DH
De Hoek Country Hotel
Unclaimed Business
DH
De Hoek Country Hotel
Unclaimed Business
0 Reviews (last 12 months)
Does not respond to reviews
Performance(last 12 months):
Ranked In Travel & Vacation
#9NPS Score
-100Unlikely
Ranking
#9
in Travel & Vacation
NPS Score
-100
Recommended: Unlikely
Recent reviews (0)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
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Nthabeleng G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
14 Apr 2025, 09:20
Cheap menu ingredients and poor quality food
I came to the conservatory for lunch with my husband - we arrived hungry and we left hungry as the food we got served there was ultimately inedible for us - we sent our cold starters back to the kitchen (no one tells you that every starter is cold so we found ourselves served cold duck breast) and we sent our mains back to the kitchen. We didn't drive an hour out of the city to a 5 star resort with the expectation of fine dining quality to be served sub-par food. The restaurant does not have a proper chef and it shows - the menu makes no sense and they're serving a cheap selection of foods for a fine dining place - e.g. porterhouse steak - fail for a 5 star menu. everything was bad, very disappointed pointed - if they don't invest in a good chef then ppl will stop going back. they couldn't even cook a burger medium-rare, served us a bland risotto with unseasoned chicken that looked boiled. no good at all, at all
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Nthabeleng G
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
14 Apr 2025, 09:20
Cheap menu ingredients and poor quality food
I came to the conservatory for lunch with my husband - we arrived hungry and we left hungry as the food we got served there was ultimately inedible for us - we sent our cold starters back to the kitchen (no one tells you that every starter is cold so we found ourselves served cold duck breast) and we sent our mains back to the kitchen. We didn't drive an hour out of the city to a 5 star resort with the expectation of fine dining quality to be served sub-par food. The restaurant does not have a proper chef and it shows - the menu makes no sense and they're serving a cheap selection of foods for a fine dining place - e.g. porterhouse steak - fail for a 5 star menu. everything was bad, very disappointed pointed - if they don't invest in a good chef then ppl will stop going back. they couldn't even cook a burger medium-rare, served us a bland risotto with unseasoned chicken that looked boiled. no good at all, at all
0
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Kirti K
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
3 Apr 2024, 16:02
Appalling food
Good day We stayed at the property on Saturday. The room was excellent, but the service and the standard of food were shocking. I booked through booking.com. I have booked multiple times through booking.com for many establishments, and the process has always been to pay on arrival. Your receptionist took it upon herself to request payment before our arrival, causing my payment to decline and incurring unnecessary charges on my side and further embarrassing me in front of my partner. I have experienced ***** on my account/card multiple times. Hence, I have to authorize payment. No communication or mention was made that I would need to make prior payment. I would have been happy to make payment prior if it had been communicated. Your staff are friendly but untrained and have little to no knowledge of what you offer or your services. We decided to have drinks at the bar before dinner. Your drinks menu is limited, and you do not offer ****tails. I received little to no assistance on what could be made for me. And I was told to get up and go to the bar because both gentlemen working in the bar area had no clue about what you had in stock ,which was even more shocking because your alcohol options to make up a ****tail are so limited. I then explained to the barman what combination he could do for a ****tail. Dinner was appalling. We requested a wine menu which took forever to arrive as you only have one wine menu for all guests. The bread box/basket was bizarre. Clearly bought in commercial sour dough bread, bland meat***** , shortbread biscuits, and lurpak butter still in its original packaging. Starters: Duck carpaccio with a homemade store bought Sriracha, blueberries, and kewpie mayo, completely different from what was indicated on the menu. My mind is completely blown at this combination and the sheer lack of skill or knowledge used to execute this poor menu. This was served on lettuce, which also blew me away. The succotash was just poorly executed veggies and canned beans in a pool of vingary dressing. Mains: A very