This modern, airy and spacious business hotel in upscale uMhlanga Rocks won’t win any style awards, but it’s a solid choice for a traveler who’s not fussed about trendiness but wants comfort, service, and most importantly, location.

The hotel is just a five-minute walk from the massive Gateway Mall with its endless array of bars, restaurants and boutiques, and dozens of office parks which house branches of major global companies. This is presumably why the GC is frequented by business travelers from both within and outside South Africa — including myself, who found that the office I was intending to visit was literally in the next building over.

The immaculate rooms have warm wood furnishings, abstract wall hangings, firm beds, and spacious bathrooms with hints of colorful tile. Some of the rooms are interconnecting, so if you’ve got a large family and want to spread out, this is a convenient option.

The wi-fi is fairly fast (350MB free per day), but not to the point where you could feasibly do a day’s worth of work in your room with the same efficiency as your office. There is a business centre on the ground floor with two computer workstations, but much to my annoyance neither was working during my visit, and none of the staff seemed to have any clue how to fix them. Since my laptop had unexpectedly broken the day before, the lack of a hotel computer workstation was a serious inconvenience to me — I hope the hotel sorts this out quickly so that the next guest in my predicament isn’t stuck with no way to work. Having said that, the manager did allow me to use his computer in the back office — a kind gesture that was reflective of the overall superb service here.

The onsite Mnandi restaurant offers buffet breakfasts, lunch and snacks, and delicious dinners where you can choose from the international buffet, or the “Asian station” of tandoor dishes, curries, pilaf and more. (Room service is available if you prefer to dine in privacy.) The bar is open until 11pm and offers a range of beers, wines, and liquors.

I didn’t get a chance to use the 5th floor gym nor the courtyard pool, but I had a peek at both and they seemed to be well-maintained and attractive. Same with the conference facilities, which includes eight rooms that can accommodate up to 180 people.

With all the amenities, outstanding service, perfect location and rooms that cost as little as R950 per night, the Garden Court offers great value for money.