It's over, horrible experience

Dearest The Blyde

I was hoping as I do with all blind dates, that you would be amazing and that there would be possible future dates and perhaps even falling in love. But it's OVER.

I am not a seasoned dater across continents, I am way more a local is best type of girl and at least twice a year take myself and my daughter off on some new adventure in South Africa, always to places that are a blind date. Now I have been on a few dates, cheap ones, expensive ones and Then you, The Blyde. And I have a few things to say to you about our date. First of all, I will never again so long as I live be going on another date with you The Blyde. NEVER, I know is a long time, but as far as my experience of the Blyde goes, never is not long enough On your request for accommodation there was an option for "what time I would like to check in". I selected 10am as that would have been a beautiful start to the 3 days we would be here, getting to know you. Of course 3 days according to you, is only 3 sleeps, days do not count for you as guests may not use any of your facilities on the morning of departure. Departure is by 10am. Any ways I suppose when you have cost 2.4 billion Rand's to build, money talks.

But along with that saying comes the bull **** walks and it's the bull **** I am actually writing to you about So it turns out that guests may only check in from 2pm, even though your form has the option of times. Your reservations are dependent on deposit received within 48 hours. I of course always pay the full amount so that it is done.

The next morning, less than even 12 hours later I received a phone call from a personal number,( no names mentioned) wanting to know if I had paid my deposit.

I informed the lady that I had already paid the full amount. She had not received any proof of payment from my bank so I resent the pop to the email address provided and I waited. Two days later I phoned the number and got no answer so I sent a WhatsApp to get confirmation on my payment. No response. So I was assuming you are really busy this time of year with all your current *****s as well as blind dates, so I waited. A day later I was anwered " no payment received yet as well as no pop" so I sent confirmation of payment as well as pop to the WhatsApp number . A day later I enquired again, NO answer.

Another day went by, I enquired again, no answer. By this stage I was convinced that this was a ****. Two days later I tried phoning, NO ANSWER, I sent a WhatsApp. At this stage I said something on your FB page about The Blyde being a ****. Within minutes I got a WhatsApp stating, that my payment was received, all in order

Monday evening I received an online check in which I completed, names, ID's etc

Tuesday, the day of check in, by 7am I received another email requesting my full names and ID and a note that check in was strictly at 2pm.

I of course sent an email about the check in request for 10am as it is on the application form. The response, sincere apologies. So **** it, my entire days plans just go to hell, but that's all ok, because friends who used to live here tell me it's wonderful, it's amazing etc, etc, etc and this blind date would be soooo worth the wait.

On my way here I received a WhatsApp saying I've been upgraded at no extra charge, because we are staying for 3 nights . I thank the lady and continue my journey here.

By 2 pm I arrive at your gate, and am told they do not any paper work for me, as of you did not know that I was coming, I have to wait. By 10 past, I send my WhatsApp to the same lady, she asks me to give her 2 minutes she's on her way to sort it out.

By 14:30 I am driving up to our room with the lady in my car to go and collect the paper work on route🫤😶. Like this is super professional for the hype that goes with your name???? By now I am furious, I am Greek and have a Greek temper, my patients is little in such matters. Since I have businesses of my own and I strive to keep my clients happy at all times.

We arrive at the room, which is still being cleaned, by a friendly lady, no uniform, no name tag, her handbag on the kitchen chair and a checkers plastic bag of her cleaning products. By the time she is done I am informed that she's leaving now, but the one towel is outside on the balcony over the chair, as it is still wet🤔. Which makes me wonder if it was washed there in the basin, or was it still from the previous guests, but I suppose one can wonder till you are blue in your face.

Now my next complaint, I'm guessing by now you've realised that this is a letter of complaints, is the amount of dirt on the side of the bath and shower walls, the missing shower doors, the disgustingly dirty hand soap bottles, tattered and torn labels on them, the previous guests mushy sopa on the soap dish, the revolting dirt under the shower mat is enough to make me want to vomit. There are no other toiletries, not that I didn't bring my own. It's just that I've been to some of the scruffiest, cheapest places and they always give one toiletries. But I guess for the amount of money one pays here, one should know to not expect anything other than just your name. Which I believe means, glad, joyous, happy. Mmmm Any who, your pillow case on my bed was gross, I'm sure it was clean, but had old mould spots, I removed it from the bed and slept on my own pillow, that I brought with, just in case. But what I really wanted to tell you is, is that at some point today I considered, cutting up you towels into strips to use as toilet paper, since we were only given 2, less than 1/4 rolls in the bathrooms, luckily after I sent a WhatsApp in the morning just after 11am, the toilet paper arrived at 16:04 just in time to save your towels, 😂🤣 not that I would have been able to cut them, your knives are so blunt, they don't even cut strawberries in half, what was I thinking that they would cut up towels.

Besides all of that, I do have to say that being treated like a ******** by having my bag searched twice before I enter two gates to your **** beach area, even though the second guard has seen the first guard search my bag , it amazes me how you think I'm that gifted to be ble to manifest drinks and eats into my bag in approximately 6 meters. By all the gods I do wish I had such great powers . This all however quite inspired me to offer of my sun tan oil to the guard as a drink. Thank goodness he saw the humour in it or I'm sure I would have been arrested had he not thought it funny.

Your shop is pathetic, 😂🤣 how does one shop at such an empty retail store. Thank goodness they have more than enough mayonnaise and spirit vinegar, enough intact that if the appocolypse arrived we could all survive on that.

Well The Blyde I have attempted enough sarcasm in my letter of breakup as my daughter encourage me not to be too angry. It's not the anger that gets me, it's the pathetic service, and the disappointment in you. So I just wanted to tell you once more, I will NEVER BE BACK not ever not as long as ever and never exist.

Many unkind regards Julia Koutzayiotis

Ps. I really was looking forward to being able to dry my hair after I washed it, and then came to the realisation that an upgrade in rooms had only to do with the view and the endless noise of construction, it had nothing to do with toiletries, toilet paper, house keeping, cleanliness, timing, nor the hairdryer as stated in your email. Oh yes a loadshedding schedule would have been a bonus so that cooking could have been planned.