Hornbill Lodge and Legends Restaurant — Hotel in Mogale City Local Municipality

MY WIFE AND I ARRIVED AT HORNBILL LODGE 04/01/2025 @ 16H15 AND WERE PROMPTLY TAKEN TO OUR ROOM. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY DISSAPOINTED BY WHAT WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE WAS A LUXURY ROOM AND EXPECTED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN.||THIS IS EASILY THE WORST EXPERIANCE THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. ||WE WERE ALLOCATED ROOM NO 4 THAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A LUXURY FAMILY ROOM. THE BEDDING WAS DIRTY AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY SLEPT IN. THE SHEETS AS WELL AS 2 OF THE PILLOWS HAD STAINS ON THEM AND WERE CREASED, WHEN I COMPLAINED TO MANAGEMENT, I WAS SIMPLY TOLD THAT THE SHEETS WERE CLEAN BUT NOT IRONED BECAUSE THEY WERE AN ECO-FRIENDLY ESTABLISHMENT AND TO CONSERVE ENERGY NO IRONING WAS DONE.|THE ROOM WAS DIRTY, DUSTY AND HAD SPIDER WEBS IN THE CUBBOARDS. THE BATHROOM FLOORS WERE DIRTY AND STICKY WHEN WALKED ON. THE BATHROOM TOWELS HAD A FISHY SMELL AND CLEARLY NEVER BEEN WASHED WITH STAY SOFT AT ALL. |THE TV WASNT WORKING NOR THE AIRCONDITIONER AND WE WERE TOLD TO USE THE CEILING FAN IF WE FOUND THE ROOM TOO HOT. THERE WAS NO COFFEE STATION AS ADVERTISED ON YOUR WEBSITE, THE PATIO DOOR WAS LOCKED AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DAMAGED AND THEREFOR COULDNT BE OPENED.||COBIE THE OWNER STATED THAT THE PROPERTY WAS FAMILY OWNED FOR THE LAST 200 YEARS, CLEARLY, IT'S NEVER BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS OR MORE. THE FURNATURE AND LINEN ARE OLD AND DELAPIDATED.|THE SO-CALLED DECK DINING AREA WAS DIRTY AND THE WOODEN DECK FALLING APPART. CLOTHING WAS HANGING ON THE WASH LINE OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN AND WAS IN FULL VEIW OF THE SO-CALLED DECK DINING AREA. LOVELY VEIW OF THE OWNER AND HIS WIFE`S WASHING!!|WHEN I REQUESTED A REFUND COBIE SAID I HAVE 2 OPTIONS, EITHER I STOP COMPLAINING AND USE THE FACILITY THAT WE HAD PAID FOR, ALTERNATIVELY WE COULD LEAVE BUT NO REFUND WOULD BE CONSIDERED.||COBIE IN MY OPINION YOU ARE AN OPORTUNIST THAT ADVERTISES "LUXURY FACILITIES" YET IN REALITY PROVIDES DISGUSTING SUB-STANDARD AMENITIES THAT MUST BE PAID IN FULL PRIOR TO THE VISIT. HAD WE KNOWN THE PLACE WAS AS DERELICT AND DIRTY WE WOULD NEVER HAVE BOOKED IN THE FIRST PLACE.||NONE OF THE STAFF HAVE NAME TAGS NOR UNIFORMS, THE YOUNG GUY WITH THE MOHECAN HAIRCUT THAT CLAIMED TO BE THE MANAGER WAS DRESSED IN AN OLD TRACK SUIT THAT DESPERATELY REQUIRED A GOOD WASH. |COBIE FIRST IMPRESSIONS AS WELL AS CLEANLINESS, IN MOST INDUSTRIES ESPECIALLY THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, YOUR ON-LINE ADVERTS MAY BE APPEALING BUT YOUR FACILITIES ARE POOR.||COBIE YOUR PROPERTY IS BEST SUITED TO LOW CLASS BACK PACKERS AND I SAY LOW CLASS BECAUSE NOT ALL BACKPACKERS ARE LOW CLASS NOR WILL THEY KNOWINGLY PAY TO USE YOUR FILTHY FACILITIES.||MY WIFE AND I VACATED HORNBILL LODGE AT 17H00 THE SAME DAY OF ARRIVAL, AFTER SPENDING LESS THAN AN HOUR AT YOUR "LODGE" WITH NO REFUND.|| WE NEVER ORDERED ANY REFRESHMENTS, IF THE ROOMS ARE AS DIRTY AS WHAT WE ENCOUNTERED, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE KITCHEN IS AS DIRTY AND UNHYGENIC. |THIS ESTABLISHMENT OF YOURS CERTIANLY NEEDS A SITE VISIT BY A HEALTH INSPECTOR AS WELL AS THE TOURISM BOARD, THIS WILL BE ARRANGED IN DUE COURSE.||IN CLOSING THE AGENTS THAT ARE ADVERTISING YOUR "LODGE" WILL BE INFORMED OF THE PREVALENT SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS, THEREBY PREVENTING THEIR CLIENTS FROM ENCOUNTERING SIMILAR POOR RECEPTION THAT MY WIFE AND I HAVE ENCOUNTERED.|COBIE THE MONEY PAID BY US UNDER FALSE PRETENSE AND NOT REFUNDED IS DISHONEST. YOU CAN ONLY GET AWAY WITH THIS DISHONESTY FOR A SHORT WHILE THEREAFTER YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE CLIENTS THAT YOU CAN CHEAT OUT OF THEIR PAYMENTS.||NEITHER MY FAMILY NOR ANY OF OUR FRIENDS WILL EVER VISIT HORNBILL...

