SR
SORINA R

1 reviews | Active since Jul 2011

19 Nov 2017, 09:42

First time stay at Pine Lodge Resort turned into a disaster of a night

Complaint: Hello, it's our first stay at Pine Lodge Resort. We booked and paid for 2 nights (check in Sat 18th and check out Monday morning the 20th) in the Luxury Chalet with value of R2595.70. After checking in around 1pm the 18th, husband and I unpacked our luggage from the car and moved it inside to chalet number 57. Upon the first hour spent in the chalet, we fell in love with it and I booked another visit to Pine Lodge via Booking.com for x4 nights over the festive season, check in Fri 29th Dec and check out Tuesday 2nd Jan 2018 to the value of around R9000. We heard loud music play since the moment we arrived at the chalet, thinking it's maybe one of the other guests playing their music loud and hoped it would eventually quite down. But around 6pm, the music still blaring and I called the lodge's office and told them there's very loud noise on their resort and I wanted to know where it comes from because it's disturbing us as guests.I was told the music is coming from the Ziggy restaurant on Pine Lodge's property. I told the lady that they must arrange that the music be turned off immediately as it's very disturbing to us and I'm sure other guests too. She said she'll send the security guard to go tell Ziggy's to turn music off. After roughly 30mins the music was still blaring. My husband and myself decided to walk to the office and tell them to turn the music off and to communicate our reasoning behind this, we were not informed beforehand that there'll be such an event at Pine Lodge, otherwise I would never have booked this. We wanted and paid for a quiet, peaceful, tranquil, safe, getaway, paid with my very hard earned money (I am not rich). With much surprise, we passed Ziggy's and saw alot of vehicles parked in parking lot and alot more cars and people arriving. The music was very loud. We passed parked cars with white and red liquor cups strewn around cars and parking lot. Witnessed drunk people exiting Ziggy's, climbing in their car to drive, also liquor cups around their car. Almost reaching the office, we witnessed about 4 white young drunk men in conflict with a group of black youngsters, they had broken beer bottles and looked like they were willing to harm each other. The office lady walked to the security guard and the 4 of us walked back to Ziggy's to see Ziggy's manager in parking lot. We told him to turn the music off, not softer. He rep**** that he'll go back inside and turn the base down slightly and that the music should stop at 10pm as they are aloud to legally play music till then he pointed out to me. I told him I'm not happy with that, and he said that's all he can do from his side. I decided to go back to the office and demanded a full refund as I didn't spend my hard earned money to go to a resort where guests get disrespected, loud music was permitted to play, drunk youngsters walking around the parking lot and chalets, being noisy, people threatening to stab each other with broken beer bottles, fights breaking out at Ziggy's. Calls were made to Pine Lodge's managers and a full refund was authorised. They needed my bank card, so we walked back to the chalet, then back to the office where people drinking alcohol openly in the parking lot now. My refund was done. I then asked to see the in charge of Pine Lodge and manager of Ziggy's in the office together to inform them that I'm disgusted at the way they treat their guests. That clearly the patrons of Ziggy's are the guests and we that pay alot for these chalets (your true guests) should now just be content with this type of customer service, loud music blaring, drunk people on the premises and a safety risk. Ziggy's manager told me that the event is a charity event and only once off. I told him I don't care if they slaughter animals or if it's a charity event for kids with cancer, I did not pay for our visit to experience this. That I don't care what the reason is for this madness but it surely is not the experience I'd paid or hoped for. I booked this chalet with the promise of calmness, safety, stillness and instead of keeping your guests satisfied and happy, you'd rather refund me as to allow Ziggy's noise to keep blaring and selling alcohol(making money), you showed your true colors. I'm angry, upset and disappointed. While waiting in the office for managers, a young white male entered the office wanting to buy cigarettes, he asked us if we're guests here and I rep**** unfortunately yes. He started talking, saying that we should join Ziggy's as it's for a charity event that he organized. I told him I want nothing to do with it, he kept on talking, trying to convince us to go to Ziggy's and I told him he'll not play that role in forcing me to feel sorry because it's a charity event and then I'll let it slip by. I want that music turned off, that I paid this getaway with my hard earned cash. I asked him how old he is, he rep**** 22 years and I told him I'm 33 years, that I'm working blood sweat and tears for my money and don't want to waste it at a place like this. I told him that he also smells like liquor, I asked his name, told him they'll here from me again, that I'm sure The Herald would have a space for these happenings. He told me that his mother owns The Herald, very arrogantly. I faced them, representative of Pine Lodge and manager of Ziggy's, and told them that we loved the place upon check in and I immediately booked 4 nights (as previously stated) but that I'm cancelling that booking, as I will not support them. I appealed to their humanity, asking them what they'd do if they're in a similar situation. They just kept on saying sorry. I told them sorry is not enough, told them that word-of-mouth is the best adverti*****t/marketing tool. Husband and myself packed our luggage and packed the car in the dark, while busy doing this, a couple passed us towards chalet 58, they asked if we're leaving and we said yes, because of the noise, that they said music will be off at 10pm, but this couple said that Friday night the music/noise went on till the wee hours of the morning . I need a response from Booking.com and Pine Lodge regarding this ordeal, an apology and a fully paid 4 night stay in luxury suite nr 57 from Fri 29th Nov to Tuesday 2nd Jan 2018, paid either by Ziggy's or Pine Lodge Resort, offering us as guests compensation for the discomfort and inconvenience that we experienced. I'm awaiting their speedily reply.

I feel that I need to inform people of what happened, so no one has to ever experience this horrible and sad ordeal that we experienced.

0
Replies (0)