Poor Attitude and Service of Owner

The lodge and rooms are exceptionally clean and beautiful. Well kept and maintained. The overall service of the owner is atrocious. Expect your emails, Whatsapp messages, or calls to go unanswered. General poor communication. If you happen to arrange group bookings and your guests pay months in advance do not expect, proper guest sign-in, or allocated rooms when you arrive. In short, the owner will accept your payment and booking but you may have to fight and prove to her workers when you arrive that you indeed paid and produce a proof of payment. It's amateur hour, so dramatically lower your expectations or just don't bother booking if you, at a bare minimum, expect to have a room ready for you when you arrive. The owner's general attitude is that of someone unbothered, so don't bother fighting for what you paid for. The saving grace of the Lodge is the few staff there and the look and cleanliness of the rooms and place overall. However, book at your peril because if you can get over the poor experience that you will have with the owner, then you will have a great experience with the amazing staff and beautiful place itself - are almost worth the pain of dealing with the owner.

Also, be careful of the owner who is ill-equipped to run such a great business or respond to criticism. She will respond with inane quips about not running a charity but a business. Any "so-called" "LUXURY" business would have an online booking system, adequate check-in process, online payment systems, etc. My wife has spent many years in the hospitality sector, even working in a true "luxury" accommodation business called the Saxon Hotel, Villas and Spa. Maybe, I am a bit cynical but having booked for paid R5000 on 23 Feb (19h42) and R300 on 8 Mar (08h44) for 7 rooms total booked for a month later on 26 - 27 April. Then another 2 rooms were paid for 3 March, 12 March, and so on. For someone who states she is concerned about job creation, staff, and families, I say if you truly believe, I am unjustified I will gladly connect you to various parties in the hospitality sector to help you improve not only your business understanding of the hospitality industry but to provide the support you, Adelaide, desperately need, so you can truly become the luxury business you purport to be.