Unfair Removal at Emfuleni River Lodge

My friend and I were looking for accommodation within Vanderbijlpark, as we had a wedding to attend for the weekend of 1, March 2025.

On the 27th of February 2025, my friend found Emfuleni River Lodge on bookings.com. She contacted the cell number, via WhatsApp, that was provided to ask if they had an availability.

The contact person, whom had not revealed their name at the time, to later finding out that it was one of the employees (female) by the name of Mbali. She informed my friend that there was availability, and that we are to make a deposit payment to reserve.

We then had trust issues to make any payments, as communication was through WhatsApp, and the Bank Confirmation Letter showed some name; Nikok Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd. We then told Mbali that we will pay upon arrival.

On the day of our booking, 28 February 2025, Mbali gave us a call when we were leaving Johannesburg, just after 20:00 asking us if we were still coming, and we confirmed that we were on our way.

Upon arrival at the lodge we saw a text from Mbali stating that our room was taken. However, when we arrived for checkin she managed to get us the room. We had told her that we will be booking for 2 nights. She first put us in room 1, and then stated that we would only be able to stay in this room for 1 night and be moved to another room the following day.

I then asked her to put us in a room that was not booked, as we would return very late from the wedding we were attending. She then put us in Room 7.

Everything was smooth sailing in our stay, up until the following day, 1 March 2025, when Mbali gave us a call a few minutes after we left the lodge to go to the wedding. The call was informing us that allegedly they made a mistake in the bookings. And that our room was booked by someone else on the previous Wednesday, but canceled and had not confirmed their rebooking date.

Mbali further stated that due to this alleged double booking their Boss Niko had instructed them to remove our luggage from our room, and suggested some BnB by Spar, in Vanderbijlpark.

We were so appalled at how this establishment would commit such a felony of taking our belongings without our consent, and placing our luggage in the kitchen they do the laundry and breakfast. My friend and I returned fuming at the lodge.

When we arrived Mbali and Isaac (male) were at reception. I informed them that what they did, including their boss was a crime, as they took our belongings without our consent, and placed them in a place where they cook. Mbali then told us that their boss, Niko, had gone to book for us at some lodge by Spar.

We refused to go to this booking at first, as we had already paid to stay at Emfuleni, and felt we were being removed unfairly. But because it was late (going for 23:00), and we were fatigued we ended up going to this BnB, and took Isaac with us.

Upon arriving at this BnB, we then learned the news that this Niko personally came to make the booking himself, and that BnB was more priced than the Lodge, so Niko said he would loose a lot of money if he paid for our breakfast as well. So, we had the booking and no breakfast, as Niko said if we wanted breakfast we would have to pay ourselves.

What I don’t get is why we had such treatment, of which the lodge could’ve informed that person who canceled for Wednesday that the rooms were full. But instead, they had to target two females and mishandle our luggage, without our consent.

The level of disappointment is unmatched, because my friend and I had even planned that we would return to the lodge, prior to the incident that irrupted later on the Saturday. Never have I felt such violation in my life.

I don’t fully blame Mbali an Isaac, as what we witnessed there was child labour. Mbali & Isaac not on handle reception duties, but are the ones who cook, clean the establishment.