Oude Wellington Wine Estate — Hotel in Drakenstein Local Municipality

We booked a self-catering family suite at Olde Wellington Estate during the first week of April 2025 through Booking.Com The reservation was made for 4 adults for a duration of 7 days. Total amount paid upfront was R24500.

When we we arrived it was NOTHING like the pictures on Booking.com's website. In fact, there were huge cages full of Parrots squawking ear-piercingly not far from the rooms, torn chairs and cushions, faulty door-lock and rattling door (I had to use a bunch of toiletpaper, just to secure it), terrible bathroom facilities, etc.

Now, if we had paid for cheap backpackers-accommodation, I suppose this might still be acceptable, but it is advertised as a 4-star establishment!!!

Immediately when we arrived and heard how loud the parrots were, I contacted the owner to explain that my husband had recently received a Cochlear Implant, and would not be able to stay there, seeing as he cannot bear the constant loud noise from the parrots. (To clarify, to my husband these sounds are not just a mere inconvenience, but like daggers stabbing in his head). I asked whether we could perhaps have a refund (even partial), seeing as the parrots are not clearly specified on the website, to which he refused and sarcastically recommended we do our research better. I then mentioned that the room was in any case not as advertised, to which he encouraged me to take it up with Booking.Com.

We immediately packed our bags and left, having been there an hour at most. So R24500 for one hour. And he refused to refund even 1 day's accommodation.

Needless to say, up to now, we haven't received any refund. Only a message from Booking.Com stating that our request was denied by the owner.

How is this acceptable? Do guests not have any rights when establishments misrepresent themselves?

For those who want to form their own opinion, I am attaching a few pictures of the room, the path leading up to the room, as well as the broken clothesline and garbage bins which form part of the view.

Go read through the reviews on Booking.com and decide for yourself whether this is a 4-star establishment. We are clearly not the first people to complain. I will not recommend this guesthouse to...

We have just returned from spending two nights at Oude Wellington Estate, and are already planning our return. We were greeted by warm, friendly faces and were treated like absolute royalty throughout our stay. We thoroughly enjoyed the wine-tasting with Margret, who has so much passion for the estate, wines and brandy. She is an absolute gem! We stayed in room no 4, and appreciated the outside area where we could sit and enjoy a glass of wine. The rooms have maintained the historical character and structure, however there are modern amenities too. The estate is beautiful, with a variety of trees, exotic birds and animals. There is also horse-riding onsite (Pony Joy Rides) - we highly recommend doing an outride! The breakfast assortment is perfect, with a selection of fruit, cereals, cold meats, breads, cheeses, yoghurts and juices. You are also able to enjoy a delicious warm breakfast prepared by Chef Zhu Zhu, consisting of tomatoes, bacon, egg and mushrooms. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and hope to be back in the near future. Our only regret is not leaving enough time to experience the spa massages. Thank you again to Dr Rolf, Zhu Zhu, Margret, Dinah, China and Krystal (the two loveable resident dogs), and everyone else part of the Oude Wellington...

The manager was very nice and tried very hard to be accommodating. The wife of the owner was completely and unnecessarily rude and unprofessional. The property itself is ok as long as you manage expectations. It’s old. It’s rustic. Amenities are sparse. Pool was not operational, so no swimming. There are bird cages EVERYWHERE! But you aren’t allowed to go near them. Yet… you have to go near them to get to your room…. The birds will scream and make a racquet at all hours, so if you value sleep, they may have other plans. The dogs on the property are sweet but there are rules you must follow there too and if one of them trips you while you’re trying to walk or get up from breakfast, you will get yelled at by the owners wife. Breakfast was fast and very, very small. In general, I felt like the owners wife completely ruined the overall vibe. Most that was less than stellar could be overlooked, but her generally nasty disposition screams to you that she hates that you’re there and she has no compunction about letting you know that. I do believe she married into the...