Reservations / Refunds - appalling customer service

Breakwater Lodge - V&A - Cape Town

I know that COVID has turned the hotel industry upside down. However I had a confirmed booking for the 31st December which the hotel insisted I pay for in full in August 2020. I was contacted on the 30th December (after the announcement of the new curfew) to see if I wanted to cancel and was advised that I could do so without any penalties. I cancelled and was told that my credit card would be refunded within 5 - 7 working days. After 8 working days I sent an email requesting details of where the refund was paid because I can't track it on my credit card account. This email, plus the follow up one sent the next day, have both been ignored (not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement of the email and that they would revert with answers). It would appear that the hotel policy is to ignore anything they don't want to deal with.

Great hotel, but I would suggest that if you want to stay there you insist on paying in full on arrival, because refunds (or customer service) obviously aren't something they know anything about.