Johannesburg's Hidden Gem: Airport Royal Guest House - Unbelievable Stays!
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into the (hopefully) delightful chaos that is reviewing the Airport Royal Guest House in Johannesburg. "Unbelievable Stays!" they boast. Alright, alright, let's see if they deliver. Prepare for a messy, opinionated, and hopefully helpful breakdown. Think of this as less a precise critique and more a rambling, excited phone call to your best travel buddy, but with (hopefully) some useful info sprinkled in.
First Impressions (and the Anxiety of Arrival)
Finding a genuinely good airport hotel… well, it’s like finding a unicorn that also does your taxes. The pressure is always on. Especially when you're in Jo'burg and just praying your connecting flight isn't a disaster. Accessibility is key, right? Thankfully, Airport Royal seems to (mostly) get it. They claim to have facilities for disabled guests – YES! Thank goodness. I'm not personally in a wheelchair but I appreciate it! I just know how tough it can be for my sister to even find a hotel that thinks about that stuff. Rambling aside: I saw a bunch of reviews online, which I should probably get back to at some point… but ugh, scrolling. Plus, the airport transfers are a lifesaver. Don't get me started on haggling with Jo'burg taxi drivers at 6 AM. The check-in/out [express] and check-in/out [private] options are excellent because if you're like me, you just want to collapse into a bed after a long flight.
The Rooms: My Temporary Sanctuary (with Potential Hang-ups)
Alright, let's talk rooms. They've got Non-smoking rooms. Huge win, because nobody wants the lingering cigarette ghost of the previous guest. They highlight many features from the room: Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
Okay, a few key things to know before booking: I'm ALWAYS skeptical about the "extra long bed." Like, am I getting a proper king-sized bed, or something pretending to be one? Also, internet access – LAN. Do people even use LAN anymore? Okay, old-school, I get it. I'm old enough to remember carrying round-the-clock modems around, so maybe I just get it. And, finally, the "Room sanitization Opt-Out Available” – I’m super conflicted about this. Does this mean they're automatically sanitizing my room? Good! But also… what about the guests who don't care and just want a clean bed? What a quagmire! I’m still unsure. But the possibility of a sanitized safe space is a huge plus. Speaking of which: Rooms sanitized between stays is vital! Finally, the Smoke alarms are a comfort.
Safety First (and Why That Matters Now More Than Ever)
Okay, let’s jump in and talk about how they're actually handling the whole insane mess of the world. They have:
- Anti-viral cleaning products – Check.
- Daily disinfection in common areas – Good.
- Hand sanitizer – Excellent.
- Hygiene certification – Okay, that's good to know.
- Individually-wrapped food options – A plus!
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter – Necessary!
- Professional-grade sanitizing services – Smart.
- Rooms sanitized between stays – Essential.
- Safe dining setup - Smart.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items – Phew.
- Staff trained in safety protocol – Important.
- Sterilizing equipment – Nice.
Look, I'm not one to be too paranoid, but a safe environment is a big deal now. It's comforting to see they seem to taking it seriously. It's nice to see the CCTV in common areas and Security [24-hour].
Food, Glorious Food (and My Stomach's Mixed Feelings)
Okay, the food situation. Breakfast [buffet] or Breakfast service? Yes, please. I love a good buffet. The mention of Asian breakfast and Asian cuisine in restaurant makes me sit up and notice. That is interesting. The fact that there's Coffee/tea in restaurant and Coffee shop is a must for me. Room service [24-hour] is a total lifesaver after a long haul. Snack bar is good for a quick bite. They also offer: A la carte in restaurant, Alternative meal arrangement, Bar, Bottle of water, Buffet in restaurant, Desserts in restaurant, Happy hour, International cuisine in restaurant, Poolside bar, Restaurants, Salad in restaurant, Soup in restaurant, Vegetarian restaurant, Western breakfast, Western cuisine in restaurant.
Honestly? The sheer amount of dining options is impressive. I mean, a Poolside bar? Lovely. Happy hour? Sign me up! The fact they cater to different diets is a massive plus. The real test? The deliciousness! I'm hoping the Asian cuisine isn’t a pale imitation of the real thing.
