Albany Hotel Durban to be shut down

I am writing to formally escalate a serious complaint regarding our booking at your hotel on [28th till the 29th December 2025], which resulted in distress, unsafe conditions, and physical harm.

Upon checking in, we found that the rooms were in an unacceptable condition and did not resemble the images advertised on the Agoda website. The room was not suitable for accommodation.

More concerning was the behavior of your staff. Both the receptionist and the security guard were extremely rude and unprofessional, and an argument ensued when we raised our concerns. The receptionist refused to provide the hotel’s contact number when requested, despite the fact that an Agoda human agent was actively trying to reach the hotel and could not get through.

During this interaction, the receptionist physically twisted my wife's hand with force. This incident should be clearly visible on your CCTV footage, and I formally request that hotel management review the footage of this interaction as a matter of urgency.

Upon departing the hotel, an even more distressing incident occurred. My 80-year-old grandmother fell on the premises. Instead of offering assistance, the security guard laughed and clapped his hands, while the receptionist and other staff members ignored her completely. As a result of this fall, my grandmother has sustained a fractured ankle and is currently wearing a medical boot.

At the time, there was no hotel manager or supervisor available on site. We were advised that management would only be available on Monday at 8:00 a.m. As we do not reside in the city, this was not a viable option for us.

Because of the circumstances, we were left without accommodation for the night, despite having travelled with an elderly person and a 12-month-old baby. This caused significant distress, inconvenience, and additional expense.

Given the unacceptable condition of the room, the unprofessional and abusive conduct of staff, the physical interaction, and the injury sustained by my grandmother, I am formally requesting:

An urgent investigation into staff conduct

A review of CCTV footage relating to the incidents described

Written feedback from hotel management regarding the outcome of this matter

Please treat this complaint with the seriousness it warrants. As I am seriously considering on suing the establishment.