Oh dear, could have done mu-u-u-ch better!

After initial confusion about how to get into the Arabella Sheraton parking at the Convention Centre we were warmly welcomed and asked if we were looking around. We were, I said, looking around, but also wanted a late lunch. Although it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, we were able to order from a very small snack menu or from a confectionery menu.

Before handing us over to our waitress, who while charming was uninformed, the host boasted that, at R125, breakfast was the biggest around.

After enjoying a perfect fruit tartlet (R25) served in a cookie cup and delicious Florentine Tiramiso (R25) a double espresso (R15) and Iced Mochachino (R20), I resolved to return for breakfast on Sunday.

When visiting the Mount Nelson recently I was annoyed at being asked by security what I was doing there. Really, what are the options: checking in, visiting a friend, dining at the restaurant, drinking at the bar, planting explosives?? I was similarly interrogated by security at the Arabella Sheraton. Sadly, here ended the comparison to a five-star establishment.

Impressive décor

The hotel décor is impressive. Solid pieces of furniture take a sculptural form in the high-volume area. The dining and lounge areas, Thirty 7, feature dramatic fluid-like decorative touches such as a hanging mobile and extraordinary beading that looks like a cross between pearl strands and curtain drapes.

An establishment sets its own standard by its interior and price. When both of these are elevated I expect the standard of service and quality of food to be equally elevated.

Once I was seated a host asked my name. This augured well as I was expecting the staff, armed with this personal information, to use it at every opportunity, but the question must been purely for academic reasons.

I don’t mean to brag, but I had the extreme pleasure of staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur and the single thing that elevated that experience into the best hotel experience of my life so far (followed closely by The Grand Roche) was that the staff knew my name and used it at every turn.

The breakfast buffet also began promisingly when I saw a dish of congee porridge, as I hoped it would be like the Oriental offering at the Hilton in Sandton. Dreams of the Orient ended with Chicken spring rolls.

The only things available on the buffet that separated it from Holiday Inn Garden Court-quality were some interesting breads (foccacia, bread sticks and suchlike) and soy milk.

Exacting standards

Eggs were to order and my omelet, again applying the exacting standards of the price and décor, was overcooked.

Things that impressed me were: the Moulton Brown hand-soap in the swish bathrooms (reminding me of BA’s Club Class), the strong, hot coffee, complimentary newspaper and stylish interior.

I was unimpressed by the lack-lustre service, the everyday variety of offerings on the buffet, the over-designed-space-wasting table caddy with place for everything but a teaspoon, and, most of all, by a waiter who brought a bill in the middle of my meal and then looked to see if I had settled it a nanosecond later.

The Arabella Sheraton Cape Town has officially been open for one month and I’m sure it will improve. I suggest they look to The Table Bay for outstanding hot breakfast options, the Cape Grace breakfast for magnificent service, The V&A Hotel breakfast for value-for-money and a hotel school for staff. Breakfast, including the tip, came to R135 and R15 for parking.