Pepperwood Lodge

We only needed a place for one night while our usual guesthouse was unavailable, after travelling urgently to South Africa. I expected a similar experience because the price was about the same: a clean room, friendly staff, and a room that was looked after. Instead, the owner was hostile when we arrived and argued that I hadn’t confirmed our trip. I showed her our WhatsApp conversation and email, which I understood as confirmation. She was cold and slow to warm up to us. I felt uneasy, but we had no other plans, so we stayed and only used the room to shower and sleep. The room was very outdated and nearly dirty. The bathroom towels smelled dusty, the bedding smelled like someone else’s body, and the single bed visibly sagged badly. The host said nobody had told her, but it was obvious, and staff must have noticed while making the bed. WhatsApp was the only way the host would accept bookings. For R150 more, another guesthouse gave us a bright, clean, modern, beautiful, true family room with breakfast in a secure area and a generator for load shedding. This guesthouse doesn’t cater for load shedding. I sadly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I saw a for-sale sign outside and wondered if that meant the host was struggling with the business. Wishing them all the best.

We only stayed a short time, but it was lovely. Our room was spacious and clean, with a comfortable bed, and the gardens and peaceful surroundings were beautiful. The hostess was very attentive. ****

The cottage-style setting has lovely English gardens, and breakfast was included. Our rooms and beds were comfortable, the hosts were very friendly and accommodating, and it was good value for money.

Roz really looked after us and made extra effort to keep us comfortable. She’s a caring, professional hostess. We’ll definitely come back next time we’re in Gauteng.