Relaxation and the Pursuit of Bliss (or at Least a Nap)
Okay, now for the good stuff! Are they really delivering on the "unbelievable stays" promise? They have a Pool with view. Intriguing. They have a Sauna, Spa, Spa/sauna, Steamroom, Swimming pool, Swimming pool [outdoor]. Sweat emoji, multiple. They also have Body scrub, Body wrap, Massage. YES! The mention of a Gym/fitness is good for those crazy people who can't sit still. Now. I want to talk about the massage. After that flight, that's the only way I'll be able to face the realities of international travel. I would live at the spa. Fitness center and Foot bath are nice add-ons. The whole relaxation section screams "take a load off."
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things (that Make a Big Difference)
Okay, so do they deliver on the day-to-day stuff? This is where the little things can really make or break a stay. They have:
- Air conditioning in public area - Essential.
- Business facilities - Good for those corporate types I see on every flight.
- Cash withdrawal - Needed.
- Concierge - Helpful.
- Contactless check-in/out - Smart.
- Convenience store - Great!
- Currency exchange - Necessary, especially in Jo'burg.
- Daily housekeeping - Yay!
- Doorman - Fancy indeed.
- Dry cleaning - A nice touch.
- Elevator - Phew.
- Essential condiments - Okay.
- Food delivery - Helpful.
- Gift/souvenir shop - Nice.
- Invoice provided - Fine.
- Ironing service - Okay, but I just pack wrinkle-free clothes.
- Laundry service - Excellent.
- Luggage storage - Good to know!
- Safety deposit boxes - Definitely.
- Smoking area - For the smokers among us.
- Terrace - Always appreciated.
- Xerox/fax in business center - Ok, a blast from the past.
These are all standard, but the little things like a convenience store and food delivery can make all the difference after a long flight.
For the Kids (and Those Who Need a Break)
Okay, not directly applicable for
Escape to Paradise: Your Dream Stay at Twr Y Felin Hotel, St. Davids
Okay, buckle up buttercup, because this ain't your average meticulously-planned-to-the-minute itinerary. This is the raw, unfiltered, slightly-hungover-after-a-long-flight journey of yours truly through the legendary (and potentially slightly terrifying) Airport Royal Guest House in Johannesburg. Prepare for a rollercoaster!
The "Arrival and Immediate Regret (Maybe)" Plan
Time: 6:00 AM - 6:30 AM (ish, who the heck knows what time it really is after that flight?)
- Activity: Land at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB). Breathe deeply. Tell yourself, "You got this." Immediately question all life choices that led you here.
- Transportation: The incredibly speedy (and hopefully not too bumpy) airport shuttle to the Royal Guest House. Pray it doesn't break down halfway through. I'm already envisioning myself stranded on the side of a highway at dawn, re-evaluating my life purpose.
- Emotional Reaction: A heady mix of jet lag, existential dread, and the faint aroma of airplane peanuts clinging to my clothes. I'm also kind of buzzing with a bizarre, manic energy. "Adventure!" I might whisper to myself, promptly followed by, "Sweet Jesus, what have I done?"
Time: 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM (or possibly longer, depending on how friendly the receptionist is)
- Activity: Check in. Pray the room is clean. Pray the shower works. Pray there aren’t any creepy crawlies. And pray the internet actually, you know, exists.
- Location: Airport Royal Guest House. It's a place. We'll see.
- Quirky Observation: Will the decor be charmingly retro or just plain dated? I have a feeling it leans heavily towards the latter. I'm mentally preparing myself for wallpaper that's seen more decades than I have.
- Emotional Reaction: A flicker of hope mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism. Mostly, I'm just yearning for a proper lie-down.
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM (or until I can't fight it any longer)
- Activity: Attempt to sleep. Fail miserably. Blame the jet lag, the traffic outside, and the mysterious humming sound coming from who-knows-where.
- Location: My lovely (hopefully) room.
- Anecdote: Remember that time on the flight when the kid behind me kicked my seat for three solid hours? Yeah, I have a feeling this trip is going to be…like that. Except with more South African accents and possibly wilder animals. (I hope).
- Emotional Reaction: Pure, unadulterated frustration. I’m considering sacrificing a small goat to the sleep gods.
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (ish, if I'm still alive and conscious)
- Activity: Embrace the inevitable. Give up on sleep. Scour the room for coffee-making facilities (fingers crossed). Find the nearest source of caffeine – this could be a matter of life and death at this point.
