Name: The Whaling Station Guesthouse
Address: Goose Valley Turtle Creek Golf Estate, Plettenberg Bay, Plettenberg Bay, Plettenberg Bay, 6600, South Africa
Rating: 7

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Garden

Television in lobby

Terrace

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Cable TV

Hairdryer

Shower/Bathtub

Shower

Rooms

Ironing

Laundry

Services and amenities

Kettle

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet access

Internet

English

Languages Spoken

Library

Barbecue grill(s)

Hiking

Picnic area

Fishing

Barbeque

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Swimming pool

Beach facilities

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Diving

Snorkelling

Sports

Beauty services

Beauty and wellness

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Plettenberg Bay Airport

The Whaling Station Guesthouse

Plettenberg Bay

We booked a room with breakfast weeks before via Booking.com.  From the photos of the place it was made to look well run with a number of staff to care for the place.  The views were supposed to be beautiful which they are but that’s all this place has going for it.  When we arrived there was no manager or owner in sight. No bevy of staff.  We walked around the property for a while calling out.  It was deserted.it looked tired and unkempt.  Eventually a member of staff came wandering across a rather messy lawn.  He told us the owner was out playing golf and he was not advised that we had booked.  He told us to take a room.  We settled in and wandered around. The furnishings were tatty with holes in the curtains.  The furniture was damaged stained and semi broken.  We discover the washbasin was blocked.  The bathroom lights did not work.The window panes in the bathroom were cracked.  The rooms were dingy.  We couldn’t get a proper shower because there was no hot water.  The staff in the photo had been laid off so the owner was not offering breakfast.  She told us to go to the golf club.  No customer care or service.

The swimming pool needed cleaning and maintenance.  The boma  had chairs stacked inside including the cushions.  It was as though the place had been closed.  All very depressing.  We paid a lot to stay there. We received no invoice when we left. Basically there was no one to care whether we were comfortable or not. In the morning the hot water tap was dry. Basically the place was revolting.

The owners had not contacted booking.com that they were closed or that they no longer had staff. If we’d known we would not have bothered to go there.

Poor quality bed and breakfast

Our stay at Whaling Station was an amazing experience.  The view is to die for and the staff is so friendly and helpful. Everything is in top condition, from the pool, to each room.
The breakfast is served with a smile and is delicious.
We will definitely be back.

Awesome views and amazing staff

I needed a last minute place to stay on an unplanned business trip, made the booking and was called within minutes asking if I needed anything special or out of the ordinary. They were extremely accommodating to our simple requests. The views and tranquility of the location would certainly lure me back with my family when I'm next in the area.

Very relaxing

Beautiful location, view and Scenery. The facilities are clean and all the right ingredients to be a great B&B. The customer service was however extremely poor, very very bad services. We did not receive a proper invoice after payment. It was a few pen scribbles on a piece of paper. No breakfast was sat out (rusk and porridge) as promised, we had to ask for it! The kitchen and appliances are shared with the guests, some of our food went missing from the fridge. We think it might have been taken by accident by other guest. However, this was still an inconvenience and should be better managed by Whaling Station. Also, we had to continually inform the guards at the gate that we are staying at Whaling station, no tag was given to us... again this would have helped a great deal in customer service.

Lack of customer service

Tranquil location. Swimming pool with recliners and bar area with a view were the salient positive features of our stay along with the proactive efficient service of the manager and his staff. Enjoyed having access to the free use of canoes en rute to the river. Our particular room was small and situated next to the dining area where we needed to close the curtains and windows to ensure privacy. 

Pleasant stay with great service and views.

close to our freinds who were camping, so easy to reach, lovely views and nice pool, nothing posh about our room wish it had been facing the lawn and not entrance to reception and breakfast, but it was a short pleasant stay.

Lovely time

I loved the cleanliness of the rooms and the beds were comfortable but unfortunately the service from the staff was terrible, the breakfast was dismal to say the least. The crockery used for breakfast as not clean properly.

Excellent place but poor service

Just stayed a couple of nights at the Whaling Station. It’s located inside a golf resort which makes it a safe place to stay. The view from the pool and common area is beautiful. Pool is quite small and didn’t look that clean.

We were two adults and a child staying in a normal room. First night in same bed with one duvet - terrible. Luckily the staff put up a second mattress for the second night. 

The towels looked dirty, I’m sure they were clean but with lots marks. One was really bad and we put it on the floor for changing. When we came back it was not changed but put back on the rail. 

Breakfast was very sparse. You had to make your own coffee and tea and the food was not really very exciting. They did make eggs for you, and it took like forever. 

For a couple of nights it was okay, but I would probably not come back.

Good for view and location

Great location and a great place to stay.....we booked for 16 golfers and a super time was had by all. The rooms were clean and neat, on site secure parking and a great Boma to review the days play. If we tour the garden route next year, we will definitely be back. Thank-you Mel, Leo and Pete for a great stay.

100%....

Arriving at the property late afternoon, there was nobody in sight. We walked all over the property and must have looked pretty lost because a painter/worker came to ask what we we looking for. Since he had no money on his phone account he asked me to let him use my phone. He then started to call the owner x times and after 20 minutes finally reached him. The instructions were to give us the last room at the end of the house, a dark and freezing cold hut and that he shortly would come to check us in. 
Thanks to a very friendly young man, Stonard, we got a tiny heater and ended up sitting fully dressed in a freezing room. There was simply no way to get the cold out of these walls as the room must have been unoccupied for a long time. 
 What made me the most angry was that after 2 nights there and before leaving, he passed me right outside in his car, not a word of hello, goodbye, sorry ........ He could not have cared less - the money was in his account. He is a terrible host!! 
The bed is comfortable but the overall atmosphere is very uncaring, loveless and cold. An old wooden dresser, where cups and a water heater are placed without a tray - Hello water marks in the wood!  The bathroom needs quite some attention and the plastic flowers need to disappear from the whole property.
The ladies at breakfast were very kind and courteous but they need instructions on how to serve the warm breakfast.  

The Whaling Station Guesthouse

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