Linwood Guest Farm

I came to get away from the rat race and found a serene, quiet place with an excellent guest experience. The breakfasts were hearty and superb, and the service was the friendliest ever. The rooms were beautiful, the beds comfy, and I had the best rest in a long time. It's also close enough to Clarens town, Golden Gate, and Lesotho. I'll be back very soon.

I was expecting more for R25k for three nights with my family. The roof leaked in the lounge, soaking the floor and table, and on the third night it leaked onto our bed too. I asked for a refund for one night in one room but never got a reply. They'd told me there was a gun safe, but when we arrived they couldn't find the key. We also wanted to braai and asked about buying wood or charcoal, but they had neither. We won't stay there again.

The farm and animals are lovely, and the peaceful views are beautiful. But the service and the house itself fell well short of what I expected for the price. The place was dusty, cleanliness was only middling, and basic things like utensils and towels were missing. I won't get into breakfast here, the other comments give a sense of how inconsistent it is. I also noticed what seemed to be bias in the way guests were treated, especially toward people of color. I paid attention to how other guests were dealt with, and “unprofessional” is putting it mildly. I blame poor management more than the staff, since that affects the service they can provide. The owner has left Hannetjie in charge, but in my experience she doesn't seem to have customer service training. She addressed guests while visibly under the influence, which was uncomfortable to witness, and didn't even offer a basic greeting when welcoming us. For anyone hoping to get their money's worth, I wouldn't recommend it. You can find the farm atmosphere and animals elsewhere with better service for the same price or less, though I'd happily pay more for service that made me want to return. I won't be coming back. Owner, please take the repeated feedback seriously: the place has so much potential, but poor management will keep costing you customers and income.

Seeing the Alpacas wandering around with the other farm animals was such a treat, and Whiskey, Milo and Mice are absolute sweethearts. The views and quiet made it easy to relax and just be. The staff were wonderful and went out of their way for us. We had a delicious breakfast that felt lovingly prepared, too. Thank you, Ruhan (not sure if that's the right spelling), for looking after us so well and making our wedding anniversary extra special. A really amazing farm stay.