This place is terrible. The rooms stink. The bathroom ceilings leak all over the towels a person is meant to use. It is stated that it is self catering, it is not. We were not given the room we asked for - the luxury family room (since we came with a baby) - we were given the luxury honeymoon suite. It was a far cry from luxury. The room had no self catering options, no fridge, no kettle or counter space or basin. We asked to switch to the correct room, clearly they hadn't prepared that room for anyone because that room smelt so mouldy that a person couldn't breathe, but it came with some self catering things, but no kettle. You have to pay a deposit for a gas plate, and then you have to ask for a kettle which is like 500ml - 750ml in size that clearly gets used to boil food items as it smelled awful. We moved back to the original wrong room as at least the perfume they used to hide the mouldy smell was better than nothing. The braai facilities are horrendous. The grill is very lumpy and green - cannot be used. The trampoline has a big fat hole in it. It's also not baby friendly. The last straw was looking in the bed and seeing brown marks on the sheets, and sweat stains on the pillows. After 2 hours, we decided to leave, went to get our R250 refund for the kettle, and (I assume he was the manager) that came to give is the money couldn't even be bothered to greet a person or introduce himself. He walked in, gave us the money and that's it. No customer service. Didn't even ask why we were leaving - didn't even talk to us. They take 100% payment upfront and refuse any refunds. Its intentional! They know people won't stay, but happily take the money...

Their thumping music ripping through the Magaliesberg valley disturbs and spoils the visit of hundreds of patrons and residents who paid dearly to enjoy the tranquility and natural beauty (away from the noise of the city!). No pre-warning or consideration is made to all the surrounding accommodation to warn their guests from booking.

They are contributing to the destruction and degradation of the town value, their properties , and shops by decimating the peace till early hours of the morning (with their short term profit to please a small club scene that cannot support the area for its Peace and tranquility by supporting the disturbance to the surrounding nature)

When reporting the disturbance to the local police station, they mention they already asked for permission to make a noise meaning that they are already unpopular with the neighbours - disturbing their right to peace in their accommodation.

Shops & venues will lose business because of you and the “getaway gem” Magaliesburg loses the support it desperately needs. Then there will be no town to support even your business.

As a result of short sightedness, it’s scared away customers that you need to support the restaurants and shops that your guests actually enjoy or need.

I suggest sending a notification to every accommodation destination in a 3km radius advising them not to accept guests on these dates, because of the 24h disturbance in the valley/town. Unfortunately not much can be done about the environmental impact on bird life...