A Birthday Stay That Turned Into a Nightmare

Very disappointing experience

I booked the King Room, the most expensive room available, for my wife’s birthday because I wanted to make it special. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing.

The room was clean and comfortable, but there is no aircon, only a fan. We were also told only on arrival that food and snacks are not allowed in the room, despite this never being mentioned beforehand.

The pool was one of the main reasons I booked, but it was filthy and unusable. The lounge was supposedly available to guests, yet we were not allowed to touch anything and the lights were switched off at around 7 PM. The shared kitchen was also heavily restricted, including the microwave, even when nobody was available to assist.

Breakfast was another disappointment. The plates smelled bad and the food itself smelled and tasted strange.

The worst part was the owner’s attitude and the way we felt we were treated because of our race. We had confirmed beforehand that we would be having a braai. He approached us without greeting, questioned when we checked in, then had the door locked behind us while we were outside. I had to walk around through the bushes just to get back inside.

For the price of the most expensive room, I expected to feel welcomed and respected. Instead, we left feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome.