Fairway Guest Lodge

We felt watched and uncomfortable from the start. The morning we were getting ready for our brother's wedding, the male owner kept walking past and looking into our rooms while we were only half dressed, apparently trying to count how many guests were there. The owners also complained that we hadn't mentioned our nephew, even though we'd brought up the child early in the booking process. Later, our sister came to pick up her wedding outfit and was told visitors weren't allowed and security would be called to escort her off the property. It was an awful stay. We won't book here again or recommend it for a holiday. You can expect to be monitored, visitors aren't allowed, and it isn't child friendly.

The place itself is beautiful, in a convenient, safe area near shops and the beach. But my family and I were really disappointed by the way the owners treated us. We felt watched and weren't able to relax. We were challenged about how many people were staying in the rooms we'd booked, and the owners even came into the rooms to check who was where. They asked how many children were there and whether one was potty trained, saying that if he wasn't, he'd have to sleep in a cot. We were also scolded when a relative stopped by to drop off a parcel. We hadn't been told beforehand that all visitors were banned or that we needed to arrange this with the owners. They threatened to call security, saying we were breaking rules. After checkout, when no damage had been mentioned, we were accused of damaging a unit's lock. It had already been faulty when we arrived.

The rooms were checked during our stay and no problems were raised then, but the management made the whole visit feel cold and intrusive. My family was in tears by the time we left, and I can't recommend this place if privacy or clear communication matters to you. We'd booked smoothly months ahead and paid in full, then were asked for a security deposit less than a week before arrival. House rules and visitor restrictions only came up when we checked in. The host also denied we'd mentioned our child, even though we had, which caused needless trouble over the guest count. Most upsetting, staff opened our room doors without knocking while people were getting dressed. We never felt at ease. For a place this beautiful, we expected much better hospitality.

The lodge is genuinely pretty, and the neighbourhood is great. But the service was a nightmare. My friend's car ended up dented because the gate sensors didn't work. We wish someone had told us the gate had a 20 second timer before that happened. Visitors were also apparently not allowed, something that should have been disclosed before booking. They did let someone visit for an hour, and that visit was fortunately extended, but I'm still not booking here again or recommending it. My friend is left with a dent to repair, and all we got was “sorry”.