Sandown Lodge

We stayed at Sandown Lodge for 2 nights: 3 and 4 July and although the accommodation was good in terms of furniture, decor and cleanliness, there were a few "glitches" which did disappoint - these were: 1. Bathroom not closed off - the "half way" wall did not deter the fact that the area did not warm up and it no privacy at all if one needed to use the toilet, to say the least! Thank heavens the nice big sash window did create light and air-flow ...:( 2. The position of the TV is completely impractical: placed on the mantlepiece but with no swivel mechanism (although it seems like this had been in place in the past?)one could not watch from the bed and the two little armchairs were not really conducive/comfortable for watching TV; 3. The 2 x white towels were fine ... not bath-size, but okay for a quick dry. However, there was one bath-size towel (brown) on the hook, but it was damp when we arrived and I got the feeling it was a towel used by a previous guest - we did not use it, nor bother to advise Vannessa. 4. The shower pressure was extremely low and when it did get going, one was either "boiled" with only the hot water coming through or the opposite, when only cold water came through ... this should be addressed ASAP as it's extremely unpleasant; 5. The lighting in the whole room was lovely, apart from one fitting right above the bathroom basin ... it had come loose and it was hanging down, with all wiring in sight - this should not happen in an elegant room! 6. Lastly, one of my pet peeves (it happens in a lot of guest houses and hotels)- NO PLUG POINT where the mirror was placed - I resorted to moving the mirror to the other side of the table near the door so I was able to dry my hair PROPERLY! Anyway, apart from the rain (no umbrella supplied) our 2 night stay was acceptable, I guess, but disappointing due to the lack of ATTENTION to DETAIL.

Sandown Lodge is a well kept guest house, and is conveniently located. They have a very hard-working complement of staff, namely Lauren and other assistants. The garden is very beautiful too. My unit was serviced to an incredibly high standard. Vanessa and Lauren were particularly helpful in the booking process. What was less impressive, however, were small bits of hospitality during my stay. I never met the ladies I was corresponding with upon my arrival, nor did they send their apologies. The same occurred upon my departure - one would expect some courteous farewell pleasantries: instead they had left and I was to hand my keys and say goodbye to one of the ancillary staff. That would be acceptable if I were there as an AirBnb guest, where the guest is generally indepedent, but these were just a few of the lapses in etiquette which I think should be considered by a guest house.

Fantastic experience and very well located for road trips all over Cape Town. Beautiful surroundings.