Poor Service for a recognised brand

The property itself is not bad; however, the service was extremely disappointing. Check-in took over an hour, not due to high guest volumes but because of insufficient staff at the front desk, which was frustrating and poorly managed. Unfortunately, the overall stay did not improve. Room service was unable to provide basic requests such as ice, and housekeeping failed to supply essential items like towels. Despite repeated calls, the issue was never resolved. We were provided with only two towels for four guests, which is completely unreasonable. During these interactions, snacks were promised in what appeared to be an attempt to silence complaints about the poor service and rude attitude of staff; however, these snacks were never delivered. In addition, the shuttle service was unavailable on New Year’s Eve without any prior notice. Parking also became full, forcing hotel residents to park across the road. This was extremely inconvenient and concerning, especially as I was travelling with two toddlers. The parking area felt unsafe, and no staff member provided guidance on where to park, how to access the area, or how to exit the parking structure. This situation was poorly managed and unacceptable for paying hotel guests. Overall, the lack of planning, communication, accountability, and basic customer service significantly affected what should have been a far better stay, particularly for a Southern Sun property where higher standards are expected. I will be escalating this matter with Southern Sun South Africa, as this was by far the worst experience I have had compared to previous stays. I would not recommend this property to others.