Queen Julie Lodge

The lodge is in a peaceful spot up in the Houtbay hills. My sister and I enjoyed walking around, including to the shops in a cosy complex near the township. We didn’t make it to the harbour because of how things went on departure day, though it looked like a lovely place for drinks, with a cosy beach area to relax. Arriving was difficult. There was no clear name or logo on the property, and the buzzer didn’t seem to work. We weren’t sure we had the right place or how to get in. The quick contact number on Google belonged to someone else, so we had to find the direct website. The caretaker’s welcome and communication caused a lot of avoidable problems. She pointed out the kitchen, poolside and living room, but didn’t explain that separate cutlery, crockery and cookware were set aside for “Muslims.” At checkout, she saw us using the other items and spoke rudely, saying she had specifically shown us what we could use. When we needed help with the oven, she didn’t know how it worked and said previous guests had managed on their own. My sister and I eventually got it going after lots of attempts with the buttons and knobs. It was dirty, with two large dirty oven pans inside, so it hadn’t been cleaned and prepared for us. We also couldn’t get useful guidance about nearby shops or places to visit. She just told us to use an ubber, without asking whether we wanted to explore on foot or by car, or what might interest us as guests and tourists. There was no phone to reach her when we needed help, so walking up and down the hill to her cottage became tedious. We ended up figuring things out ourselves. At 9:55 on checkout day, shortly after the cookware incident, she told us checkout was exactly 10:00 O'clock. I was already exasperated by her manner and said she hadn’t told us that earlier. She replied that she thought we knew. We stopped making breakfast and began packing, as checkout time had passed. Then she knocked rudely and eventually opened our closed door. I was getting dressed and my sister had just come out of the shower. When I asked why she’d opened it, she demanded the gate remote and rudely said I should have opened the door or at least answered. I told her the poor customer service had made our stay very uncomfortable, and that I’d been silent because I knew where and when to share my dissatisfaction.

The lodge is in a safe, secure area, with most attractions just a few minutes away and a bird sanctuary less than five minutes off. From the veranda you can see Table Mountain. The rooms are spacious, tidy, clean and comfortable, and the staff are helpful, professional and friendly. We had a very pleasant stay.

Such an amazing place! I definitely want to come back ❤️❤️❤️❤️

The pool was the reason I liked it.