Hotel Savera Guide and Review
Hotel Savera in Durban, South Africa, elicits a diverse range of opinions from recent guests, showcasing both notable highs, particularly in its culinary offerings, and significant lows concerning service and room maintenance. While the establishment is primarily identified as a casino, the provided reviews offer no specific insights into the gaming facilities, focusing instead on the hotel and its restaurant.
The Culinary Experience ð―ïļ
The food, especially the local specialty known as "bunny chow," is a central and often contentious point in guest feedback. Guests' experiences with dining service and food quality vary wildly.
Highlights of the Kitchen ðĨ
- Exceptional Bunny Chows: One reviewer lauded the lamb bunnychows as the "best we have ever tasted," praising the "softness of the meat, to the taste of the curry, to the soft fluffy bread." This guest even declared it the "best bunnychow that I have had in my LIFE!"
- Good Alternatives & Value: Even when bunny chows were unavailable (due to running out of bread), the roti and curry received praise for being "really good" and "well priced."
- Atmosphere: The restaurant offers a "nice atmosphere" with "big screens for the big games," enhancing the dining environment.
Dining Disappointments ð
- Communication Breakdown: Guests reported "absolutely no communication" when trying to reach the restaurant, with calls being disconnected or no direct line being available. This led to confusion and frustration for those trying to place orders or make inquiries.
- Order Inaccuracies & Delays: Specific orders, like mutton bunnies with crust, were not followed, and food was often reported as "not done," "late," "cold," or sometimes "does not come at all."
- Customer Service Deficiencies: The restaurant staff was described as "dumbfounded and lost," indicating a significant need for training in customer service and order fulfillment.
- Inconsistent Availability: On at least one occasion, the hotel ran out of bread for their popular bunny chows, forcing guests to opt for alternatives.
Accommodation & Service Issues ðĻ
Beyond the dining experience, several guests highlighted critical issues regarding the hotel's accommodation and overall service quality.
Room Condition & Maintenance ð ïļ
- Substandard Rooms: Multiple guests reported that rooms were "not ok."
- Broken Fixtures: Common complaints included "broken door handles" and "disconnected phones," severely impacting guest comfort and ability to communicate with reception.
- Lack of Hot Water: A significant concern raised was the absence of "hot water" in rooms, a basic amenity expected of any hotel.
Guest Services and Communication ð
- Unresponsive Reception: Guests found it difficult to get through to reception, with calls going unanswered. This forced them to physically walk down for assistance, sometimes "in the dark."
- Poor Management Response: Reviewers felt that "managers don't care to do there jobs" and that complaints were not addressed effectively or in a timely manner.
- Subpar Room Service: Beyond the food quality issues, the delivery of room service was criticized for being "late and cold."
- Breakfast Concerns: Breakfast was described as a "small meal," and inconveniently brought to rooms "before 8h00 morning."
The Casino Aspect ðē
As noted, while Hotel Savera is categorized as a casino, the available reviews do not provide any information or feedback concerning the gambling facilities, gaming experience, or related amenities. Guests' comments are exclusively focused on the hotel accommodations, dining services, and general customer interactions.
Overall Verdict ðĪ
Hotel Savera appears to be a property with a strong culinary highlight in its "bunny chows" and an interesting historical ambiance, as noted by one reviewer praising the "amount of history on the walls." However, these positives are significantly overshadowed by widespread reports of poor communication, inconsistent service, and critical room maintenance issues. Prospective guests should weigh the potential for an exceptional meal against the risk of encountering frustrating operational shortcomings and comfort deficiencies. The general sentiment suggests a need for urgent improvements in staff training, management oversight, and property maintenance to elevate the overall guest experience.
Absolutely no communication at all ðĪĢðĪĢðĪĢI made a call to the hotel, specifically asked for the restaurant.They put me through, it rings, the call ends.Called back, asked for restaurant again and was told there's no direct line to the restaurant.How can they help lol, so I gave them my order, 2 mutton bunnies with crust, have it ready, for eat in.The guy who answered sounds absolutely dumbfounded and lost.I come to the restaurant, bunnies are not done, served with no Crust either.No care for customer service and need to be trained again. Simple things cannot be followed.
We visited the hotel, and the amount of history on the walls was amazing...we had lamb bunnychows and a beef burger. I have to say this, we have had bunnychows in kzn, at popular establishments in Durban, and the bunnychows at Hotel Savera was the best we have ever tasted, from the softness of the meat, to the taste of the curry, to the soft fluffy bread...I can't rave about this bunnychow enough, it was the best bunnychow that I have had in my LIFE! And the price...absolutely reasonable, I think it was R85 for a quarter bunnychow...definitely the best bunnychow, hands down in KZN!
Nice atmosphere. Big screens for the big games. Ordered bunnies but they had run out of bread, so had roti and curry. Food was really good. Well priced as well.
The service is absolutely horrible, everytime I ordered food it came late and cold and sometimes does not come at all. My room does not have hot water and the door handles are broken. The managers don't care to do there jobs or the things I complained about would have been seen to. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
Rooms were not ok, handles broken,phone disconnected, reception no answer,had to walk down for help,in the dark,breakfast was a small meal, brought to our rooms before 8h00 morning. Not a good experience,we did speak to reception about all this,hope they do something about it ASP.