The Marion on Nicol

This is the third time I have stayed at the Marion on Nicol in Sandton.

The first time I was welcomed by the Hotel General Manager Sean Bartlett last year in August and October 2019, whom made my stay unforgettable.

His level of guest experiance and satisfaction is highly professional, a true hotelier at heart and will certainly do anything in his power to make you feel at home.

Sean sorted out all my daily transfers and meal requirements (as I am Lactose intolerant) special meals were designed by Sean and produced by Thabo to cater for my specific needs.

From the welcoming of my arrival to the personalised tour of the hotel to the breakfast and dinner experiance, everything was absolutely perfect and on par,truelly 5 stars all around.

I have travelled and stayed in many hotels around the world and this by far has been in my top three.

I arrived at the Marion a week ago (January 2020) only to find out there is a New Hotel General Manager by the name of Gill whom I did not get a chance to meet.

After requesting to meet with her I was showered with excuses that she was to busy.

I had a few concerns about my room, the Safe was not working, barely any amenities in the room, the basin and bath had stains in it.

Breakfast was OK, the standards have dropped.

I went out during the day for lunch,so I can't comment.

Dinner was terrible! Not five star at all!

I can't believe how the standards have dropped since Sean Bartlett(Previous General Manager) has left.

I will miss the Marion and what it used to offer!

PS : Please bring the Marion's standards back.

I booked this hotel through booking.com. There was a very cheap rate advsertised for New Years Eve.
I then contacted the property 3 times to find out their banking details so I may make a prepayment as I wanted to pay all my December bookings upfront. Only on the 3rd email did I get a very rude 1 line response 'you pay on arrival'
3 weeks after making my booking and the above mentioned emails I receive a request to cancel as it seems they had made a mistake on the rate advertised and they want to cancel my room or I need to agree to pay more than 5 times the advertised rate.

I refused to accept this ridiculous new charged, mainly based on the fact that I had contacted the hotel on numerous occasions since making my booking and was never alerted to this AND I found it ridiculous that nearly 1 month after making this booking they are only picking up the error now.

They have since cancelled my rooms with no apology, not a single word from them, I think it is appalling that they have left me without accommodation and couldn't even deign to reach out to me or reach another understanding.

I understand mistakes happen however as with all service based companies. If a rate is advertised the ethical thing to do is to honour it. I am disgusted by this hotel frankly.

I was given a room one level lower than what I’d paid for. The room itself was decent and the overall service from the hotel was good.

The restaurant experience was disappointing. Ordered the zucchini soup which was the only good thing on the menu.

The seafood curry was just appalling - the stench from the dish put me off immediately, but I thought I’d try it anyway. Prawns were clearly not fresh and the fish want either. I didn’t dare try the mussels. I sent this right back and was told I’d get a refund.

Breakfast was good although they were out of many of the items listed.

I’d recommend the hotel rooms but would caution you to be

Our company held our annual strategy workshop at the Marion on Nicol this year and after a very good site visit, we confirmed a full day package. Our day was unfortunately marred by air-conditioning that was not working (10 of us in a tight boardroom) which can understandably happen anywhere, however, the “Plan B” offered to us was working in the hotel restaurant, which we obviously declined. We were eventually moved into another larger room at 11:00 which had workmen constantly flowing in and out to fix the air-conditioning in an attached room, creating a disturbance for a good while until this was sorted out. The manager Sean Bartlett offered compensation on the hotel, which has not been forthcoming and after numerous calls and messages for him to contact us there has been no response to date, which is highly unprofessional. To be noted, the courteous and helpful assistance of Sylvester was most appreciated throughout the day and the food was good and other staff courteous and attentive.

My wife and I booked the night of 31 March at the hotel on the basis of it being a 5 star hotel and the original site of my wife's parents home.. After check in we went to the room and quickly discovered the safe did not work. The room itself was ok but the curtains looked a little tatty. We were told we needed to move rooms if we wanted a working safe and were taken by the bellman through the dining room full of people and up and down a few stairs to a new room. The room smelled of smoke and did not have a balcony table like the other room. We asked to see the manager and went to the pool. The door to the pool was locked and we were told if we wanted towels we needed to get them from reception. The outside furniture was very shabby. After meeting with the hotel manager who was full of excuses ,we decided to leave the hotel. Net net this hotel is not a 5 star hotel and the nearly 2 hour experience was disappointing to say the least.The owners might want to check into this and make corrections asap.

