The Devon Valley Hotel

Save your money and go to Lord Charles or any other hotel in Stellenbosch. This place sucks and when I explained my dissatisfaction to management they wrote to me: "We take not of your email, and your threats." meaning they couldn't care less to rectify any issues... Here is my story and context if you have the time to read: My partner and I stayed at Devon Valley for a close friends wedding. While a beautiful property, booking a stay was difficult in that their main point of contact, Melissa Van Staden was extremely unresponsive via email. Imagine how difficult this is when you're booking from a different country. They made us pay upfront and charged extra for using a credit card, which is something you can avoid with other hotels by simply booking online but whatever - we did it. The unresponsiveness should have been our warning sign to go else where because a slew of problems arose when we arrived: Incorrect Billing: We were charged for an additional night that we did not stay!!!! This seemed like a simple mistake because I had asked if it was possible to add another night, and while they confirmed adjusting the reservation was possible, we never confirmed we would be staying an extra night. We had pre-paid for our three nights, and upon checkout (3/11/25), they billed us for an extra night despite me confirming we actually would be checking in on 3/9 prior to arrival. Calvin, the manager, whom I dealt with at the property refunded me 50%. However I requested an immediate refund for this erroneous charge via email and they refused claiming I was in the wrong for asking for an extra night. Unresponsive Staff and Damaged Property: Despite four separate requests for a clothing steamer, none was provided though they kept saying they would deliver one to our room. Eventually, I was given a defective iron after running to the front desk four times. Because it was broken, it damaged my partner's formal pants. This forced him to change his outfit for the wedding we were attending. This represents both poor service and property damage. I totally understand they aren't obligated to have steamers, but at a top hotel I would at least expect better service! Misrepresented Accommodations: I specifically paid a premium for a vineyard view room. However, upon arrival, I discovered that my room had no such view (see photos) due to ill maintained and overgrown foliage. This is blatant false advertising and failure to deliver the specific room category I paid for. When I took this up with Calvin, the hotel manager, instead of listening to a customers dissatisfaction, he screamed that "this is the best view in South Africa, and has won awards". Like ok? Can you see the vineyards in this picture? Because I can't... Overall I'm truly appalled at the lack of hospitality from a hospitality group... when I reiterated my concerns over email they responded saying that all my "allegations were denied" and that their "excellent reputation is well documente

BEAUTIFUL hotel, in a lovely setting and scenery from rooms. The vineyard room was perfect, peaceful. Awesome breakfast and attentive staff from check in to check out . I would highly recommend this hotel if you want a peaceful break with views.

It’s disappointing to see the hotel’s response insinuate that I’m “not presenting all the facts.” I actually reported this incident to John, [assumed] the night manager, immediately upon returning to the hotel and sent a detailed follow-up email to management, outlining all the information requested. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to receive any feedback on the points below, which only reinforces my impression that there was no genuine intent to resolve the matter. Here’s a breakdown of my concerns with the points presented in the hotel’s reply (which I’ve already sent to them on email and have been ignored, again, because they have no intention of resolving this); 1. The hotel’s coding system confirms no unauthorized entry, but it does acknowledge the housekeeper’s presence in my room, which is central to my concern. Accessing money from a zipped handbag inside a suitcase requires more than a cursory glance, and this fact has yet to be properly addressed. 2. I understand that the housekeeper denies the allegation, which is expected in such circumstances. However, this denial seems to have been accepted as final, despite her being the only person confirmed to have entered the room. Was there any effort to substantiate her statement with security footage from the hallway? 3. The hotel emphasizes the housekeeper’s tenure and clean track record. While I respect her years of service, a history of good conduct doesn’t exclude the possibility of isolated misconduct. Relying solely on her employment record feels insufficient given the specifics of this incident. 4. Management mentions that it’s standard procedure for doors to remain open during cleaning and that rooms aren’t left unattended. However, I’d like to know if this open-door policy includes any form of supervision or regular checks to ensure housekeepers aren’t handling guests’ belongings. Without oversight, this practice doesn’t necessarily protect guest property. 5. I understand the hotel rarely experiences theft complaints, but the rarity of past incidents does not invalidate my experience. I would also appreciate clarification on how the previous theft case was handled. Did the involved party admit to the theft, or was there a denial? Has there ever been a case where an employee admitted fault? Understanding this would shed light on how such matters are usually handled by the hotel. The hotel feigned concern and had no intentions to solve this. The unwillingness to acknowledge that this happened under their watch is disheartening. To future travelers, please be aware that if anything is stolen from your room, The Devon Valley Hotel management may do little to investigate or resolve the issue. So based on how they’ve handled this entire situation, I would 100% advise NOT to stay in this property and if you do, do so at your own risk. They lack integrity and I will DEFINITELY not ever go back here !!!