends at 11am, staff never made guests feel rushed or unwelcome. They allowed people to finish comfortably before clearing away, which created a calm and enjoyable atmosphere. I have rarely experienced such a relaxed, high-quality hotel breakfast. The grounds at Sun City are immaculate and beautifully maintained. There are stunning 5km walking and running routes along the golf course, and the overall setting is fantastic. I last stayed at the Palace and the Cabanas about 5 years ago, and at that time parts of Sun City felt very dated and in need of refurbishment. It is therefore great to see that renovations are now happening, because the updated rooms are beautiful. However, management should not be accommodating guests directly underneath major building works. That part of the experience was completely unacceptable and should never have happened. Overall, once we were moved, our holiday was wonderful. The renovated rooms, excellent housekeeping, outstanding breakfast team, and beautiful grounds made for a very enjoyable stay. But the initial decision to place guests in rooms directly below active renovation works seriously undermined the experience.

less