Tag Archives: Food & Beverage

Restaurant Review: no energy at The Turbine Hotel’s Island Café in Knysna!

Turbine Hotel Reception Whale CottageYesterday I had to be present as the claimant in a court case relating to housebreaking and theft of my house in Plettenberg Bay ten months ago.   My 24 hours in the town were a huge disappointment in more ways than one, the lowlight being dinner at the Island Café at The Turbine Hotel & Spa on Thesen Island in Knysna, a most unprofessionally run 5-star hotel.

I had wanted to stay at The Turbine Hotel for my short visit to Knysna, and had tried to make a booking with the gentleman answering the phone.  He told me that the hotel cannot take bookings on a Sunday, and that I would have to be called back the following day.  Millicent Jack from Reservations dutifully called the next day, and described her colleague as having been ‘lazy’ in not taking my reservation the day before! I could not stay there, fortunately in retrospect, as the Knysna Court advised that I could only stay at Tonquani Lodge in the Knysna Forest outside of town.  An offer to pay in the difference was rejected, this being a Department of Justice directive, I was told. But that is a different story to come, the 5-star Tourism Grading Council of South Africa grading for the lodge being completely inappropriate. Continue reading →

FedEx Sweet Service and Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa Sour Service Awards

FedEx logoThe Sweet Service Award goes to FedEx and its manager Peter, who assisted in getting the Kokkedoor cookbook delivered, after various attempts to receive it failed.  Despite an instruction to call and make a delivery appointment, the delivery staff just arrived, when we were not at the delivery address.  We were then sent an sms, detailing how many times they had attempted the delivery, requesting that we call FedEx!  I did call them, although I felt that they should have called me. The duty manager could not divulge what was in the parcel – 2 weeks prior the same delivery company had put me through Continue reading →

Review: High Tea at 5Rooms at The Alphen bling-bling, not a high!

5Rooms Table Display full Whale CottageIt was an e-mail from the Kove Collection I received about two weeks ago which attracted attention to the new High Tea at 5Rooms Restaurant at The Alphen Hotel in Constantia.  On Thursday my friend Whitney and I went to try out the afternoon tea offering at the Stefan Antoni interior design hotel

Our interaction started off badly, when I first sought information about the High Tea, the Events Manager Nicola Howard not yet having details about what would be served, nor a photograph.  With the intervention of Hotel GM Hannelie Wiese, I received a menu of items to be served, and a photograph, which we blogged about.

I made the booking a day ahead of our planned visit, and this was efficiently taken by the switchboard hostess.  Irritating therefore was the call from Lydia McGrail, the 5Rooms Restaurant Manager, who called on the morning of our booking, to check our booking, less than 24 hours 5Rooms High Tea menu Whale Cottageafter it was made!  She is clearly from the UK, and I  struggled to understand her, due to her broad British dialect, and a bad line, which meant that she called twice.  Then she made Hannelie call me, to sort out any problems ahead of our arrival, which was an irritation, as such confirmation calls are intended as ‘a courtesy‘, Hannelie explained, but I said that it makes one feel distrusted and that one does not have manners.  I promised her that I would never not arrive for a booking! Hannelie ended off her call by saying  that I would really be impressed with the service from Lydia, as all their guests feed back.  When I heard this ‘hotelspeak’, I wanted to laugh, being sceptical already. Continue reading →

New Tourism Grading Council Awards Committee a surprise packet!

The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa has announced the new members of its Awards Committee, and it contains a most strange collection of persons.

According to Travelwires.com, the new Awards Committee has the following members (interestingly, no e-mail to announce the new Awards Committee has been sent to all the star-graded accommodation establishments):

Peter Bacon, Chairman of the Awards Committee, former CEO of Sun International, a recent addition to the Board of South African Tourism, and current Chairman of Cape Town Routes Unlimited

Phillip Thompson, property developer and member of IDC,  “an architectural consulting group with a special focus on the hospitality industry and hospitality buildings”.  He served on the Board of S A Tourism from 1997 – 2000.

Smangele Nhlapo, owner of Deco File, “a 100% black female owned Interior design company specialising in interior architectural design, space planning, interior design, turnkey installations and decor”

Alan Romburgh is the outgoing Chairman of the Tourism Grading Council, and owned Relais Hotel South African, a company with multiple hotel properties.

Jegie Padmanathan is “Group Hotel Operations and Development Executive at Peermont, and previous Hotel and Resort Operations Manager at Emperor’s Palace”

Tony Hazel, Senior Manager (business) of the RCI Group.   He has previously been Operations Manager at Mabula Private Game Reserve and at the Magalies Country Club.   He was at the Southern Sun Group for 11 years, in various Food & Beverage positions.

Mzi Gcanga, principal architect at gmg Design Building Architecture, and a director of Manteku Private Lodge

Ahmed Clothia, Managing Director of Galileo SA (a booking portal for flights, accommodation etc).  He has been a travel consultant for most of his career.

Julian Smith, owner of Julian Decor, a fashion and decor designer.

Of this collection of committee members, only Romburgh, and to a lesser extent Bacon, Hazel and Padmanathan, will have a hands-on feel for the accommodation industry, and its quality challenges.   What is glaringly deficient is any representation of the small accommodation industry, making up by far the bulk of the graded properties of the Tourism Grading Council.   One wonders what the architects, a travel consultant, and a fashion and interior designers are doing on the Awards Committee, having no experience of the standards set for the hospitality industry, or for the requirements of international tourists in particular.

The Awards Committee evaluates and approves recommendations from the Tourism Grading Council assessors as to the renewal of an existing establishment’s star grading, or its increase or decrease in stars, and the recommendation of a star grading awarded to new accommodation establishments.

Bacon is quoted as saying that he and his Committee wish to increase the number of graded establishments, and to focus on the integrity of the grading system.  “Quality Assurance is a pillar of S A Tourism’s overall strategy to attract more foreign visitors to the country and our intention is to align our system with international best practice” he said.

The Tourism Grading Council’s Thembi Kuneni says of the Committee: “The Awards Committee comprises a collective of individuals who possess profound knowledge about the industry and this knowledge will, no doubt, impact positively on the business of the Tourism Grading Council over the Committee’s three-year tenure.  On behalf of my team at the Grading Council, I extend heartfelt congratulations on their appointment and we look forward to working with them”. 

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com