Boardwalk Hotel, Casino and Convention Centre Guide and Review
The Boardwalk Hotel, Casino and Convention Centre in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa, presents a rather polarizing experience for its guests. While some visitors praise its luxurious amenities and stunning beachfront location, a significant number of recent reviews highlight concerning issues regarding maintenance, cleanliness, and service standards, leading to questions about its proclaimed 5-star status.
The Good: Moments of Luxury and Leisure ✨
For guests who have had a positive stay, the Boardwalk offers distinct highlights:
- The bedrooms are often described as big and luxurious, with some guests particularly impressed by the stunning bathrooms.
- Many rooms boast beautiful sea views, providing a picturesque backdrop to your stay.
- The Breakfast Buffet receives accolades for being delicious, a significant positive for many travellers.
- The hotel features a gaming room, which, for those interested in casino entertainment, is a definite draw.
- While not always piping hot, the heated pool is noted as being better than typical icy pools, offering a more comfortable swimming experience.
- The immediate access to the beach is a major plus, with the sand described as soft and ideal for walks.
- Specific positive mentions include friendly reception services and security, and the Camelot Spa is highly praised for its excellence.
- The overall architecture and design of the hotel are also appreciated by some.
Areas for Concern: A Decline in Standards 📉
However, several recent reviews paint a less flattering picture, indicating a potential decline in the hotel's operational standards:
- Maintenance and Cleanliness Issues:
A recurring complaint revolves around the upkeep of the rooms and common areas. Guests have reported:
- Filthy carpets, leading to guests' feet turning black.
- Bathroom doors that do not close properly and leaking shower attachments.
- Non-functional toilets and flickering lights in hallways and the lobby.
- A general sentiment that the rooms and decor are outdated and in need of an upgrade, including furniture and carpets.
- Concerns about the hotel being generally dirty.
- Service and Staff Professionalism:
The service quality is a significant point of contention:
- Instances of staff being unfriendly, giving attitude, and being slow to respond to requests (e.g., for breakfast replenishment).
- Allegations of staff pressuring guests for tips, even grabbing bags.
- Extremely slow service in the bar and restaurant, even when the venues are not busy.
- Unusual practices such as requiring guests to wait in the lobby for breakfast entry despite empty dining room space.
- A strong recommendation for serious staff training.
- Dining Experience:
Beyond the initial praise for the breakfast buffet, the dining experience can be frustrating:
- Slow replenishment of breakfast items and general disorganization.
- Issues with food arriving incorrect or requiring long waits for corrections.
- Breakfast standards are considered by some to "need improvement."
- Noise and Ambiance:
Some guests have reported significant noise disturbances:
- A "beyond noisy" reception area, making check-in difficult.
- Loud music from concerts audible in rooms until late hours (e.g., 10 pm).
- Perceived Value:
The cumulative effect of these issues leads many guests to feel that the hotel is not worth the money spent and does not live up to the expectations of a "Sun International hotel" or a "5-star hotel." Some even compare it unfavorably to budget accommodations.
Final Thoughts 💭
The Boardwalk Hotel, Casino and Convention Centre appears to be a place with significant potential, boasting excellent facilities like a beautiful location, a casino, and a highly-rated spa. However, recent guest experiences indicate a notable inconsistency in quality, particularly concerning room maintenance, cleanliness, and staff service. While some visitors enjoy a flawless, luxurious stay, others encounter frustrating issues that detract significantly from their visit. Prospective guests should be aware of these varying experiences and manage their expectations accordingly, especially if expecting a consistently high 5-star standard across all aspects of their stay.
Traveling through the area, we stayed at the Boardwalk for just one night, and gosh, I really wish I'd been able to adjust and stay longer. I was actually so pleasantly surprised, the entire experience and setup was so much better than I expected. I truly cannot say a bad word. The bedroom was big and luxurious and the bathroom was STUNNING! Beautiful sea view and DELICIOUS Breakfast Buffet. They have a gaming room which, if my Son had been with us, I'm sure he would have loved. The heated pool is lukewarm, but definitely better than the usual icy pools. We went for a walk on the beach after Breakfast and it was truly one of the nicest beaches I've been on, the sand was so soft. We will DEFINITELY be back!
This won’t be a 5 star hotel for much longer. My bags were grabbed from me and the guy wouldn’t leave without a tip. A 5 star hotel who pay staff a pittance. Bathroom door in my room didn’t close properly. The shower attachment on the bath leaks everywhere. I got out of bed to go to the bathroom and my feet were black with dirt. The carpet is absolutely filthy. There are a number of lights that constantly flicker. Multiple in the hallways and one in the main lobby. The clock in the indoor pool room doesn’t work. Such easy things to fix but no one bothers.The service in their bar and restaurant is extremely slow. Even though there’s hardly anybody there. When the food arrives there’s something wrong but you’ll be so hungry there’s no point in asking for it to be fixed because you’ll have to wait another hour.You have to wait in their lobby to get your breakfast even though half the dining room is empty. Never experienced this in any other hotel.
The worst hotel ever! I waited 20min for lemon at breakfast only be told there is no lemon, no apologies from staff. The lemon eventually arrived 20min later. Staff its unfriendly, the hotel is dirty, the breakfast is not replenished, you need to request for replenishment then you are given an attitude. Not worth the money we spent on par with the Sun 1 Hotel! Staff needs serious training, not sure how this hotel is still in existence.
Terrible for a 5 star hotel. My room was not cleaned when I came back, the toilet was stuck other side not flushing all days there. It’s a beautiful hotel, architecture and design good .needs updating, carpets.Friendly reception services and security. Breakfast needs to improve hostesses are good 😌 . The Camelot Spa is excellent .
We expected a little more from a Sun International hotel.When we arrived at reception it was beyond noisy - we could barely hear the lady that helped us check in. There was a music concert which ended at 10pm. We could hear the loud music from our rooms.The rooms need an upgrade - furniture, decor. Carpets looks dirty.