Every year, TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards are granted to hotels and destinations in a number of categories that have excelled not in the eyes of ivory-tower judges, but in the eyes of real travellers around the world.
This year, GuestRevu is thrilled to announce that several of our clients have received Travelers’ Choice Awards in a number of categories:
Royal St Andrews Hotel, Port Alfred, South Africa
Although it only opened its doors two years ago, The Royal St Andrews Hotel has already earned the impressive Travellers’ Choice Award of fourth best hotel in South Africa, and ranks 22nd on the list of the top hotels in Africa.
“We are incredibly proud to be recognised as being one of the top properties in South Africa after just two years of running. Exceeding our guests’ expectations in service, quality and experience are hallmarks of The Royal St Andrews Hotel.” Says Wessel Benson, General Manager of the Royal St Andrews Hotel.
“Without GuestRevu and its TripAdvisor integration, we would not have received volume of high scoring reviews, which led to us achieving 4th place in TripAdvisor's annual Travellers' Choice award for South Africa.” – Wessel Benson, General Manager, Royal St Andrews Hotel.
For Benson, staying on top of guest feedback is a necessity for running a top-class establishment. “We chose GuestRevu as our guest intelligence partner in order to receive and be able to analyse feedback from our guests. This feedback has assisted us in responding to, and staying current with our guests needs and desires,” says Benson. “Without GuestRevu and its TripAdvisor integration, we would not have received volume of high scoring reviews, which led to us achieving 4th place in TripAdvisor's annual Travellers' Choice award for South Africa.”
Ellerman House, Bantry Bay, South Africa
Ellerman House has a long track record of putting its guests first, and this has certainly paid off in the Travelers’ choice awards. Ellerman house was awarded 13th position in the top small hotels in South Africa, 14th position in top luxury hotels in South Africa, and 22nd place for top hotels for service in South Africa.
Lindsy Terry, Sales and Marketing Manager at Ellerman House, recognises that communicating with guests through an online system like GuestRevu’s is one of the best ways to ensure that you are providing the experiences that make their stays special. “We love working with GuestRevu,” says Terry. “They have made it very easy for us to communicate with our guests, and receive the necessary feedback we need in order to constantly improve our offering.”
Belgrace Boutique Hotel, White River, South Africa
Belgrace Boutique Hotel also proves great things often come in small packages. The hotel’s excellent staff and attention to detail have helped it scoop the 18th position on the list of best small hotels in South Africa.
Mojo Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Mojo Hotel prides itself on providing superior accommodation at affordable prices, which is why it comes as no surprise that it managed to scoop the 11th position on the list of top bargain hotels in South Africa.
Devon van den Berg, Marketing Manager at Mojo Hotel is well aware of the importance of online reviews and the hotel’s TripAdvisor presence; “Reputation is everything in business, and even more so in hospitality,” says Van den Berg.
“Reputation is everything in business, and even more so in hospitality.” – Devon van den Berg, Marketing Manager, Mojo Hotel
Using GuestRevu’s online reputation technology has made it much easier for van den Berg to manage Mojo Hotel’s online presence. “GuestRevu has assisted our hotel significantly with our online reputation management, saving us time and money,” asserts Van den Berg. “The system is convenient and easy to use with great support on standby should you get stuck along the way. The staff at GuestRevu is knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly and they have always provided our business healthy support and kind help.”
Eendracht Hotel, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Eendracht Hotel is the first of our clients on this list that proves that excellent guest experience doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. This hotel’s consistently good reviews have helped it earn the position of 13th best bargain hotel in South Africa.
The Russel Hotel, Knysna, South Africa
There is plenty to do and see in Knysna, so the Russel hotel knows it doesn’t have to go over the top to impress its guests. Offering consistently good service and housekeeping, and offering a great breakfast for travellers and holidaymakers, have helped the Russel Hotel earn 15th position on the list of best bargain hotels in South Africa.
“Did the trick”
Great staff attitude, friendly and effective. Breakfast service especially welcoming... All in all worthwhile stop on our journey. Location fine for us, rooms were comfortable and clean, spec generally good...
MyPond Hotel, Port Alfred, South Africa
Long-time client of GuestRevu, MyPond hotel is no stranger to excellent guest reviews, and this year these reviews helped them earn the 16th position on the list of best bargain hotels in South Africa.
