robertodX2867KA
Terrible service and shocking behavior
My stay at Pepperclub Hotel in Cape Town was, without exaggeration, one of the worst hotel experiences I have ever had. The biggest issue was with the front desk and overall handling of a simple airport transfer. When making my reservation through the hotel’s own website, I clearly selected and paid for an airport pickup. Shortly after, I received an email from the hotel asking whether I wanted to book a transfer. I replied explaining that it had already been arranged during the booking. To my surprise, their response completely ignored this and quoted me ZAR 950. I replied again, this time attaching proof of my reservation and insisting the service was already included. The real problem, however, happened at check-out. I was suddenly charged ZAR 1,900 for transfers—ZAR 950 each way. I immediately explained that I had only booked the arrival transfer and would not pay for a return I never requested. Even for the arrival transfer, although I eventually confirmed the ZAR 950 price, it should have already been charged at booking, which had been prepaid. What followed was completely unacceptable: a hotel security guard approached me, became aggressive, physically pushed me, and prevented me from leaving. This is absolutely shocking behavior for any hotel, let alone one that presents itself as upscale. In the end, I paid for the arrival transfer just to de-escalate the situation, but the guard remained hostile and refused to apologize. Beyond this major incident, there were several other negative points: - The airport transfer service itself is not worth it at all. It costs more than three times an Uber, the car was quite old, and the experience was chaotic—I had to walk around the airport with the driver and wait about 20 minutes while he sorted out parking payment. - The hotel décor is another issue. Regardless of personal taste, the excessive and over-the-top style creates a distinctly negative impression. - Some service details simply make no sense. Every day (sometimes more than once), housekeeping removed the shampoo and conditioner from the shower area, leaving them outside. This meant I constantly had to remember to bring them back before showering. - Breakfast is just average. It’s not bad, but there is absolutely nothing memorable or special about it. The only positive point I can highlight is the housekeeping staff. They were consistently polite, attentive, and did a great job keeping the room clean and organized. In conclusion, basic standards of courtesy and professionalism are clearly lacking at this hotel. Given the aggressive incident and poor management of a simple service, I would strongly not recommend staying here.