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REVIEW | I spent a night at The Capital Melrose and I'd go back for the delectable meals and pool

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I spent a night at The Capital Melrose with my sister and found the decor very interesting. Image provided by Tribeca PR
I spent a night at The Capital Melrose with my sister and found the decor very interesting. Image provided by Tribeca PR
  • I spent a night at The Capital Melrose with my sister and found the decor very interesting.
  • I have to give a special mention to the food, it took longer to prepare. But I can wait longer for ribs that fall of the bone like that, and tasty fries that are so free of grease you can enjoy them without wanting to schedule a gym appointment on the spot.
  • Although the service could have been better, the stay was pleasant overall and I would come back, especially in the warmer months.


I checked in at The Capital Melrose with my sister, but we were running late. The check-in time was 14h00 and we arrived at 14h20, so I was pretty upset because I hate being late, especially if it's work-related. While driving to the hotel in the car, upset and wanting to yell, I surprised myself by remaining calm - a significant improvement to my emotional management.

When we arrived at the hotel, the ladies working at reception were pleasant and did not even fuss about us arriving late. It turns out we were in such a rush leaving home, that we forgot our ID’s, but we managed to use our e-copies instead, which we luckily did have.

And as Covid-19 regulations would have it, our temperature was taken at the gate and we were sanitised at reception.

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All images provided by Tribeca PR

READ MORE | Would you check into a Sandton hotel and, if you like it, make it your permanent home?

Living room design

After we checked in, we passed the lobby with a big mirror on the wall leading to the elevator, and I noticed the colour scheme was a bit subtle with light grey, black, white and emerald green hues. Very welcoming.

Walking into the two-bedroom apartment, I was pleasantly surprised to see how the place is designed to dismantle all feminine expectations - it's a gender-neutral apartment.

The entire apartment has mixed notes of modern as well as rustic designs. The ceiling is concrete, a very modern grey couch with two oversized emerald green cushions, with a painting over it that had similar colours to the lobby. And the armchair tied it all together as it was leathery brown and rustic.

the capital, staycation, hotel, apartment, holiday

The glass coffee table screams modern, but I thought the blown bottle glass hanging lights weren't a great fit with the rest of the decor. But then, each to their own.

The living room has a sliding door leading to the balcony, where there are two chairs and a small table. The living room is connected to the kitchen, which had a modern round dining table and black leather chairs.

Bedrooms

The bedrooms were also a winner - I must say, the smart TV did it for me. The bathroom has an oversized shower, a glorious water pressure, a bathtub and a laundry basket.

the capital, staycation, hotel, apartment, holiday

READ MORE | I went on a solo staycation at a hotel because sometimes self-care can be frivolous

Service

Day 1 dinner

After checking in, we had asked the reception staff what time dinner was and later forgot, so we called to ask again. They told us dinner is from 18h00 until 21h00, the last time to order room service is 20h30 as the kitchen closes at that time.

So, my sister and I dressed up for dinner in heels and full facebeat only to arrive at the restaurant at 20h15 and be met by a waiter who told us we couldn't sit down anymore as they have closed - we could only order room service.

We ended up ordering right there, and the food got delivered to our apartment - and the face beat? Well, that went to waste, sadly. Although all the dressing up was basically to eat inside the apartment, the food was good; the ribs fell off the bone, their chicken nuggets tasted like the ones from McDonald’s (in a good way because I love McD nuggets).

The chicken breasts were tender and stuffed with cheese accompanied by a big bowl of fresh salad and fries that, thankfully, weren’t greasy.

the capital, staycation, hotel, apartment, holiday

Day 2 breakfast

Breakfast is served from 08h30 until 10h00, which is also the checkout time. The breakfast service went much better. We arrived at breakfast at 08h45 and enjoyed the food sitting outside by the pool area.

Their breakfast menu has an extensive selection; however, their food took time to arrive, considering we were the only people at the restaurant at the time. The morning's waitress was way more pleasant than the previous evening's waiter, suggesting we sit inside because of the cold morning wind.

the capital, staycation, hotel, apartment, holiday

We later went in and sat at one of the tables inside for warmth. Our breakfast arrived after a while, and ultimately I would suggest arriving for breakfast an hour and a half early. It could take time. Everything we ordered was on the plate. The mushrooms, in particular, had herbs that made them really good. The bacon wasn’t too dry. Their ‘Hot Breakfast’ menu could use a cheese option though.

READ MORE: A staycation could be what you need to determine you and your partner's baecation compatibility

What I liked:

-         The colour scheme

-         The bed condition and size

-         Clean apartment

-         There were enough pots to fit the self-catering description of the place

-         Cleaning materials

-         Big Smart TVs in all three rooms

-         Fast Wi-Fi for streaming

-         Rustic and modern combined design

-         Balcony for two people to sit

-         Two heavy doors between the living room and small room (noise-proof)

-         Extra blanket in the main room

Despite noisy kitchen vents and no charging ports in the rooms, I absolutely enjoyed my stay at the hotel and would love to come back in summer when I can thoroughly enjoy the balcony and the pool area.

Do you enjoy your hotel stays. Tell us what you enjoy most here.

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