Houghton Guest House

I booked a room three days ahead for my wife and our 11-month-old, who were travelling from Cape Town. When they reached the guest house, they were given a whole lot of explanations, then had to wait about an hour before a room was assigned. It was dirty and smelly, with lots of dust, and there were what looked like makeup marks on the pillow. My baby has flu as I write this. I tried getting in touch with the owner or management, but got no help. Staff are made to cover reception, laundry and other jobs, and seem overworked. I'm very unhappy with the place. I hope they improve the service, because this lodge could be a health hazard.

We stayed for about eight nights. The gate had no access system, so whenever we came back in a hurry we had to phone, since the intercom wasn't working. One woman was handling reception and cleaning the whole Houghton Guesthouse, including the rooms we were sleeping in, and we had to call out to her when we went out. When I asked to extend our booking from eight to 13 days, they doubled the price 😒. A total disaster.

The room was rather dark, so we had to keep a light on even in daytime, but the aircon was a bonus and the location worked perfectly for us. Highlands North is just down the road, and Grant Avenue has plenty of restaurants. The Loof coffee shop/bistro, about 500 yards away, does great coffee and light meals. We spent four nights there and were comfortable, with a clean room and fresh towels every day. Staff were friendly and helpful. Don't let the location or frontage put you off, or you'll miss a great stay. We'll be back.

The website and photos gave a luxurious impression, but the place was dirty, poorly kept and not luxurious at all. We didn't feel safe: the area seemed dangerous, cars were parked very close to the street, and there wasn't enough parking. The room windows were shut but unlocked, and getting into the house meant walking along a dark passage beside it. We had asked for two single beds but were given a double. The pillows looked yellow-stained, the shower had mould, and the whole house smelled old, mouldy and rotten. We paid in full and are still waiting for a response about getting our money back.