Peermont Metcourt Hotel at Umfolozi Guide and Review
The Peermont Metcourt Hotel at Umfolozi, located in Richards Bay (though one guest noted its proximity to Empangeni), functions primarily as a casino hotel. Reviews reveal a property with both commendable aspects and significant areas requiring attention, particularly regarding hospitality and guest comfort. While some visitors praise specific staff members and the modern aesthetic, others report issues with service, food quality, and room conditions.
👍 The Positives: Service & Convenience
- Exceptional Staff: Instances of outstanding service are highlighted, particularly a waitress named SAMKE who demonstrated remarkable conflict resolution skills, maturity, and professionalism in handling a difficult situation on the casino floor. Another positive mention went to a reception staff member, possibly named Dean, who was noted for his effort and helpfulness.
- Superb Service (for some): One guest specifically lauded the general staff and service as "superb" and the establishment as "modern."
- Modern Establishment: The hotel's modern design is a point of appreciation for some visitors.
- Strategic Location: Situated on the main road, its location is convenient for casino patrons, especially those relying on public transport, minimizing travel distances.
- Friendly Environment: Despite other criticisms, the overall environment was described as friendly by one reviewer.
👎 Areas for Improvement: Consistency & Quality Concerns
- Inconsistent Service & Staff Professionalism: This is a recurring theme. Guests have reported lengthy waits at reception (up to 30 minutes) with no staff present, and a lack of apology or accountability from the receptionist upon arrival, who even blamed colleagues. Some restaurant staff are described as unhappy, unapproachable, and lacking smiles.
- Subpar Dining Experience:
- Limited & Horrible Food: The buffet selection is criticized for being very limited (e.g., just chicken and rice) and tasting "horrible."
- Poorly Prepared Meals: Menu orders can also be problematic, with one guest waiting 40 minutes for a T-bone steak that arrived "hard as a rock" and "well overdone." Breakfast has also been described as "horrible."
- Room Comfort & Condition:
- Stuffy & Small Rooms: Rooms have been described as "incredibly stuffy" and "too small," giving a "Formula 1 vibe," implying a basic and compact feel.
- Non-functional Amenities: Reports of non-working air conditioning in rooms.
- Unpleasant Odours: A "funny smell like a broken toilet" was noted upon entering the hotel, detracting from the initial impression.
- Overall Guest Experience: Several guests suggested the hotel is "a place to stay when you are desperate" rather than for enjoying a holiday, highlighting a general lack of quality expected from a leisure destination.
📝 Key Takeaways for Potential Guests
The Peermont Metcourt Hotel at Umfolozi appears to be a property with a distinct split in guest experiences. While its primary function as a casino is clear, and some staff are highly commendable for their professionalism, the hotel aspects (check-in, rooms, and dining) frequently fall short of expectations. Future visitors should manage their expectations, particularly if booking for leisure rather than just an overnight stop connected to the casino. The hotel management might benefit from addressing the reported inconsistencies in service, food quality, and room maintenance to elevate the overall guest experience.
I was trying to find reviews for the casino but I couldn't. In fact I wanted to thank and appreciate a waitress called SAMKE.She showed remarkable conflict resolution skills when another waitress got into altercation with me over lack of professionalism around patrons. I was very unimpressed by her bad manners when she talked loud around guests and other bad behaviour I noted.Since some of this bad behaviour interfered with service delivery to me, I called her to order but she didn't show any remorse. That's when SAMKE intervened and showed maturity and professionalism. She also showed that she appreciates our patronage as patrons.I am very impressed by her professional conduct and her level of intelligence in handling the situation that was bound to get out of hand and cause chaos in the casino floor.You should groom more personnel of her calibre.Thank you,
Its in Empangeni, lil bit away from the ocean. The staff and the service is superb 👌. The establishment is morden, but the location is literally on the main road probably because of the casino so patrons do not have to walk longer distances if they are using public transport.
Don’t book in this hotel unless you’re really desperate! My ordeal started when I was checking in. I waited for about 30 minutes at the reception. No one was at the front desk. Eventually , I asked a waitress who was passing by without any care and she told me that the lady at the reception was on a “BREAK” so she had to go and call her where’s she was! Would you believe it?The receptionist finally emerged, no apology offered at all. Instead she blamed her fellow colleagues (the waitresses) for not letting her know that there was a customer waiting for checking in. Finally checked in and went to my room which was incredibly stuffy! Then proceeded to the lounge cause I was starving. I tried the buffet which was chicken and rice. The choice was very very limited. You’d thing you’re having dinner at home! Took first two spoons. The food was horrible! I couldn’t finish it. I then ordered from the menu cause I was still hungry. Ordered T-borne stake medium rare. I waited close to 40 minutes. The waitress came just when I was about to leave for my room. The steak was nice but hard as a rock because it was well overdone!This is not the establishment worth spending your money on! Unless you want to have an overnight shelter! Thank God I was only booked for one night.
Overall the environment is friendly. The rooms are too small it’s giving Formula 1 vibe
This is really a place to stay when you are desperate not when you want to enjoy your holiday. As you enter the hotel there’s a funny smell like a broken toilet, in the rooms the AC was not working , breakfast was horrible 🤢, most of the staff working in the restaurant seem unhappy so they are hard to approach. No smiles on the staff.There’s was on 3 people that really showed a little bit of enthusiasm but unfortunately I forgot their names.The hotels need to up their standard and talk to their staff and hear their issues and sort them out.Service , food , rooms need to be upgraded.But I liked the fact that when we booked they didn’t pressure us to pay immediately , they just booked and waited for us. 😊.The guy at the reception is trying shame and I hope the hotel will be able to keep him and not get influenced by the negative environment around him. I think his name was Dean or something, thank you for your service Sir. We really appreciate your service.