A friend treated us with a massage at this great spa. Friendly smiles, good service and excellent massage, followed by champagne brunch at the pool. Service at the poolside was a bit slow but the setting made up for it. Can highly recommend it!

I organized a team conference at this venue together with the team from the hotel and it was a massive success. Every single thing ran smoothly. The meals were delicious, the rooms luxurious and every small request was met with a smile and immediate results. I cannot thank them enough for making a potentially stressful event seem effortless. Special mention goes to Leona for her calm manner, she has the perfect temperament for an events coordinator.

I spent 3 days here in transit and found it a peaceful haven from the rather scary and intimidating city, although it’s very close by taxi if necessary.
Exceptional massage from Patience at the Camelot Spa, could not recommend her enough. Best part of my stay.
Breakfast was excellent.

i stayed at this hotel for 2 nights and i am surprised that so many people have left negative comments.
i've got nothing but good things to say about this hotel.
The room was spacious, nice cold AC, delicious breakfast and a very comfortable bed.
i was treated great. the only thing i will say is that the restaurant should have more options; i was craving a burger and fries and they did not have that on the menu.

i will definitely come back to this property!!

Jimmy J Villalobos World Traveler

This is a lovely boutique hotel, the rooms are well appointed, the food on offer was superb and a choice of 3 swimming pools and spa treatments made ideal for relaxing. The staff were amazing.

This is supposed to be a Boutique Hotel situated in the upmarket suburbs of Northern Johannesburg-actually looks like I am arriving at a shebeen in The south -litter all over the pavements outside along the Stirling and Hamilton Avenues don’t leave one with a lot of confidence in their ability to deliver the customer promise

We booked the restaurant for my 50th birthday, and I was really satisfied with the occasion.
The restsurant is a classy, elegant space with beautiful furnishings so no extra decorations are needed (although we did have balloons which added to the festive ambiance. )

The room comfortably accommodated 60 people and the buffet menu we selected was very good with a wide selection for our guests.

The staff were very receptive to our requirements and requests, very professional and polite and very accommodating.

Overall, a very positive experience on the night and many if our guests also commented favourably on the venue.

A property displaying "World Luxury Hotel" awards on a pedestal in the lobby should be able to provide basic services. Staff tries to assist, but it is clear management, General Manager Mr. Shawn(sp?), is overwhelmed or under-qualified.

My party of multiple guests all complained about poor internet service in rooms, myself included. Front desk claimed it called in tech to repair - but management didn't follow up ('net still didn't work) before the weekend started. Hotel IT doesn't work weekends, apparently.

I complained, stating I had crucial video, photos, files to review and needed a decent internet connection. I asked for the hotel GM to contact me with an explanation and solution. I was given a comp. meal at the restaurant - but never heard from Hotel GM Mr. Sean.

After second night of faulty internet, and Front Desk insistence that it had a strong signal at hotel reception - I decided to take up a chair at the hotel reception desk with my computer to experience this alleged strong internet signal. The signal was rubbish, but I stayed there 1.5 hours anyway, working online, and to make a point. And it was - fascinating - what I learned:
-one guest came to the desk complaining that his room tv had no cable box installed.
-another guest came to reception armed with video of him brushing his teeth, and of rusty water coming out of the faucet.
-a guest claimed water wouldn't drain out of the bathroom (unclear if that's toilet, bath or shower).
-a guest complained money was stolen from his room safe.
-a guest asked how it was possible he was being charged a corkage fee, when his alcohol bottles were in his room - unless someone had entered his room without authorization, found the booze, then codified the infraction by adding a fee to the guest's bill.
-a guest claimed his room heat/air conditioning didn't work.
-a guest said he was so angry with a lack of response from management that he was ready to "punch" the General Manager.
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ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN 90 MINUTES OF MY SITTING AT HOTEL RECEPTION.
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Smaller pain in the butt things from my room: no stationary/pen (I needed envelopes for expenses), no iron, no shoe shine. Also: dining room was roasting hot Monday b/c (staff said) air conditioning broke down. Some well-meaning staff are undertrained (I would ask the waiter, "I understand you serve dessert here?" Reply: "Yes." [silence]. Me: "Well, could I see a dessert menu, please?").
The super salty room-service mushroom soup (served in a sauce jar that wait staff said had been microwaved, along with a soup bowl, so I could pour it myself), seems to have re-appeared as mushroom sauce for eggs on the breakfast menu.
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I digress. Bottom line(s):
-basic services are lacking
-staff suffering under leadership apparently not up to the job.
-I would have loved to have present my concerns to the GM, but he never responded to requests to connect. It is clear why he wouldn't have the time.

