The Residence Boutique Hotel

Very beautiful hotel but during stuff stole 1500 dollars from or rooms. From the bags. No compensation:) 7-8 of November, 2025 Mind your money if you decide to come If someone from management sees this and wants to contact me, feel free

We had only one night a two days in Johannesburg that was designed to break up our flights home. The Residence was the only recommendation from our agent and we opted to go along with it without much investigation, so we didn't know what to expect. Everything in Johannesburg is behind a wall or fence. The hotel is no exception. From our arrival we were escorted in and checked in with ease. The staff was beyond lovely as were all South Africans we met. The food in the restaurants was great. Had we stayed longer, we would have eaten there many more times. The service understood we were too full for dessert but had enjoyed our meal immensely so they brought out a liquid nitrogen bowl with two small chocolates on top. The fanfare was fantastic and made the two small chocolates a more important part of the meal experience. The effort was appreciated. One cannot talk about this hotel without referring to the eclectic aesthetics. I counted 3 pianos in the common areas. Random. Our room had 7 mirrors. It feels strange at first, like no other place you have ever stayed, but yet, it grows on you and you come to love it. The setting is beautiful overlooking a manicured lawn and flora. The only downside with the eclectic decor is that the room was a little dark - even with the drapes open. But it fits with the rest of the hotel. Lucky was our driver to dinner and back. He was helpful with stories of life in the area, the hotel, and his own life. We enjoyed spending time with him. We wouldn't necessarily return to Johannesburg, but if we did, we highly recommend The Residence.

I was very disappointed with my stay at The Residence in Johannesburg. The room was small, old, and poorly maintained, with a bed so tiny that my feet hung off the end. The sheets were rough, the blinds didn’t work, and there was no Wi-Fi in the bedroom. The television was broken, and I even found belongings left behind by a previous guest. Dirty room, not cleaned. Noise was another issue—my room was directly outside the office and gift shop, where staff talked right outside my room. I was woken early by a vacuum bashing in the hallway at 6:45 a.m. The property itself is a maze of uneven floors, irregular stairs, and tripping hazards. I was also disappointed that the outdoor fire pit was unavailable to guests because it was reserved for a private party. The eggs Benedict was inedible, the bacon was poor quality, the toast was burnt, and the tea was served cold. Service was slow, the seating area was dirty, and basics like napkins were missing. The only positive was the staff, who were kind and tried to be helpful—Sipho in particular was excellent. Unfortunately, that alone does not make up for the overall experience. For a hotel that presents itself as luxury, it felt more like a three-star hotel at best. Do not stay in room 4. No jacuzzi, no sauna. False advertising on their website. Massively disappointing. NOT king beds. Two tiny twin beds that my feet hung off the end.

I was deeply disappointed with The Residence hotel. Our very first impression was them forgetting our airport transfer, leaving us confused at the airport. We received 0 apologies from the hotel, and also found out our other transfers had been forgotten too. When rebooking the transfer I had to ask multiple for the time that we wanted, the receptionist was rude and kept trying to set whatever time she wanted. The rooms themselves are odd. It’s a complete coin toss on what kind of amenities you’ll get, the size of the room and how comfortable it is. We were three rooms and came on two different dates so we saw it all. Considering we paid for suites and some of our rooms had windows you couldn’t look through is just appalling. The bath didn’t work in multiple rooms, one of the rooms the bath would sway if you leaned to one side. Everything felt like they were trying to appear as a luxury hotel but it was just not hitting the marks. Staff would get overwhelmed and confused by a simple check in, they had no space for luggage so it would just sit in the narrow entrance and you had to walk around it. The restaurant was decent, good options and nice waiters. But again during breakfast, it just did not meet the luxury standard. Serving cheap packaged crackers for guests who paid 500+ usd per room is absurd.

We are staying here right now on our first trip to Africa, traveling from the USA. I wanted a boutique hotel experience rather than a large name brand commercial hotel. We have been blown away from the moment we arrived. The hotel exceeded my expectations. I m traveling with a family of 6, the youngest is 10. After arriving and seeing the rooms, the family all agreed that this is the most charming property we have ever stayed at. And we have stayed at some nice places. They have drivers available to take you on tours or to drop you and pick you up from different areas. The dinner last night was a great experience. The resident piano player adds a nice touch. My kids have eaten more of their share of candy in the reception area. 10/10 recommend.