RUBY E.
Yelp
This was probably the worst get-away experiences I've ever had. To set the scene, our family had reserved Safari tent #8 & #9, and two RV spots right next to Safari tents for a birthday celebration. My family (#9 tent) arrived Friday evening, passed office hours, around 8:30-9pm. Everyone else was arriving Saturday.
We get to our tent, unload our car, check the beds for bed bugs, and what do we find...not bed bugs...but blood and rat feces all over the pillows, mattresses, and sheets. I will never un-see what I saw. I was enraged, especially paying over $700 for a disgusting tent.
Management of the resort after office hours is sparse to none. If there are any issues they ask that you call Sideways Inn. Sideways Inn then text their "IVY" system for security and maintenance. There is only ONE person on the premise after hours. That is Manuel Rosales, who also is an angel on earth! Manuel came to the rescue, took pictures, and arranged for an upgrade to a cottage. Manuel calmed my nerves, he made sure we were taken care of.
The next morning, we were hearing a complaint from our neighbor, who had a reservation mix up, when Justin from FF came by to see if we were ok. He made a comment, that "Manuel is just the maintenance guy". That also enraged me. Because Manuel was the ONLY person there, he was MORE than a maintenance guy. He was the housekeeping, security, maintenance, customer service guy all into one. This shows how they treat their employees. If it wasn't for Manuel the whole weekend would have been a disaster.
I also got a call from Todd, who stated he was the most highest form of management on site. He said since the tents were against a field, there is no control of rodents and it's to be expected. I told him if it's an issue they shouldn't put tents in that location. He stated there were no complaints from any other tents, and ours must have a hole somewhere. I just don't buy it. If there is an issue with ours, I'm sure there are issues with them all.
So now I've seen the tents and the cottage. The cottage goes for $300 a night more than the safari tent. It is not worth it. You can get a better house on Airbnb for the same amount, if not less. The kitchenette is small, no counter space. Small bathroom, no tub for small kids. The loft is not a loft. It is a crawl space. My six-year-old could not stand up. The stairs to the loft are dangerous. Better than the tent, yes. But not worth $300 more.
The tent...without the rat experience, small but cute. Not a ton of space. Not worth $350 a night. I could have stayed in a decent hotel for the same amount.
We won't be choosing Flying Flags for any get away anytime soon. Instagram posts are deceiving. Go with eyes wide open.