Horrible service

So I had a horrible experience at this place today. I had just landed from Kenya and had booked a weekend at this place for my daughter and I to spend time together.

So I arrive and go to reception to check in for us and this man at the front desk begins the process. And he starts by asking me to pay a R1500 deposit. I don’t object at first because I was under the impression that they need me to pay a portion of the bill for my stay upfront instead of maybe paying at the end of my stay. I even took out my card to pay the whole bill upfront as I didn’t have any problem with that. Only to find out that he was actually asking me to pay R1500 in cash, in addition to the bill which I was quoted when I booked the place on booking.com. This was rather odd because why would I need to pay an additional amount of money than I was quoted? So he went on to explain that they had just decided the previous day that guests should pay this R1500 as a surety against those who break property rules or something like that. I told him that it is not okay to ask guest to make extra monetary payments when that was not included in their adverts in booking sites so that I can understand and know as a guest that this was what I was signing up for. I also told him that it is particularly not fair to make rules and impose them on guests when they have already booked under the old rules. It’s all good and well to make rules, but they should be imposed on future bookings.

Anyway, to justify the imposition of their new rule, the person at the front desk suggested that I would take alcohol to the pool, make noise for other guests, and/or refuse to wear a mask. He then went on to threaten to evict us when that happened. That is when I actually flipped... because why are we being profiled? So I ask him why would he assume I or my daughter would do those things? I read the property rules when I made the booking and I understood them... so why would there be an assumption that I would make noise to disturb other guests, refuse to abide by nationwide Covid regulations, and/or take alcohol to the pool? Do I even drink alcohol for him to make such leaps about my possible behavior?

Instead of getting an apology and an amicable solution... while I held my card in my hand and a pen on my hand to sign check in documents this man proceeds to tell me that he will cancel my booking because I refuse to accept being accused of things and/or being threatened. And I was telling him that what he was doing was not okay. He then proceeded to cancel my booking... and get this, the reason for cancellation is that my credit card was invalid. And after leaving the property, he proceeds to send me another email claiming that I informed them that I could not stay with them. At this point I’m incensed because now he is just lying to cover his ass.

So if you travel long distance and are thinking of spending a weekend with your child in this horrible place think twice. You will not see peace. Go somewhere else. There are plenty of places in Sandton where you can spend your money at. And this ain’t it.