average piece of salmon that was slightly overcooked, again with drops of kewpie mayo and poorly cooked veggies. It had possibly parsnip puree or a watery cauliflower puree. Store bought sweet chili sauce was also on the plate. All food was underseasoned. There is no salt or black pepper for the table. The waiter did not know what the gram of the beef was or the cut of the beef when we inquired, so my partner opted for the fish. The waiter first stated that it was 500g, which we knew was definitely wrong. FYI- There is no such thing as a ballontine of fillet. And there is incorrect spelling on your menu. Succotash should contain corn, and it did not. Cauliflower steak was undercooked. Again, poorly executed and undercooked veggies. The Tandoori sauce tasted nothing of Tandoori and was too creamy. Dessert: The chocolate fondant was overcooked, and the outer was chewy. Also, eggy in taste. The ice cream was just regular commercial vanilla ice cream. The lemon tart was soggy, chewy, overworked pastry, eggy lemon curd filling which tasted of nothing but egg and the fridge. You can tell that it was old and kept in the fridge uncovered. There was some crumbled meringue on the top, also old and dusty in texture, which happens with old meringue. The ingredients used to prepare these meals are of poor quality, and there is definitely little to no skill in the kitchen. Such poor food and service really ruins the entire experience. Breakfast was poor as well. Soggy, undercooked poor quality croissants, cheap cuts of ham. There is no teas****s to eat the yogurt cups. Scrambled eggs were overcooked. Asked for the beef sausage to be swapped for bacon. Still received a beef sausage on the plate. The beef patty was tough. Mushrooms had no flavor. Tastes of microwaved mushrooms. Mushrooms were overcooked. I asked for regular ground coffee, as only decaf was offered in the room. We were sent decaf coffee again. No offering of toast of breakfast juices was offered. Anything we asked, staff did not have an answer or knowledge of. One expects a far better service and dining experience from a 5 star establishment. Sadly, I would not recommend this establishment to anyone. Received a total generic, indifferent response from the GM. One can tell by his response and how this establishment is currently being run that there is a total intransigent attitude. Just disgusting.
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Kirti K
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
3 Apr 2024, 16:02
Appalling food
Good day We stayed at the property on Saturday. The room was excellent, but the service and the standard of food were shocking. I booked through booking.com. I have booked multiple times through booking.com for many establishments, and the process has always been to pay on arrival. Your receptionist took it upon herself to request payment before our arrival, causing my payment to decline and incurring unnecessary charges on my side and further embarrassing me in front of my partner. I have experienced ***** on my account/card multiple times. Hence, I have to authorize payment. No communication or mention was made that I would need to make prior payment. I would have been happy to make payment prior if it had been communicated. Your staff are friendly but untrained and have little to no knowledge of what you offer or your services. We decided to have drinks at the bar before dinner. Your drinks menu is limited, and you do not offer ****tails. I received little to no assistance on what could be made for me. And I was told to get up and go to the bar because both gentlemen working in the bar area had no clue about what you had in stock ,which was even more shocking because your alcohol options to make up a ****tail are so limited. I then explained to the barman what combination he could do for a ****tail. Dinner was appalling. We requested a wine menu which took forever to arrive as you only have one wine menu for all guests. The bread box/basket was bizarre. Clearly bought in commercial sour dough bread, bland meat***** , shortbread biscuits, and lurpak butter still in its original packaging. Starters: Duck carpaccio with a homemade store bought Sriracha, blueberries, and kewpie mayo, completely different from what was indicated on the menu. My mind is completely blown at this combination and the sheer lack of skill or knowledge used to execute this poor menu. This was served on lettuce, which also blew me away. The succotash was just poorly executed veggies and canned beans in a pool of vingary dressing. Mains: A very average piece of salmon that was slightly overcooked, again with drops of kewpie mayo and poorly cooked veggies. It had possibly parsnip puree or a watery cauliflower puree. Store bought sweet