If there were another Hilton’s in Johannesburg, that is where I’d be staying. But there is no other option for a loyal Hilton guy like me, so I spent 10 nights at the Hilton Sandton. I will readily admit that from day-to-day, the staff and the facilities were absolutely wonderful. Staff were friendly and accommodating, the Executive Lounge was very well serviced, the restaurant was excellent, the hotel grounds superb, the Business Centre efficient. I had pre-arranged airport pickup and daily business rides through the hotel and our driver MORGAN proved himself many times over to be reliable and flexible thoughout my stay. However, both the checkin and checkout process with the Front Desk were distasteful, disturbed my entire stay, and made me wish I was somewhere else. I had reserved and prepaid for a King room; as a long time Diamond member, I naturally expected some sort of upgrade, especially since I was staying for 10 nights. After 18 hours of flights, and a further 24 hours of layover, all I wanted to do was sleep. I had checked in online and knew my room assignment. At the Front Desk, I handed over my American Express Hilton card, and passports for my wife and I to HOWARD (“an experienced Front Office team member” according to hotel General Manager JOHN MCAREE). At first, HOWARD could not find my reservation and, next, once found thought it had been cancelled and, next, thought the reservation was in my wife’s name (it was not), and finally when he found the reservation, took a copy of my wife’s passport (but not my own for some unknown reason). I then had the temerity to ask if there any possibility of an upgrade. “Oh no no no” said Howard. “Why not” I asked. “Because you checked in online. Once the room is assigned, there is no changing it” said HOWARD. I knew from experience this was rubbish and not in compliance with Hilton policy or procedures. Indeed, when I checkedin online, the Hilton website said that an upgrade would be made available if possible. So I gently persisted in my questioning, and Howard gently insisted that no upgrade was possible since I had checked in online. I believe it was only when I asked for the business card of the General Manager that HOWARD checked with a colleague and, indeed, an upgrade was magically offered. It was the lowest level of upgrade possible, but something is better than nothing. I thanked him for the upgrade, and again asked for the GM’s business card. They had none. Indeed, they wrote down his name for me (three times with three different spellings) but did not know his phone # or email address. (I later googled him and got both). Perhaps due to this little interaction, HOWARD forgot to tell me about the Business Centre, the gift shop, the free shuttle to the local mall, hotel restaurant hours, the WIFI code, the hotel spa, or any of the other hotel services. He did mention the Executive Lounge several times in a tone approaching reverence. Never in my 20 years of experience with Hilton
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