Antrim apartment by Totalstay

Formal Complaint Regarding Deposit Policy and Staff Conduct

I am writing to formally raise a complaint regarding my experience during check-in on 30.09.25 at your Antrim apartment by Totalstay, Cape Town establishment. On arrival at approximately 8pm, I was informed I had to pay a R1000 deposit, despite only staying one night and checking out at 6am the following morning. While I was willing to pay, I asked to see documentation of this requirement, as it had not been clearly communicated beforehand. This policy seems unreasonable under such short-stay circumstances, and I believe it should be made more visible to customers prior to arrival. Unfortunately, my request for clarification was met with rudeness from staff member Mr. Luther Malama, who was dismissive, unhelpful, and at one stage even suggested I leave, despite the fact that I had already paid for the accommodation. When I asked to speak to a manager, he became visibly annoyed, told me to “check the website,” refused to give me his name, and made inappropriate remarks that I found highly unprofessional. Eventually, he agreed to call Ms. Nicola Perez, who spoke to me telephonically. While she explained the refund process, she did not address the manner in which I was treated by her staff member. As a manager, I would have expected her to acknowledge and act on such behavior immediately, yet the issue of disrespect was left unaddressed. My key concerns are therefore: 1. The lack of transparency and fairness regarding the R1000 deposit policy, particularly for one-night stays with early check-out. 2. The unprofessional and disrespectful conduct of Mr. Malama. 3. The lack of managerial action in addressing this behavior when it was brought to attention. I respectfully request that: • Clear documentation of your deposit policy be provided and made visible to customers in advance. • The incident with Mr. Malama be investigated, and appropriate action taken regarding his conduct.