- Location: The Room, and possibly the common area if the promise of coffee beckons.
- Quirky Observation: I'm going to make it a goal to find a local pastry. Someone who's been here before, tell me what's the best pastry, for research reasons, you know.
- Emotional Reaction: That groggy, caffeinated optimism is starting to creep in. Maybe this won't be a complete disaster after all!
The "Embracing the Mess (Hopefully)" Day
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Activity: Venture out! This is a very loose plan, a true itinerary of life. Maybe a morning at the Apartheid Museum. Maybe. Or maybe I take a wrong turn and end up in a township. The adventure unfolds.
- Transportation: Uber. Or, if I’m feeling brave (and foolish), public transport.
- Anecdote I'll tell you a story about the museum or whatever about a very specific piece of information I found, hopefully, from here.
- Emotional Reaction: Nervous excitement. Curiosity. A vague sense that I’m about to be completely out of my depth.
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- Activity: Lunch. I want to eat something authentically South African. Bobotie? Biltong? I'm open to suggestion, but the food has to be good.
- Location: Somewhere nearby. Or not so nearby, depending on how ambitious I'm feeling.
- Quirky Observation: Will they have proper peri-peri sauce? Because if they don't, I might cry.
- Emotional Reaction: Extreme hanger. Food is the most important thing right now.
Time: 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
- Activity: Explore. Wander. Get lost. Find unexpected things. Maybe discover a hidden gem. Or stumble upon a slightly dodgy situation. Either way, it's a story.
- Location: The streets. The soul.
- Messier Structure: This time is fluid. Allow for unexpected detours. Get lost. Chat with the locals.
- Emotional Reaction: Openness. Anticipation. The thrill of the unknown.
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- Activity: Wind down. Head back to the Guest House. Reflect on the day's adventures (or misadventures). Take a shower if the water pressure holds up. Maybe.
- Location: The Royal Guest House
- Quirky Observation: Will my room be clean? It's the little things, right?
- Emotional Reaction: Exhaustion. Gratitude for a hot shower.
Time: 7:00 PM - Until I Pass Out
- Activity: Dinner (whatever food I can find, probably delivered), and then fall face first into bed from exhaustion.
- Location: The Room
- Rambles: Contemplate life, the universe, and everything. Journal. Probably spend way too much time scrolling through my phone looking at pictures of cats (because, why not?).
- Emotional Reaction: Contentment, but probably mixed with a healthy dose of "should I be worried about leaving the lights on?"
The "Departure (Goodbye, Johannesburg!)"
Time: 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
- Activity: Attempt to wake up, pack, and mentally prepare for the next leg of the journey. Double-check that passport.
- Transportation: Airport shuttle (again). Praying the same driver does not recognize me.
- Emotional Reaction: Bittersweet. Relief. A strong desire for a really, really good coffee.
Time: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
- Activity: Check out of the Royal Guest House. Hope I didn’t leave anything important behind. Say a silent prayer that the room didn't collapse under the weight of my emotional baggage.
- Quirky Observation: Did I actually sleep in a haunted house? No time to investigate, on to the next adventure.
- Emotional Reaction: A sense of accomplishment (I survived!), mixed with a touch of nostalgia for the chaos.
Time: 8:00 AM onwards
- Activity: Fly away.
- Emotional Reaction: The beginning of the "I can cross that off my bucket list".
Disclaimer: This itinerary is subject to the whims of fate, jet lag, questionable decision-making, and the general unpredictability that is me. Embrace the mess! Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Ipoh's BEST Family Home: 4BR, Washer, Kitchen! ManLi Homestay Awaits!
1. So, you wanna bake sourdough, huh? You think you're *so* special? (And is it even worth it?)
Alright, alright, settle down, ambitious baker. Let's be real. The sourdough thing? It's a *commitment*. It's like having a needy miniature pet that demands constant attention (and flour). But... is it worth it? Oh. My. GAWD. Yes. Absolutely, unequivocally, YES. The first time you pull a loaf out of the oven, and that crust crackles like a thousand tiny, happy explosions... the smell that fills your kitchen... it's pure magic. I nearly cried the first time. Seriously. I thought I was a tough cookie, but the aroma just... broke me. Worth it. Every. Single. Time. Just be prepared for the learning curve. Think of it as a relationship. Sometimes you fight, you have miscommunications (like, say, a fridge full of exploded starter), and you want to throw it all away. But you don't. Because the good times... oh, the good times!
2. Okay, fine, I'm intrigued. What *is* this "starter" thing? Is it some kind of culinary sorcery?
Yes, kind of. Think of it as your sourdough baby, your flour and water offspring, your... well, you get the idea. It's essentially a colony of wild yeasts and bacteria that you literally *grow* from flour and water. It's like having a tiny, invisible ecosystem living in a jar on your countertop. Sounds gross, I know. But trust me on this one. I named mine "Harold," because I needed SOMETHING to humanize the whole weird process. Harold, bless his yeast-filled heart, almost died multiple times. I forgot to feed him, I left him in the sun... I'm surprised he hasn't staged a coup. He's still kicking though, a testament to his resilience (and probably my sheer stubbornness). The things that will fail you, though. The things that will make you want to *scream*... yeah, those are the times.
3. Feeding the Beast: How often do I have to babysit this thing?! I barely have time for *myself*!
Ugh. The feeding. Right. It's a pain. Initially, you'll be playing the role of a hyper-attentive parent. Daily feedings, discarding half your starter (which, btw, feels like a crime against flour), the whole shebang. Then, once you've got a happy, bubbly starter (that doubles in size within a few hours of being fed), you can usually switch to a weekly feeding routine. But listen, even *that* can be a drag, especially when you're tired, or you're on vacation, or you just... don't feel like it. There's been times I've basically *begged* my friends to "feed Harold" while I was gone. They looked at me like I was from another planet. "You want us to... what now? Give it flour?" Yeah. Sounds ridiculous, I know. But the longer you go into it, the more you grow to love it. Okay, maybe not love. Respect. And sometimes, that's enough.
4. Flour Power: What kind of flour do I use? Bleached? Unbleached? *Organic*?!? (Are we getting pretentious?)
Okay, so this is where things can get a little... *intense*. You *can* use all-purpose flour. It'll work. But the flavor and texture will improve if you experiment. Don't break the bank on expensive flours right away. Try a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat – that's what always works for me. The organic vs. non-organic debate? Honestly, I'll admit sometimes, I just grab the cheapest damn bag at the grocery. Does it make a difference? Maybe. But sourdough isn't about perfection, it's about the journey. The messy, sometimes-burnt, often-undercooked, utterly delicious journey. Don't let the flour snobs intimidate you. Just use what works and have fun! I've had a couple of bread fails so spectacular that I'm pretty sure they could have won a "worst bread of the year" award. But, hey. They were learning experiences.
5. Okay, so I've got my starter. I've fed the beast (a few times, anyway). Now what?! Kneading and all that jazz?
Ah, the actual baking part! This is where the real fun (and frustration) begins. First, you gotta learn to *read* your starter. Is it bubbly? Is it doubled in size? Does it smell... good? (It should have a slightly sour, yeasty aroma, not like, "something died in my fridge.") Then you'll mix it with flour and water, and the dough. Kneading is key, but don't overdo it! I learned the hard way after I almost broke my wrist from kneading the dough. Seriously, the amount of force I learned to use would have made Captain America proud. Then there's the bulk fermentation, the shaping, the proofing (the waiting!), the scoring... then, finally, the baking! It's a long process. A beautiful process. But often, a *very* long process. There were some attempts where I thought I was going to have to sleep on the countertop.
6. My bread turned out like a brick! What the heck did I do wrong?! (Is it fixable?)
Listen, my friend, we've all been there. That dense, un-risen, vaguely bread-shaped brick is practically a sourdough rite of passage. There are *so* many things that can go wrong. Under-proofing. Over-proofing. Not enough starter. Too much water. Too little salt. The oven temperature. The list goes on. My first loaf was a disaster. A genuine, honest-to-goodness, "I want to chuck this out the window" disaster. But hey, even bricks have their uses! (I actually made bread pudding with it.) What did I do wrong? Probably everything, honestly. But I learned from it. The most important thing is to keep trying. Take notes, tweak your recipe, and don't get discouraged. It takes practice. Loads and loads of practices, but that's okay! That is the journey for any person who likes to start baking.
7. OK, I'm starting to get the hang of this! What are some tips for a beginner, that doesn't involve smashing my head against the counter?
Alright, let's tryStay Finder Blogs
