Blue Waters Hotel — Hotel in North Beach

This was the single worst hotel experience I’ve had in my life. We decided on the 23rd to join my family for a trip to Durban over Christmas. Due to our last minute planning, we were unable to book a room in my family’s hotel and had to settle for blue waters purely due to its proximity to the hotel I actually wanted to book at. Of the available alternatives, blue waters seemed like the best from the pictures and its 4 star rating. I booked to stay for the 24th and 25th December. Let’s start by making you aware of the fact that this hotel is catfishing and that it probably got that 4 star rating in the 1990s. This place does not look like the pictures anymore, it clearly hasn’t been renovated in atleast 20 years and the rooms are incredibly poorly ventilated and smell damp (the air conditioning is a joke which just further adds to the unpleasant smell). I didn’t feel comfortable using the shower without wearing slides and the bathroom in general was gross.

As if all of this isn’t already bad enough, this hotel also gave me the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. We checked in on the 24th having paid around R2100 of the total R3000 and some change amount. Their official website (which I booked through) didn’t let me pay the full amount upfront for some reason and specified that they wanted about R1000 upon arrival. After a day of last minute traveling, the swipe limit on my card was close to being reached and upon arrival I explained that I could pay R600 of that outstanding amount at that moment, and that I’d pay the balance the next morning (bear in mind that 1 night was only R1500 so I had already paid well over the amount for the first night’s stay). This is a situation I’ve been in more than once and reputable actual 4 and 5 star hotels have accepted this situation with no issues or complaints because it’s completely reasonable. The male receptionist serving me was completely over his head with this simple request and had to ask his colleague to assist with practically each new sentence I spoke. These people tried to turn us away from staying that night despite the fact that I’d already paid the first nights stay. After a bit of back and forth these 2 fools came to the conclusion that they wouldn’t accept the R600 I was offering and that they’d instead change my booking to a single night stay, and that they’d add the next night upon my payment of the full amount the next morning. They very specifically pointed out that we could lose the room and that our stay the next night would be subject to availability. We accepted this and went to our room, only to realise that it was disgusting and that we had no intention of staying there the second night.

Before I continue with the customer service issues, let’s talk about the experience I had at breakfast on Christmas morning. The male staff at this hotel made me incredibly uncomfortable. They were staring at me inappropriately and trying to talk to me and ask me personal questions while they served me. The sausages I put on my plate weren’t fully cooked and the first omelette I had made for me wasn’t fully cooked either (the cheese wasn’t even fully melted). My partner went and got me another one after seeing my disgust and refusal to eat and he had to literally argue with the person cooking the eggs to leave my omelette on the grill longer. Needless to say, we walked out of there without really eating.

After that terrible breakfast we then decided to check out rather than extending our stay (a room had thankfully become available at a better hotel). The issue then became the fact that I had paid over R2000 for a hotel stay that only costed R1500. I very rightfully wanted the difference refunded (and honestly looking back, these people should’ve been happy that I only wanted that money back and not the full amount I paid). After being left standing in reception for well over 20 minutes while the incompetent staff all tried to find someone else to deal with me and my issue, I was greeted by a manager named Sam. Sam is a liar who...

Review of My Stay at Bluewaters Hotel

I recently stayed at Bluewaters Hotel from May 21st to May 2nd. My stay was originally booked through Booking.com, which made the process seamless and easy to navigate, with clear information on room types and rates.

Check-In Experience I arrived around 16:00. The reception was busy, and there was a slight hiccup as someone jumped the line without proper guidance, which could have been avoided with better oversight. Upon arrival, I was welcomed with drinks and snacks, which looked appealing and made a good first impression. Philani, the receptionist, checked me in swiftly and courteously, explaining the hotel facilities, directions to my room, and breakfast area. However, there was no mention of parking details or pre-authorization for extras, which caused some inconvenience later on, particularly regarding the iron.

Room and View My room on the 17th floor (Room 1711) was stunning, offering both front and side balcony views that were breathtaking. The room itself was beautiful, providing a comfortable and relaxing space to unwind.