Montagu Country Hotel, Montagu, South Africa
Providing consistently good experiences for guests throughout all of their interactions with Montagu Country Hotel and its staff, from reservation to checkout, has paid off, and the hotel achieved the ranking of 17th best bargain hotel in South Africa.
“Montagu Country Hotel”
I just loved our overnight stay at this establishment. Everything was perfect. From the moment I made a telephone booking to when we checked out. The very friendly staff was very welcoming, the rooms were special (the hot water shower, especially was fantastic!), the bar service and dinner were excellent. We had a great stay and can recommend this hotel...
Turnberry Boutique Hotel, Oudtshoorn, South Africa
Running an excellent hotel, whether in the luxury or bargain niches, often boils down to one ingredient – your staff. The excellent team at the Turnberry Boutique Hotel have earned it spot number 21 on the list of best bargain hotels in South Africa.
Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve, Port Alfred, South Africa
Oceana is not in the business of providing accommodation, but of providing experiences. It is both a beach getaway and a safari spot, and while doing both is also a place of such luxury that it managed to scoop the Travelers’ Choice Award for 19th best luxury hotel in South Africa.
Monarch Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa
Great service and pervasive luxury often go hand in hand, as is the case at the Monarch hotel, which was chosen by TripAdvisor users as the 20th best luxury hotel in South Africa, and the 24th best hotel for service in South Africa.
The Last Word Franschhoek, Franschhoek, South Africa
South Africa’s wine country is known for its picturesque vistas and luxurious venues, making it an ideal area in which to spend romantic time as a couple. This is why it is no surprise that spot number 14 on the list of best hotels for romance in South Africa went to The Last Word Franschhoek, which offers all of the Cape Winelands splendour, plus its own addition of excellent service and decadent accommodation.
52 De Wet, Bantry Bay, South Africa
Creating an aura of romance for your guests doesn’t have to be done out in the winelands, though. 52 De Wet in the city of Cape Town also earned a spot on the list of best hotels for romance in South Africa (at 22nd place). The view, spa, and excellent service were all cited by guests as reasons this hotel stood out from the crowd.
Sondela Nature Reserve Accommodation, Bela Bela, South Africa
Holidaying as a family can be tricky – people of vastly different ages going to the same place all hoping to have the times of lives makes for a tall order, but one that Sondela fulfils magnificently. Sondela has the honour this year of being chosen by TripAdvisor users as the number one hotel for families in not just South Africa, but also all of Africa.
Colette Komlosy, Marketing Manager at Sondela, is thrilled with the reserve's award, saying, “Sondela Nature Reserve is truly honoured have received the TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award as one of the Top 10 Best Family Resorts in South Africa for 2017! TripAdvisor highlights the world’s top properties based on millions of reviews and opinions that are collected from travellers around the globe, and which help to inspire others in selecting their perfect destination.”
Komlosy is aware of the importance of reviews not only for their value as online reputational currency, but also because guest reviews help Sondela to maintain standards that lead to exeptional guest satisfaction. “For Sondela, these reviews provide much needed feedback on our guests’ holiday experience and our service to them,” says Komlosy. “They are crucial in keeping us in touch with our guests’ every need, so that we can keep improving on a continual basis and retain our spot in the top 1% of hotels on TripAdvisor. Credit to GuestRevu for the part they play in our success story by ensuring our guests submit their reviews to TripAdvisor.
“Being recognized by our guests in this way for the 3rd year running is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our awesome Sondela team, to the great work done by TripAdvisor and GuestRevu and of course, to our awesome guests!”
Warmbaths, A Forever Resort, Bela Bela, South Africa
Warmbaths resort in Bela Bela has always been a firm favourite with families, and was recognised by TripAdvisor users as the 3rd best hotel for families in South Africa, and the 11th best hotel for families on the continent.
“Total relaxation”
Awesome place. A must-visit. Very suitable for families and groups. You might want to carry your own food or do a braai. It’s fantastic, you will not notice how the day goes by. It gets packed but that’s part of the fun. Will definitely be back
Emerald Resort & Casino, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
Emerald Resort & Casino also manages to pull of the feat of entertaining young and old alike, with a variety of services and activities that will appeal to many different age groups, it has earned the titles of 7th best hotel for families in South Africa and the 19th best for families in Africa.
Spelling and grammar mistakes in some reviews were corrected, and some have been edited for brevity.
