DivineHeights Apartment Lilongwe Area 43

Bonface, who stays on the property, was great, very helpful and friendly. Mable could use some training. There’s a pleasant outdoor area and balcony, comfortable beds, decent WiFi, and a nice breakfast. The location is also very good, close to the city centre, and the place isn't bad, though it needs some work if they're charging 100,000. My second room was much better than the first, which had terrible water pressure, took ages to get hot water, a bathroom door that wouldn't lock, and an unhinged sliding door that was hard to move. Another issue was staff using the kitchen and the toilets in the main lobby. There wasn't any refrigerator space for me because staff had filled it, and a cook came in to use the kettle while I was eating breakfast. At another point, a woman came in to use the toilet. I understand guests share the common areas when renting a room, but I don't think staff should use them that way.

The staff were really friendly and gave top-notch service with a smile. Rooms were spotless and cleaned daily, and the accommodation was reasonably priced, though the chef's menu was expensive. Having the chef on site was a highlight. There were leafy surroundings and outdoor spots to relax, plus WiFi and parking for about four cars. The room had a fan and insect repellent, and guests could use the living room and kitchen. It was a comfortable, good-value stay, and I'd recommend it.

The building and neighbourhood have potential, and the owner seemed accommodating, but the stay left me very disappointed. I booked four nights including the weekend. The woman I spoke with, who I believe was the owner, was polite and receptive. What I found on arrival didn't match the advert. The person who greeted me didn't seem to know I was coming and asked me to wait while the room was prepared. I didn't mind that much, since I'd booked late in the afternoon. The open areas and kitchen made the place feel more like a house with rooms than a hotel, and I wasn't sure where I was meant to eat. The room was spacious and had a lovely balcony with chairs. The bed was big, with a nice duvet and blanket, and I was glad there was Netflix on the TV. But the room smelled stuffy, like someone had been smoking, and didn't seem aired out. When I opened the windows, I noticed the curtain liners were dirty. The desk chair had a broken leg, which I pointed out. Later, when I unfolded the blanket, it was dirty and smelled of perfume, so I don't think it had been washed. The pillows could also have been better than those robray ones with lumpy filling, to be honest. I wasn't impressed with the menu and turned down the chef's offer of dinner. At about 8pm I went to find dinner elsewhere, but the main entrance and exit was locked. I shouted for someone to let me out and nobody answered. I got angry and panicked, thinking about an emergency like a fire and not being able to escape. I had to call out from my room window to the guards so they could alert staff. They then told me there was a key on the console table that I could take with me and use when I got back. That felt very strange and risky, especially if someone dangerous decided to do something. There was no power for the room fan when I woke up, so I was hot. There was no air conditioning, but that was more or less okay. The shower was lukewarm; I think the power cut contributed, and maybe the geyser had been switched on later than it should have been. I came downstairs at 7:55am for breakfast, expecting to get to work by 8:30. The chef was only getting dressed to start making my breakfast, though breakfast had been described as available between 7am and 9am. He turned on the cooker and said he was about to start. I told him the power was out, and by then I'd had enough. I was very disappointed and decided to skip breakfast, which I expected would take an hour or so at the Malawian snail's pace, especially with the power problems. I checked out straight away and was lucky to find another place available. I'm not sure why the place pays so little attention to small but important things like cleanliness and having staff who know what they're doing. It seemed the whole Lilongwe was fully booked that weekend because of bushiri fanatics, but this place wasn't. I hope this review gets the owner's attention so they improve the seating and make better use of this good space.

The room I was eventually given didn't match what the booking described, even after I pushed them to call the operator. It had much less than what was advertised. This felt like false advertising.