We book our vacations for our family of 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids of 7 and 4 years old) and the owner informed the price for 7 nights, including breakfast, that we accepted and payed in advance like indicated.
This place was a restaurant that was transformed in rooms, and it is very small (only 4 rooms). The room has a good size and it have a balcony that have a great view to the beach. The beds are made of cement and it is not very comfortable. The bathroom is small and is old dated.
When we arrived we were received for a very nice lady that helped us getting things out of the car and in spite on being a little late (around 3.30 pm) she offered to prepare lunch.
Unfortunately this place wasn't´t what we expected:
- We have some issues with breakfast, supposedly we payed a "simple breakfast" that include a scrambled egg, 2 slices of bread, coffee and a cup of juice. When we asked about other things, we were told that we were getting what we paid, and if we wanted something more we should pay more 400 mts pp / day. When I said that we were told that the breakfast was included, the owner told me that I should have asked what it included, and that we have had a different price and because of that he determined that breakfast. I was very upset because we weren't´t told what kind of breakfast we would have and that we could have a little more for more money. Besides that the owner told me that it was arranged with my husband, and that wasn't´t true. With 400 mts we had a wonderful breakfast with cake, toasts, yogurt, fruit, tea, coffee, pancakes, ... at Casa Rex! About the price we paid the double that normally is paid, and we knew that other guests paid much less that us. The price on booking sites was also less and we accepted this price because we were travelling with kids and they already pay for extra bed.
- We have always to tell what time we want breakfast next day, so it can be prepared, but it just was informed when we asked about it, at the 3rd day, because we have been waiting for our breakfast for about 1 hour. Breakfasts always takes very long to come, the waiter don't know what is doing, he forgot essential things like sugar and butter, and we were just waiting for a long time. Even in the days that we told the hour of the breakfast it always tooked a lot of time.
- Food wasn't good! The scrambled eggs were with a lot of water and the toasts were wet and didn't even seemed like toasts. When we complaint to the waiter he just didn't´t know what to do and kept quiet. When I asked about manager he said that he was steel sleeping... The food also came cold!
- Huge problems with electricity and water. When we arrived there wasn't´t water in the rooms and we couldn't´t took a bath after a trip of 8 hours! Those problems happen again during other days and in the new years eve, we had to leave for dinner without bath because there wasn't no water! Imagine that after a hot day and after you being in the beach all day!
Problems with electricity were a few too and the lodge don´t have a generator, just for owners house...
- Air conditioning just worked on the 1st day! Other days we couldn't sleep because of the hot. We complaint about that but during our stay it wasn't fixed!
- At 1st January the lodge don't have staff! We were asked on the day before about the time we would like to eat because people were going to get down late. Once we have had problems with this issue we preferred to have breakfast in other hotel, Casa Rex, where we paid for a good breakfast, and we were well received. When we arrived at the lodge there wasn't anyone so we had to leave the car to open and close the gate.
Once we were staying for a week we reported some issues to the owner that was very arrogant and inflexible. He said that about breakfast that was our fault because we didn't´t told the hours that we want to have it. About bad food he said that we were having what we paid, and didn't´t liked that I told that it wasn't good. I said that we have to wait about a hour for the food and that waiter was more interested to put pillows in chairs that organising breakfast, and he said that we can't speak about management issues!
I don't care and don't want to teach no one how to run his business, but I hope that suggestions / complaints be well received. I felt that I was robbed because I paid much more that other guests and was the only one with different breakfast. Unfortunately management forgets that guests talks with each other...
For me it was the worst lodge I even been!! I don't recommend it to anyone! It just worths for the view but you can have it in other places.
In Vilanculos you can find fantastic lodges and at an affordable price: Casa Jules, casa Rex, and of course resorts like Bahia Mar, Archipelago and villas do indico, that are not much more expensive and the service and attention to clients are unique. Restaurants are also very good and food is fantastic.
