Loddeys Guesthouse

I was relieved when checkout finally came. The pool was being cleaned throughout our stay, so it never felt inviting for a swim, and the WiFi didn’t work in that area even though it was advertised. Our room had no privacy at all, since its windows faced the corridor inside the building and other guests could see right in. The towels were dirty, which immediately made me question the hygiene, and the accommodation felt poorly maintained overall. The price didn’t match the experience.

I was there for business and stayed two nights. The room was clean, though it could feel airy if it had a bigger window. The shower water was fine, and the towels were clean and soft. Breakfast was OK, and the staff were very friendly. Strand is a very windy area.

Please don’t book here. We left immediately after seeing the studio upgrade we’d booked, which felt like a prison area and didn’t match the pictures. For the price we paid, I’d give it zero points, and I still hope to get some money back. There’s no secure parking, just a car standing right by the road. The path to the apartment was broken, dirty, and looked like it hadn’t been cleaned for years. Outside, the furniture was covered in dust and dirt, and the braai area had black stuff all over it. The kitchen was dirty too, and I don’t want to know what caused the brown spots on the sofa. It was the ugliest place we ever stayed in SA. We didn’t have time to take pictures to prove what I’m saying. Someone before wrote, this is Africa… no, this is a rip off.

Amanda, the manager, treated me with the utmost respect and was very apologetic. She immediately offered me an extra day to make up for the inconvenience. My first night was OK apart from the headboard, which made a terrible bang every time my head touched it, so I hardly slept. When I tried to adjust the side lamp bolted to it, the whole thing fell off. The milk in the freezer was old and rotten. The next night I moved to a much nicer looking room, but it hadn’t been properly cleaned. Because of my asthma, I had to clean the very thick layer of dirt on the ceiling fan myself. I showed the dirty fan to one African lady, but nothing was done about it. The bathroom basin was disgusting. I also found that although the door could be locked with the key, turning the handle still opened it while the door mechanism was locked. The owner treated me like I was a filthy prostitute or something. He said I’d smoked in his room because he found something that looked like ash, and fined me R1000. N1, there wasn’t a single non-smoking sign in that room. N2, Bay law y ar allowed to fine up toe R500, that’s the max you are alowd to fine. I have evidence of everything if someone wants to see.