Cleanliness and Pest Concerns Unfortunately, I encountered a significant issue with cleanliness. I found at least five cockroaches in the bathroom, which was shocking for a four-star establishment. One even crawled on me while I was trying to sleep. Additionally, the pillowcases had stains, which was disappointing and detracted from the comfort of my stay.

Noise and Sleep Quality I was kept awake most of the night due to children in the neighboring room crying and being loud. While I understand this isn't within the hotel's control, better management of guest rooms to minimize disturbances would greatly enhance the guest experience.

Breakfast Experience The breakfast on the second floor was enjoyable. I would have appreciated being directed to a table upon arrival. The waiter assisting me was very attentive and friendly, though I didn't catch his name. Unfortunately, the staff refilling the buffet was less helpful; when I requested avocado, I was told no instead of it wasn’t available or that there would be an additional charge, which I was willing to pay.

Additional Services I requested an iron and board; the switchboard directed me to housekeeping, who informed me of a 200 rand deposit. The process to obtain the iron was somewhat cumbersome, requiring me to return to reception to pay the deposit. As a result, I chose to wear slightly wrinkled clothes rather than wait.

Management Response Carol, the hotel manager, was understanding and listened to my concerns about the cockroaches. She explained that there had been recent fumigation issues in the lifts and assured me she would raise the matter with management. Her empathetic response was appreciated.

Overall Impressions While the hotel offers stunning views and generally good amenities, the issues with cleanliness, attention to detail, and staff responsiveness—particularly concerning pest control and guest comfort—are points that need improvement. Building rapport, attention to detail, and genuine empathy from the staff can significantly enhance the guest experience and bring the hotel to its deserved...

We stayed here for holidays in December 2024 with a family of 5 in a family room 1116, after being recommended by one of their patrons .My goods were stolen in my room on the second day of our stay of 6 nights and 7 days , my big beach towel, my daughters black bonnet and my husband's beaded necklace, that turned me off completely, despite tidying up our house ourselves every morning before we go out. I only discovered when I wanted to go to the pool in the afternoon that my beach towel is stolen and on that night I also discovered that my daughter's bonnet is also stolen while she has to use it at Night when we were supposed to sleep and the following morning we discovered that my husband's beaded necklace is also stolen when he wanted to use it.

This has made me to conclude that I will never set my foot there ever again and I will never ever recommend it to anyone. That was my 1st and last time being there. The housekeeping team did not treat us well at all because I suspect they are the ones who stole it since they are the only ones who has an access in the rooms.

I also have some few things to complain about the housekeeping team again, the house was always not well cleaned, the only thing they were able to do was to make up our beds , the basin,shower and lounge table were left uncleaned always, floor not swept, the things that were used for room service were left unattended for days without being returned. Every time when we come back to the hotel we had to make a call for a toilet paper. It was not refilled after making up our room that was awful and tiring and they would bring one toilet paper per 5 people.

On our 1st day we had to make about 5 calls if not more to ask for the TV remote until my husband had to get to the reception that's when we were able to get a help and only one remote was given to operate two TVs in a separate rooms and I found that weird.

I had reported the matter at the reception the following morning after breakfast I was told they will make a follow-up ok sharp I accepted that. But believe you me I had to go back to the reception on our last of departure to enquire about the feedback only then I was told that they don't know what could've happened and they reported it to the housekeeping team , and I was even told if they can refer me to the manager I asked for what and the lady said just maybe you can talk to her/him. I said no because I was already running late for my flight back to Gauteng , also it seems to me that my matter was taken lightly hence they couldn't get back to me on time only when I asked about it and I had told the lady that it won't make any difference after talking to the manager. I wanted to go to the police station to report it while i was still there but my husband asked me to just let it go. It's only painful to have paid so much money for our stay to experience such an awful thing. The whole stealing saga changed my mood for my stay.

It's very unfortunate that my children liked the hotel so much. They keep asking me when are we...