Next time, for a cool boutique hotel? I'm returning to The Monarch Hotel over in Rosebank. I took my colleagues to the Monarch today for a visit, suggesting they do the same.

--- Oh, did I mention this place requested I PREPAY MY FOUR NIGHT STAY before giving me a room key? ---

I am particularly talking about the ladies in the spa, they are more like Escorts, I booked there and it was very easy to hook up with the massage therapist. guys if u are looking for a good time just ask for Shavanah or Kate or Bella or Bellashav whatever she calls herself. she normally works from there!!!!!!!

We booked a mother's day lunch for a party of 11. The service was appalling, it felt like out waitress was picked from the streets given a uniform and asked to serve. She didn't know anything about the menu. We waited 1.5 hours for Our meal to be served. We had to beg for the Bread while we waited for the meal. My kids were starving by the time the meal came. the food was not worth waiting for such a long time with tiny portions. Shame that the poor service spoils the beautiful hotel.I will definitely not be returning to this hotel.

We were there for a celebration dinner, we took over the whole dinning area. with 6 course meal! Wow... it was sensational.. The chef, staff were fantastic, helpful, nothing to small was a problem.
The dinner was a 6 course meal, with a pairing of whisky. The setting, its in a quiet treed neighbourhood, and ample parking secured.

Extremely disappointing. By no means a 5 Star Hotel and certainly not worth the money. Stayed from the Friday to the Monday morning.
1. No hot water or pressure in my shower which I asked them to resolve on the Saturday morning. It never was. I complained again on the Sunday morning and was told they’d move me which just wasn’t worth the hassle after returning from my day out later that evening.
2. The gym had to be opened for me, no air con, no music, no water and no towels.
3. The WiFi is inadequate especially for business use - I had to keep switching to my data.
4. No spare toilet roll in the bathroom - unacceptable.
5. No TV guide.
6. In room tea and coffee was not re-filled each morning.

ロケーションは少し中心部から離れますが、静かで部屋も家具がそれぞれの部屋で違い広く快適でした。食事はオーダー式の朝食でおいしかったです。

We had a power cut at 6pm and I quickly made a bookin at the Marion as I have an infant child and needed somewhere convenient to spend the night. The check in took more than 20 minutes despite me informing the receptionist that I desperately needed to change my babies nappy. There was no hot water in my room, the mini bar fridge had not been stocked so I asked for water and a chocolate as it had been a long hard day. Room service brought me water at R35 for a small bottle (no complimentary water). I was informed that the bar fridge was not stocked because they had run out of stock. In the morning on check out we were told that we had to wait for the manager to arrive in order to get a refund on the money that was held back from our credit card. At breakfast we were told that the coffee machine was broken and we couldn’t be served coffee. Eventually we were made coffee from the coffee machine in our room. All in all, not the sleek and sophisticated service you would expect from a five star hotel.

First of all the hotel rooms are great, nicely decorated and spacious. The food is in line with expectations but not really great.
What is amazing is the level of service which is very very slow and without any attention to detail. Very often we did ask ourselves if the person did understand us or wether the person will react , deliver a service or do whatever we had requested.

If you expect some kind of feedback when you request something, here everybody obviously has been trained to just smile but do not talk or say anything... really a bit bizarre.

The pool is small and was rather looking foggy and not really clear, so we did not use it. The pool area is anyhow very small even a large garden is there but not really useful because no benches or tables in the garden area.

The bar closes at 22.00 h ....the minibar in the rooms contain only one small bottle of water.

All in all no 5 star design or boutique hotel experience...it is just not enough to have nice deco and art surrounding ...the service and staff needs to match...