Oliver Krantz
Google
Let me start by saying that this is a review about the Equipped Cottages accommodation, what is offered and the booking experience.
The nature reserve has hikes and a few deer, ostriches and zebras. Koppie Alleen is worth a visit, offering the best chance of seeing whales.
The beach cafe right on the edge of the ocean is great with reasonable prices.
HOWEVER, from a South African perspective the De Hoop Collection is overpriced in food and accommodation, but the food was good, if limited in selection. The main lodge is great and well decorated.
The first shock is the lack of maintenance De Hoop shows in maintaining its road. After 33Km of a good dirt road, then the OK dirt road to the nature reserve gate to the turnoff to de Hoop, you hit the worst potholed dirt road I have ever seen in SA. Even at walking pace you get shaken around so that your teeth rattle.
This is unacceptable and just plain laziness.
To the self-catering Equipped Cottages. There were only two of us, their website does not show the selection of accommodation that the brochure does (suggestion to De Hoop, add this ASAP, we were not the only ones to complain about the poor website).
We just wanted a stay for the two of us and got an email with 3 suggestions at 3 different prices, I took the middle-priced one. Nowhere did it say that the middle-priced option was for 4, a self-catering cottage, and the price included breakfast and dinner. So why would they offer a self-catering cottage for 4 people?!
The cottage smelled like my grandmother's house, was equipped with furniture from the 70's, and had a rattling fridge that woke us each night. No Internet, a fireplace in the house, but you had to buy the wood at reception (at this price!). A small radiator heater was provided to heat the 3-room cottage. The only good things where decent pressure in the shower and heating blankets in the bed.
The accommodation was a shock to the system and the price was definitely not anywhere near justified. My recommendation to friends and family is to give this a miss.
