Sharon's House: Modern Self-Catering rooms

We were really impressed and would happily book Sharon's house again. The room was tidy and comfortable, there was safe parking for our car, and we had everything we needed for a lovely stay.

I appreciated having a private garden off my room, especially since my stay ran longer and gave me plenty of privacy. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the guest house is easy to reach from the N1, just off the main road past the off-ramp. There’s only a microwave in the room, no stove. Arriving and leaving felt unsupported because there’s no reception. I got there at 22:00 and had to find my key in a hidden spot. The parking area is unfenced and right beside the road, so leaving my car there worried me as a woman on my own. When I checked out, I left the room key by the door. My only interaction with Thabisa, the caretaker, was a greeting the next day while she was ironing in the passage beside my room. Three days into the stay she WhatsApped to say I could use the garage since I had a remote. I wish I’d been told that when I arrived. Thabisa could use training in hospitality and communicating with guests, and an inverter would help with loadshedding. The guest house was okay overall.

It took about 40 minutes just to get into my room, and I wouldn’t book here again. The guest house looks like an ordinary private home, with no name or phone number outside. When I arrived around 15:00, nobody was there. My Agoda confirmation had no contact number either, so I called Agoda in Joburg and waited over 13 minutes while they tried to reach the owner or manager. Eventually a man came to my car. He had no uniform or badge, and as a woman alone I couldn’t know for sure who he was. He did unlock the house and show me my room. He said the place was fully booked, so I expected other guests, but there was no one else there. I found the manager's details on a leaflet and messaged him on WhatsApp about the TV, which wasn’t working. A friendly, helpful cleaning lady arrived around 17:30, fixed it, and stayed the night in the room next to mine. The room was smaller than it looked in the photos, though I should have checked the size on their website. It was neat and clean apart from mold in the shower, and the wall clock didn’t work. I also wish management had told me when to expect loadshedding. As a traveler, possibly even a foreign tourist, I had no way to know when it would start or end. There were no flashlights, so I had to use my phone to get around in the dark. I wasn’t impressed. I learned to book somewhere with its name displayed outside and people there to welcome guests professionally.

I’m from overseas and would book here again. I stayed one night on January 29, and the room was clean, very nice, and up to a good standard, with everything looking new. It’s in a quiet area near town, and the housemaid gave me a friendly welcome.