chili sauce was also on the plate. All food was underseasoned. There is no salt or black pepper for the table. The waiter did not know what the gram of the beef was or the cut of the beef when we inquired, so my partner opted for the fish. The waiter first stated that it was 500g, which we knew was definitely wrong. FYI- There is no such thing as a ballontine of fillet. And there is incorrect spelling on your menu. Succotash should contain corn, and it did not. Cauliflower steak was undercooked. Again, poorly executed and undercooked veggies. The Tandoori sauce tasted nothing of Tandoori and was too creamy. Dessert: The chocolate fondant was overcooked, and the outer was chewy. Also, eggy in taste. The ice cream was just regular commercial vanilla ice cream. The lemon tart was soggy, chewy, overworked pastry, eggy lemon curd filling which tasted of nothing but egg and the fridge. You can tell that it was old and kept in the fridge uncovered. There was some crumbled meringue on the top, also old and dusty in texture, which happens with old meringue. The ingredients used to prepare these meals are of poor quality, and there is definitely little to no skill in the kitchen. Such poor food and service really ruins the entire experience. Breakfast was poor as well. Soggy, undercooked poor quality croissants, cheap cuts of ham. There is no teas****s to eat the yogurt cups. Scrambled eggs were overcooked. Asked for the beef sausage to be swapped for bacon. Still received a beef sausage on the plate. The beef patty was tough. Mushrooms had no flavor. Tastes of microwaved mushrooms. Mushrooms were overcooked. I asked for regular ground coffee, as only decaf was offered in the room. We were sent decaf coffee again. No offering of toast of breakfast juices was offered. Anything we asked, staff did not have an answer or knowledge of. One expects a far better service and dining experience from a 5 star establishment. Sadly, I would not recommend this establishment to anyone. Received a total generic, indifferent response from the GM. One can tell by his response and how this establishment is currently being run that there is a total intransigent attitude. Just disgusting.
0
Replies (0)kP
karel P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
14 Jul 2021, 07:23
Poor experience at De Hoek Country Hotel
I was looking for an establishment to treat my wife on her birthday. I booked at De Hoek Country Hotel. It is supposed to be a 5-star hotel. I booked a massage for myself and my wife at R900 per person. Also booked lunch for 2. When we arrived at the hotel we noticed that we were the only guests for the day. We had the massage. There is a shower in the room. I asked whether we can use it. The lady said that we had to go to another room as this shower's drain was blocked. I took a shower in the other room, just to find that its drain was also blocked. I was standing with the water up to my ankles. Fast forward to the lunch. We ordered kabeljou from the menu. We were the only guests in the dining room. I noticed that the "waiter" that was serving us, was not the dedicated waiter, but the porter. we asked him for ice. The ice never came and I had to get up and ask somebody on the outside of the dining room to get us ice. I did not want to go into the kitchen... The kabeljou came.......we had a few bites and realised that it was raw. we sent it back. Another meal was prepared which was edible but definitely not 5-star quality.
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karel P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
14 Jul 2021, 07:23
Poor experience at De Hoek Country Hotel
I was looking for an establishment to treat my wife on her birthday. I booked at De Hoek Country Hotel. It is supposed to be a 5-star hotel. I booked a massage for myself and my wife at R900 per person. Also booked lunch for 2. When we arrived at the hotel we noticed that we were the only guests for the day. We had the massage. There is a shower in the room. I asked whether we can use it. The lady said that we had to go to another room as this shower's drain was blocked. I took a shower in the other room, just to find that its drain was also blocked. I was standing with the water up to my ankles. Fast forward to the lunch. We ordered kabeljou from the menu. We were the only guests in the dining room. I noticed that the "waiter" that was serving us, was not the dedicated waiter, but the porter. we asked him for ice. The ice never came and I had to get up and ask somebody on the outside of the dining room to get us ice. I did not want to go into the kitchen... The kabeljou came.......we had a few bites and realised that it was raw. we sent it back. Another meal was prepared which was edible but definitely not 5-star quality.
