Billsbest Boathouse Bed&Breakfast

The place was filthy, both the room and the main living area, and I ended up cleaning everything myself. I bought food for my stay and put it in the fridge, but the plugs tripped and it spoiled. After that, none of the plugs worked, and there was no aircon or fridge. I contacted maintenance and the booking agent, but neither responded. The owner still hasn’t sent me any correspondence.

Weavers nest in the hanging palm trees beside the pool, and a delicious English breakfast is served on your balcony. The beach is nearby, and it’s a great choice for a seaside holiday. Friendly staff welcome you to this lovely little spot on the south coast.

Check-in was easy: pick up the keys at BP GARAGE and head to the accommodation. The room had a great view of the road, and the air-conditioning and WiFi worked well. There were towels, a candle, a safe, and a mini first aid kit, plus coffee and breakfast biscuits for two. Each suite has a garage, though getting an SUV into it is tricky but doable. I had a cold shower when the hot water ran out, which I think was due to loadshedding, and the shower needs a scrub because it was mouldy. There were ants around the bin after I put food in it, so I had to move it to the garage.

We had a roof over our heads, which was the only reason for the one star. We love Margate, but this was a holiday made in hell. There was no water in the premises apart from the pool, no shower, and no WiFi despite it being advertised as included. When my daughter got a stomach bug, we had to choose between rushing by car to the garage toilet or carrying pool water up and down many stairs to flush, which risked hurting me too, especially as I was unwell. There wasn’t even toilet paper in the room, and we felt abandoned. Thank you to the woman who helped us fetch water when she could, though most of the time we were left on our own. Please don’t advertise something so far from what guests actually experience.