Belle Le Vie Guest House

Yogi and Dez were wonderful hosts, and gave us a warm welcome with all the information we needed for getting around Ballito. The clean, comfortable unit is in a great spot, just a short walk from the beach. The bed was amazing to sleep in. I'd recommend Belle LA Vie to anyone visiting Ballito.

The rooms and grounds were spotless, and we got such a warm welcome. Management were friendly and helpful. It was a very peaceful holiday, and I'd definitely come back.

We'd just checked out after a weekend well spent. Des was a great host, and the place was clean and peaceful. The owners are friendly, and the service was great. We're definitely coming back with family soon.

The trouble started the morning after we arrived for a holiday with our children, aged 7 and 4, in March 2018. We'd had a lovely holiday and a great experience of South Africa until this stay, and the way Des handled things left us very disappointed. She seemed to have no hospitality skills at all. I can't understand how this guest house is still operating. We hadn't been told at check-in that one bedroom socket apparently controlled both the internet and the power. My partner unplugged it to charge his phone, not knowing this. The next morning, other families couldn't get onto Netflix and similar services. While we were out, Des let herself into the unit and our bedroom to plug the socket back in. She then WhatsApped us to say not to unplug it and to charge phones in the kitchen instead. In the UK, I've stayed in apartments where guests are left alone, so perhaps things are done differently in South Africa. When we returned, other guests told us Des had been in a terrible mood and shouting at the maid, calling her “impatient,” among other things. I also found a glass in the cupboard with holes in its bottom. I took it to Des just to let her know it was broken. She snatched it from my hands and threw it away, saying in a very aggressive tone, “I SHALL THROW OUT YOUR RUBBISH.” I hadn't raised my voice or spoken rudely, and was taken aback. When I mentioned the electrical tripping issue from that morning, she marched me to the bedroom, pointed to the socket, and blamed us for unplugging the internet. I'm no electrician, but I didn't realise disconnecting the internet could affect the building's electricity. I asked why she'd entered the property without our knowledge when we'd paid for exclusive use of the unit for the week. That set her off. She shouted, called my partner in because I supposedly had a problem with her, accused me of shouting and us of leaving the unit filthy, then demanded we pack and leave. This was Easter weekend in Ballito. I tried to talk to her, but she became aggressive, put her hand in my face, refused to speak with me, and called me an obnoxious woman. It all happened in front of our children and other guests. On arrival, we were also given a list of rules, including quiet by 21:30, no drunk behaviour, and room cleaning for 50R per room. That cleaning charge seemed laughable given one of her arguments was that she had to provide a maid or guests would moan. There were more rules on the list too. Fortunately, we found another place right on the beach, where we had exclusive, undisturbed use, could drink and Braai with friends and family, and had no curfew. So thanks for that, Des. A week at your place would have been Hell. I wouldn't recommend this property and would tell people to avoid it. Other reviews have left me stunned, and I do wonder if most reviewers know Des or were paid. It's a shame her husband Yogi wasn't around, though it seems he has little or no control over Des's aggressive and erratic behaviour.