Ralph D

My apparently atrocious behavior

My son and I arrived late on Friday (27/01/2023) afternoon, we were in great spirits and looked forward to our short trip to Johannesburg. Unfortunately my sister got wind of my travels up there, thus my travel arrangements changed as we all know we were pretty much cajoled into staying over at her home the second night, and I could hardly refuse. From that moment, from when I mentioned this, everything went south. Principally the inflexibility and the borderline confrontational approach by the owner of the facility was what irked me most. Every time I attempted to ask how we could resolve the matter I was first lectured about policy and what a bunch of inflexible folks Bookings are, and what a huge favour I am asking, and how incredibly forthcoming our host was trying to be. This feels belittling as a guest, humiliating even, why work so hard to ensure I am painfully aware that the host is really doing all they can to break concrete rules set by the OGRES in Holland. Well, this is not even the truth. Bookings do not own your guest lodge, you do. You dictate the terms, and you have taught me a really important lesson. I will never again book a lodge or a room where the cancellation terms are as you have them. We also run an apartment, a busy, single large luxury apartment, and our cancellation policy, as WE dictate it to Bookings, is totally flexible to allow the traveler maximum leeway. As much as the owner feels she did all she could to assist, from a guest’s standpoint she was perpetually letting me know that she officially cannot do anything to change the situation, blaming the Dutch Booking organisation, and lecturing me, belittling me, and then repeatedly raising her voice at me, despite me attempting to tone the conversations down. At one point I was no longer wanting to listen to this condescending lecture and I placed the phone on the reception counter to avoid further escalation, and walked away I was told in no uncertain terms that this was me being rude. The result of my attempts to diffuse and de-escalate the situation were not good. Pretty soon I was told in no uncertain terms that my behaviour toward the owner and the lady at reception was atrocious. Atrocious meaning: Horrifyingly wicked. Synonyms: Brutal, barbaric, savage and vicious. At every turn I needed to remind the person that she was once more raising her voice, at times shouting at me, yet I am being told repeatedly that I was behaving in a “barbaric” manner, being “savage” and “vicious” towards her and the receptionist. My son in copy above can attest to this maybe, as can Shana. At this juncture a few more technical things about our experience in the hour or so we spent there. The facility: Great garden, but it ends there, asked to not smoke (we NEVER smoke indoors at home, nor anywhere else) and noticing very clearly that the room had been smoked in. I am an ex-smoker, and we “exes” really can pick up the smokers odours. My son smokes vapes, and even those we smoke outdoors at home. Value: Compared to other places costing around R 1000.00 per night Lemon and Lime is not great value. I travel extensively, and at that price break a community fridge and community kitchenette is at very least uncommon. Also: Wi-Fi never worked while we were there,, or be that an hour or so. Refund: Please be aware that to this day there is no notification that the room charges are to be refunded, neither from the guest lodge itself, nor from the booking agency. I have had no indication that this in in process, other than peering over Shana’s shoulder at a virtually blank screen with a message delivered to the LnL profile, even that did not make clear that the waiver of cancellation fee has in fact been accepted by the facility and was being processed. I would expect a note in my mailbox at very least. Please feel free to deduct from the refund the use of the shower, one towel, and the bin requiring emptying, as well as the sweets on the towels. Please inform me as soon as there is any news from Bookings as to this refund. Please also deduct anything else you see fit, including exchange rate losses, time wasted, commissions as you were at pains to mention, and not forgetting the small list of things mentioned above. There is my take, and I am certain that the owner’s take will be diametrically opposed to my view, but I do expect that, I am at this point expecting nothing less but a full rebuke of the facts as I see them. Just this minute I received a note from the owners that confirm that indeed nothing can be done about my refund, in stark contrast to what I was told telephonically, that the waiving on cancellation fees was initiated by them. Without their request to waiver I will certainly not be refunded it seems...