Avemore at Le Verger — Hotel in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

One of the worst establishments I have ever had to deal with. My daughters wedding was held at Landtscap (which was exceptional) and I needed accommodation for all of our family and out of town guests to stay. I booked out every single room at Avemore Le Verger for 2 nights 8 months prior to the wedding and paid for it in full. I also mentioned to them that because of their lovely braai facility in the front would it be possible for us to have an early braai (5pm) for all the guests staying at Le Verger and another wonderful establishment we had booked out. This was verbally agreed upon. 3 weeks prior to the wedding, they ask for a R16 000.00 breakage deposit, which I paid. 2 days after paying the breakage deposit, I receive an email to say they will not allow us to have a braai (even though we did not need a plate or glass from Le Verger as it was all going to be brought in). They said it could not accommodate 80 people for a braai (even though 29 were already staying at Le Verger and I had personally viewed the area on 3 occasions which was more than ample for a stand around very informal early get together). I begged and pleaded as everything for the wedding had been arranged. It was only agreed upon if I paid an extra R40 000.00 fee for allowing friends to come over for a couple of hours. I was forced to do this as I had no other option. I was then told that the breakage deposit over and above this is always asked for when booking out the entire premises. The week of the wedding I asked for the use of their JC Le Roux gate remote which cut the drive time to the wedding by 15 minutes. Again I was asked for a R2500 for the remote. I managed to get remotes from Sugarbird and Devon Valley hotel without even the mention of a deposit. The braai did happen as I had paid the R40 000.00. It could have accommodated way more than the 80 people that were there and would have been wonderful, if I hadn't had all the unpleasant experiences dealing with them. Of course there was a problem when it came to refunding my deposit - I only received R10 900 back - why - A hand towel and pool towel were missing, my family are not people who would walk away with these. Transport charges and repair bills to the fence which was appparently damaged by one of the buses used to transport all the guests. Don't they have insurance?? There are no staff on the premises at all, so everything is communicated via WhatsApp. Devon Valley is such a beautiful area and there are definitely nicer and friendlier hotels/guest houses along the Devon Valley...

I had an extremely disappointing experience with this booking. On the Monday before our scheduled Friday arrival, FlySafair cancelled my flight to Cape Town. I did absolutely everything in my power to find an alternative – we contacted multiple airlines, searched for flights on Saturday, and explored every possible way to make the trip work. Unfortunately, no options were available that would allow us to arrive in time and still make it worthwhile, especially since we had to return to Johannesburg by Sunday for work.

I immediately reached out to both the host and Airbnb to explain the situation. The host said it was up to Airbnb’s policy, and Airbnb said they would speak to the host. After that, the host stopped responding altogether. I pleaded for even a partial refund – half or even just a quarter – just to recover some of the more than R7000 I was going to lose due to something entirely out of my control.

Despite my efforts, I received no communication, no understanding, and no refund at all. It was extremely disheartening and added unnecessary stress to an already frustrating situation. I couldn’t help but wonder — where did basic human decency and compassion go? It felt like I was just another transaction, not a person facing genuine, unforeseen circumstances.

To future guests: if life happens – whether it's flight cancellations or emergencies – don’t expect any support, flexibility, or compassion. I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere for accommodation with a host who communicates up until the end and shows basic...

Words can barely capture the sheer excellence of my stay at Avemore. I initially booked only three nights before moving on to my next destination, but I found myself drawn back. When I reached out to Cherise to see if they could accommodate me again, she and Elana went above and beyond to make it happen.

The farm is breathtaking, the accommodation is immaculate, and their attention to detail is simply unparalleled. But what truly sets Avemore apart is the warmth and hospitality of Elana and Cherise - something I will always treasure. I can honestly say I have never experienced such extraordinary hospitality.

With a few days still left at Avemore, I already know I will return time and time again....