What’s it like?
The Hampshire Hotel offers luxurious, four-star rooms for the price of a three-star hotel. The hotel chain is well known in the USA ,although new in South Africa, and all staff has been trained in the US. The first thing that strikes you about the place is the good condition it is in. It is a newly built hotel so you can feel the bounce in the carpets and see the sparkle in the finishing. The decor is uncluttered and modern and serves as a practical base for the businessman.
Where is it?
The hotel is just off the N2 Highway at the Ballito offramp, close to the new Business Parks. There is quick and easy access to both the highway and the alternative route into Durban. Ballito is a two-minute drive away and the new King Shaka International Airport only 10 minutes away.
Room facilities
The hotel offers 107 rooms either double, queen or king. The rooms are very comfortable with classy decor. Our spacious room had two queen beds. The beds were a highlight for me – I love a high bed with a firm mattress and crisp white linen. The bathroom was clean and functional and much larger than your standard hotel room. There is a desk with ample space to get out the laptop and catch up on work, with the option of wired or wireless high-speed Internet. The 37-inch flat-screen TV and the coffee percolator were a nice touch.
Dining
The hotel offers a good buffet breakfast, but no restaurant for lunch or dinner. There is a small bar that offers a selection of snacks that need some working on, but I’m sure that in time this will improve. Should you want to order from one of the nearby restaurants in Ballito, the staff will give you a choice of menus and place an order to be delivered for you.
Leisure and Fitness
There is a swimming pool and Jacuzzi as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre.
Meeting & Business Facilities
Small meetings and conferences are catered for at the hotel with a boardroom and conference centre.
Verdict
Great value for businesspeople working in the area. We were working at the Tourism Indaba in Durban and, although we had a daily commute, the hotel pulled out all the stops to ensure we had a reliable transfer service every day. The staff is extremely friendly and service driven from the porters right up to the general manager who is very visible and hands-on.
For more information
Visit the Hampshire Hotels website, hampshirehotel.co.za.
Zelka Spoja-Vieira