0
Replies (0)AP
Anand P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
10 Mar 2021, 08:05
High Tea at De Hoek
Was looking forward to celebrating a special birthday with an outdoor high tea at this beautiful venue. As we were a big group with various dietary requirements (gluten free vegan, Banting) there were numerous calls with Lilian to verify dietary requirements and a follow-up email to ensure that we were catered for. Upon arrival at the reservation time, we were asked to wait for close on 20mins until the table was activated. We were not attended to during this time. When we got to the table it was in the exact same condition as when we arrived with leaves and debris from the trees above. Nonetheless we were there for an experience. About 15 minutes later a plate of heaped sandwiches arrived followed by sushi, slices of cake, etc. All served together and not grouped according to dietary requirements. After much back and forth and what can be best described as a farce with the explanations from the chef being ridiculous and the cluelessness of the F&B manager Vusi, it was clear that this is what it is. We decided to make the best of the experience since there was not much on offer for the special dietary requirements due to lack of preparation and understanding. The items that could be eaten were sadly well below average for a 5 star venue. We were served tea over an hour later. Unfortunately the bad attitude, lack of accountability and integrity can only lead to things getting worse at this wonderful venue. Raising concerns to management at De Hoek falls on deaf ears. Rather escalate to info@letsema.co.za. If you have any specific requirements dietary or other, stay away from this place, the lack of attentiveness means that it can only end in a disaster. Really not worth the drive out.
Helpful (0)
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Anand P
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
10 Mar 2021, 08:05
High Tea at De Hoek
Was looking forward to celebrating a special birthday with an outdoor high tea at this beautiful venue. As we were a big group with various dietary requirements (gluten free vegan, Banting) there were numerous calls with Lilian to verify dietary requirements and a follow-up email to ensure that we were catered for. Upon arrival at the reservation time, we were asked to wait for close on 20mins until the table was activated. We were not attended to during this time. When we got to the table it was in the exact same condition as when we arrived with leaves and debris from the trees above. Nonetheless we were there for an experience. About 15 minutes later a plate of heaped sandwiches arrived followed by sushi, slices of cake, etc. All served together and not grouped according to dietary requirements. After much back and forth and what can be best described as a farce with the explanations from the chef being ridiculous and the cluelessness of the F&B manager Vusi, it was clear that this is what it is. We decided to make the best of the experience since there was not much on offer for the special dietary requirements due to lack of preparation and understanding. The items that could be eaten were sadly well below average for a 5 star venue. We were served tea over an hour later. Unfortunately the bad attitude, lack of accountability and integrity can only lead to things getting worse at this wonderful venue. Raising concerns to management at De Hoek falls on deaf ears. Rather escalate to info@letsema.co.za. If you have any specific requirements dietary or other, stay away from this place, the lack of attentiveness means that it can only end in a disaster. Really not worth the drive out.
0
Replies (0)AB
Arno B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
2 Dec 2020, 13:54
5 star....more like 2
I found it an average hotel with a 5 star price tag. Dinner was below expectation with the tuna starter so salty I could not eat it. Kitchen and serving staff was noisy and had very little respect for thw guest. Our room had a dirty carpet and bedspread smelled dusty and was not cleaned.
Helpful (0)
|Replies (0)AB
Arno B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
2 Dec 2020, 13:54
5 star....more like 2
I found it an average hotel with a 5 star price tag. Dinner was below expectation with the tuna starter so salty I could not eat it. Kitchen and serving staff was noisy and had very little respect for thw guest. Our room had a dirty carpet and bedspread smelled dusty and was not cleaned.
0
Replies (0)CH
Claude H
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Sept 2015, 11:07
Wonderful Winter Warmer special
I surprised my partner with a midweek breakaway to De Hoek, using their Winter Warmer special.<br> <br> The service and facilities were absolutely excellent, and my every request was handled with consummate ease.<br> <br> Thank you for making our stay so luxurious and wonderful. We will be back.
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Claude H
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
7 Sept 2015, 11:07
Wonderful Winter Warmer special
I surprised my partner with a midweek breakaway to De Hoek, using their Winter Warmer special.<br> <br> The service and facilities were absolutely excellent, and my every request was handled with consummate ease.<br> <br> Thank you for making our stay so luxurious and wonderful. We will be back.
0
Replies (0)