Birthday Trip Nightmare

I booked at the Capital Zimbali to celebrate my birthday. The hotel and place is gorgeous at no fault but that turned into a nightmare on the first night when two gentle who work for the hotel barged into our room without notice or knocking. My female companion was preparing for a bath and undressing when when they opened the door without knocking or calling out. If the lock/latch was not on then they would have walked in on her naked. As two women in a room in the South African context where women face many challenges of safety and danger especially when travelling alone, this left us distraught and shocked. While the hotel did offer an explanation that the gentlemen mistook the room for another, it is unacceptable, poor, irresponsible and shocking that they did not knock, did not call ahead or call out that they were from maintenance or call out if anyone was there and yet two large men proceeded to open the door unannounced while two women were alone in their room while one was getting undressed. And while we did receive an apology and a platter, it is even more shocking that such a gesture would be used for the severity of the intrusion and action.

Secondly, I purchased very expensive bottles of alcohol for my room which are not cheap. A bottle of Moet, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, a bottle of Don Julio and a bottle of Ciroc with the Ciroc bottle being purchased at restaurant price. Our bottle of Ciroc was either poured out or drank by members or staff/housekeeping as the bottle was used/opened on one occasion throughout the whole stay yet after every time housekeeping left the room the bottle volume reduced and ultimately a bottle that I purchase for R1500 and only drank once (two double shots) was left halfway. This was a very expensive bottle. The Don Julio bottle valued and purchased at R1200 was watered down. This is not an exaggeration as I purchased the type of bottles for their price specifically for their quality and taste of which I already drink regularly and know the taste very well, so you can imagine my surprise when not only was my Ciroc that I spent R1500 on halfway when it was only drank once but also the Don Julio that I spent R1200 was watered down.

On this occasion our privacy and belongings were violated twice.

No one can fault the beauty of the establishment on the outside however beauty is nothing when the operations, behaviour and decorum of the internal structure does not match. For the type of standard that this establishment boasts, my experience was twice short and nothing of what I was promised or guaranteed. It is a shame that this experience ruined by birthday and not only reduced but overshadowed the beauty of the establishment.