For a family birthday, we didn’t want to drive back to our home after the party, which was at Ziggies bar and restaurant in Pine Lodge resort, so we decided to book a Twin Chalet option instead. Here’s how the experience, and importantly, the after-stay service issue, went down.
Pine Lodge Resort Twin Chalet Stay
The Twin Chalet we booked was adequate, with ample parking outside, some nice seating, and a braai (BBQ) area. The place was filled with all the necessities, from a little kitchen to a small outdoor deck area, a sleeper couch, the ability to order room service for breakfast, and a bunch of nice touches.
While the appliances seemed quite old, everything we used worked well. The shower had solid water pressure and got hot quickly despite it being a super cold evening. The only issue are the small twin beds, pushed together. These were very hard and quite uncomfortable, so much so that I had backpains the next morning.
It is, however, a cheap stay. We paid less than R800 (roughly $45) to stay the night for two people. The accommodation served its purpose so we didn’t have to drive back in the evening.
After-Stay Service Issue at Pine Lodge Resort
Even before the stay, I requested a business invoice for tax purposes via the Booking.com app, which when I arrived, the Pine Lodge Resort staff was blissfully unaware of. I asked for a business invoice for Catnip Creatives again (since this is a food and travel blog and our registered business).
I was told by the staff that the lady who does the invoicing would only be back in the morning, and that I should ask when clocking out. I did the next morning, but they couldn’t help me then either. That was on 8 September 2024.
I’m not going to bore you with the drawn-out details, but I can confirm that I only received a business invoice (done poorly) roughly five days later, with dozens of phone calls and hours of stress. Most of the staff were unwilling or unable to help with a simple procedure. It’s important to note that this place has business conferences and has been open for dozens of years. The manager finally scanned an invoice for me…
Pine Lodge Resort: Review Verdict
We’ll stay at Pine Lodge Resort again to see if our experience was just a terrible fluke. Sure, the Twin Chalet accommodation wasn’t bad, but the beds physically hurt. Importantly, the staff I dealt with to get a business invoice were terrible at their jobs, quite rude, and it took five days of fighting to get something that should be done in a few minutes, with ease, by any respectable accommodation host.
