Glenashley Beach Accommodation - B&B + Backpackers — Hotel in KwaZulu-Natal

I really can't understand why this place has so many good reviews and clean rooms are mentioned so often. We stayed there in November 2023, and probably due to the off-season, the place was a mess. The back of the garden seemed to be a construction site, the pool was anything else but inviting. The communal kitchen was an absolute mess, disgustingly dirty. In the room itself, everything seemed to be broken, coming lose or being absolutely gross. The sink in the bathroom seemed to be clogged, the fridge was covered in rust, corrosion everywhere, not only in the bathroom. Look at the images, get yourself an impression how uninviting the toilet was, how dirty the lamps, the fan, the power strip on the dirty couch table was. How can a handle of a cabinet even be so gross? And after all, it's not even been cheap, it has rather been overpriced compared to all the other places where we stayed during our three month trip on the South African coast. Yes, the location is pretty neat, as it is directly at the beach. What comes with that is some pretty annoying electro beats from drunk idiots that like to party on the parking lot across the street. At least the breakfast was ok, not really great, rather simple, but the room was clean. So this is the only part where the one star could go. I know South Africa is going through tough times and that a lot of problems come with that, but cleaning should not be a such a great problem.

Here's an update to reply to the owner's answer:

It says all about how you run your business, taking you more than 1 1/2 years to answer to this review.

Then, you directly start with accusations that are lies: "we noticed you never cleaned up after you used the facility, selfishly leaving your mess for someone else to clean up !!" We never used the kitchen or anything that it provided, as it was unbelievably gross, so there was no need for us to clean up anything. False accusations, is that your character showing?

Next, I didn't scream at the "manageress", I asked her for help and probably call the police to stop the madness going on in front of the house. If she was a "manageress", she would have provided help, but instead she refused to do anything. And sorry, no, I won't go out in the middle of the night to ask a bunch of drunk people that are of unpredictable behaviour to stop behaving in such an anti-social manner. So, it's true, if your not willing to risk that, you probably have to deal with nights of not sleeping, because the staff will not be of any help.

Regarding the corrosion, I understand that this is can be an issue. But if you look closely at the photos, we are not only talking about items starting to rust. We are talking about what looks like mold on the tiles, growing from the fridge and the wardrobe handle, about a thick layer of dust that covers the fan blades, about the towel hanger coming loose. Also I didn't know that plastic and glass can accumulate rust, when I look at the sockets and at the lamp, it does look more like dirt than rust to me, don't you think? It would just take a couple of minutes to clean the fan, the fridge, the sockets, the lamp, maybe five minutes more to fix the towel hanger and the mold on the tiles. But obviously the problem is that you can't even see the problem. So everybody reading this review can get an impression by having a close look at the images.

We have been touring South Africa's coast for more than 6 weeks, and not one accomodation had the "same corrosion issues" as you call them, like yours.

"..., the issue is you couldn't really afford to stay with us." What kind of an insult stunt are you trying to pull there? That's straight ridiculous. I'm not going to brag about how easily I can afford staying at your place.

Even after 1 1/2 years, I still remember your place as the worst we've stayed at during our three months trip to South Africa. Especially considering the price. That's something that people should know before booking with you.

Conclusion: dirty, false accusations, insults, not accepting valid criticism, blaming...

This is our third stay here and it would be hard to stay anywhere else when we visit Durban.

The location is totally amazing - right across the road from the beach. This means you get a great view of the sunrise from your room (if you're up early) and hear the southing sound of the waves all day. It's also just so convenient to walk out and and have sand between your toes in 30 seconds. It's a quiet beach with not many people so we've felt totally at ease there with our young children.

It's also easy to get here by car (it's just off the M4) and La Lucia mall is really close for any shopping you need to do (15 minutes walk or 5 minute drive,).

The rooms are well maintained and have everything you'd need - mini fridge, cupboard, TV, ceiling fan, chairs and table on the balcony, good firm mattresses and en-suite bathroom.

The generous breakfast always gets our day off to a good start. Cereals, bacon & egg, toast, fruit salad, tea and coffee.

The staff are very friendly and have been exceptionally helpful and accommodating with any requests we've had.

Last thing: secure parking at no...

It's a beautiful place and the staff are really friendly. but at check in i was locked out for half an hour with my bags outside the gate, and later at night coming back to a locked up place with no key to get in. I just felt completely unsafe and not accommodated for. it looked deserted but apparently the reception was in a dark room next to the entrance and i should have knocked on the window. when i requested a refund and discussed these issues and misunderstandings with the owner Mark, he spoke to me in a very condescending tone, with statements as: "we're not your mother", "you must have been out of it", and "have you tried reading up on this country?" it was very unpleasant and completely unnecessary, he kept interrupting me when i tried explaining my side of the story with more accusations and rude remarks. we settled on a refund for the remaining nights at least but on my way out he felt the need to lecture...