The Little Hideaway

I wouldn’t recommend The Little Hideaway Guesthouse after the way this was handled. I was trying to raise a serious problem, not start a conflict, but responsibility was never accepted. As a frequent traveller, I’ve never had a confirmed reservation dealt with so badly. I arrived with a confirmed Booking.com reservation, but Vanessa told me by phone that there was no booking in my name. I showed clear proof of the confirmation and earlier correspondence with Bernie about the payment process. I never asked to cancel, and nobody told me the reservation had been cancelled. I was told someone had supposedly called for me, perhaps my husband or “someone acting for me,” and that the booking was cancelled because of that call. It’s concerning that a confirmed reservation could be cancelled without proper checks. I was also told a refund had been processed for a deposit I never paid, which raises questions about verification, governance, and internal controls. Before cancelling and refunding, they should have checked the caller’s identity, the booking details, and the payment records. A simple check would have shown that none of those details matched my booking or personal information. When my call with Vanessa cut out, nobody followed up, and responsibility was deflected. This creates a serious operational risk for the business. Verification checks are essential in hospitality, because without them guests are inconvenienced and the business could face financial loss. I hope the owners review their processes.