A night at the Aquarian Tide Hotel
Ulla Setswalo | Friday August 14, 2015 14:36
From the outside, it looks like a plain office block as construction is still underway.
Little did yours truly know that sophistication waits inside. Aquarian Tide Hotel is the newbie in the hospitality business and it has 110 guest rooms, 72 of them being standard double rooms, 20 standard twin beds and 18 standard queen rooms. They also have personalised family rooms. The hotel offers a variety of services such as 24-hour dining at their relaxed restaurant with an attractive view of the pool and garden area.
There is ample parking and 24-hour front desk service as well as express check-in and checkout service. Guests can also have their laundry done as per their request. When driving into the hotel site there are security guards and CCTV cameras in the establishment. When I first walked into the hotel’s stylishly furnished lobby, I was blown away by the coziness, luxury and ambience of the hotel. As the saying often goes, don’t judge a book by its cover.
After booking for a night’s stay at the Tide’s standard queen room, I checked in at 2 pm. Unfortunately, there was no concierge to help with luggage but I didn’t mind, as I didn’t have much to carry.
I quickly noticed the welcoming and friendly smiles of the front desk receptionists. The staff courteously helped me and handled my requests timely. As a first time guest at the hotel, I was impressed with the service. My room was on the ground floor overlooking the parking lot and the big A1 road going to Francistown. On my way to the room, I noticed that all others have secure doors that ring when not tightly shut and every room has a bell. As I opened my room, I was impressed by the cleanliness and the beautiful design and décor.
Although it was a standard room, it had a huge queen size bed with white sheets and a velvety headboard and accessories like cushions and throws.
A big flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall and had over 30 television channels so that guests can lie back on the bed and enjoy. There was fresh air in the room and the carpet was really comfortable. There is also a hair dryer, bible, mini bar fridge, air-conditioning, bathroom scale, water glasses, coffee mugs and telephone.
The bathroom was a bit small as it is a standard room, but it was beautifully designed with wood floors and beautiful fittings. The bathroom had a shower with hot water available all day. Toiletries were all available on sight such as shampoo, body lotion, shower gel and towels. The sophisticated hotel also has an inexpensive 24/7 restaurant that caters breakfast to dinner. Room service was offered to me after a hot shower at both dinner and a delicious English breakfast. There is also an alternative of walking or driving to Airport Junction or Sebele Mall for dinner.
Guests can also enjoy the outdoor pool that is nestled in the beautiful garden. The pool bar is under construction to give guests chilled evenings, especially during summer time. Guests can also indulge in shopping sprees at the malls. There are a few developments in the pipeline such as the conference facilities and executive rooms on the other side of the hotel. Aquarian Tide Hotel is definitely a place to visit and enjoy your stay.