Uzuri Guesthouse

We were a student group staying at Uzuri guest house for two nights. The rooms and facilities weren't very clean, but on the first day the staff were nice, and given the cheap price we were more or less satisfied. On the second evening, we went out for dinner and returned around 9pm. A group of men attacked us right outside the guest house, and several students were injured. Staff had previously told us it was safe to go out at night. Afterward, a staff member opened the gate but wouldn't call an ambulance or the police, saying she was illegally in the country. She left soon after, and we were alone in the guest house. We had to find help from people on the street. The next day the hotel boss came to speak with us, but was unfriendly instead of helpful. She said no staff had been there the night before, blamed us for going out because “it's not safe,” and questioned our memory, claiming the attack had happened somewhere else. She also told other guests and our driver, who came to pick us up, not to listen to us because we were lying. I've been to Namibia several times and have always felt safe and welcomed by the people there. I don't think Namibia is a dangerous country. We were unlucky, and trained, helpful hotel staff might have made the experience less traumatic.

Birds in the garden give this guesthouse a lovely feel. Our room was comfortable and clean, and breakfast was good. We arrived early from the airport, and they kindly let us check in ahead of time, which we really appreciated. I'd stay here again on my next trip to Windhoek.

We were 22 people and were brutally robbed and injured with machetes right in front of the guesthouse. They say the area is safe, but that wasn't our experience. Afterward, a staff member opened the gate and then left us alone there. She didn't call the police or ambulance, saying she was in the country illegally. In the evenings, you're left on your own at the guesthouse, with no security, cameras or staff. The owner denies what happened and says we're lying. How could 22 people all make up being attacked and hurt with machetes? The following day, the owner told our driver, a local journalist and new guests that we were lying and making up a story. Very disappointing.

The rooms were lovely and breakfast was good, but our stay was unpleasant. This was our first stop on a visit to Namibia from South Africa. The owner spoke to us abusively and made us feel extremely unwelcome. She said we'd made a booking mistake, though we hadn't, and eventually admitted she was wrong. Even so, she had spoken to us horribly in front of other guests. We left two days early because of how badly she treated us.