Vida Nova Retreat

De tudo, desde a chegada a saída, tudo perfeito

I booked a room and did not get what I booked till the second night. And they just said sorry there is nothing they can do over false advertising.

Superb location, lovely mountain views from the tranquil garden. my family joined me for breakfast, which was a bit pricy considering the two smallest ones shared a plate, but the kids loved the hot pool . I was in Hout Bay to attend an event and will definitely book at Vista Nova again, as the staff was friendly and attentive - I loved staying there!

The breakfast options

Location was great, grounds were good, lush and beautiful Massage at the spa was the best part - was excellent.

Rooms: old, needs maintenance, walls and furniture scuffed and marked, sliding door broken, dirty marks on walls, tiles broken in bathroom, sink cracked. One sliding door didn't have blinds so no way to keep light out at sunrise Breakfast: only people in restaurant, took 40 mins to provide breakfast which arrived ice cold. No management visible. No ice avaialble when asked for, no orange juice. Felt bad for the single barmen / waiter having to cope with what he had to work with, he was pleasant and trying hard We had booked a massage there at 10am and wanted to check out before then but because of the delay with breakfast, we requested to check out an hour later after the massage. Was told this would be R500 extra for late checkout despite hotel being empty.

The environment, the staff, the chef at the restaurant as well, all was a 10 of 10

The property itself is beautiful, spacious and has a peaceful setting. Our first stay was a genuinely wonderful experience, particularly the private hot tub in Room 16, which was one of the main reasons we chose to return. The setting has a lot of potential and, when properly maintained and managed, could be a very special retreat.

Unfortunately, our second stay was completely different from our first. The biggest disappointment was the advertised hot tub in Room 16. It was not hot enough to function as a hot tub and was essentially a cool/warm tub. We were told this was because it was winter and that warmer weather would make a difference, which was difficult to understand as our previous stay was also during winter, in extremely cold and rainy conditions, and the hot tub was genuinely hot and enjoyable. We returned specifically because of the experience we had previously enjoyed, so this was particularly disappointing. The overall property also felt poorly managed during this stay, with a noticeable lack of attention to the guest experience. Given the price of the accommodation, I feel future guests should be aware that the experience may not match what is advertised or what previous guests may have experienced.

The property is beautiful and well located.

We booked a room with a fireplace and when we got there the fireplace was not working - the most important selling feature for us. When we enquired at reception what can be done, they were not helpful at all. There were inconsistencies with the information provided in the room and what we experienced at breakfast. The gentleman serving at breakfast tried to explain(no fault of his, training is lacking) but it wasn’t very clear. Our initial interaction with the lady who checked us in was good, she was super friendly and helpful, however the other reception person not so much - we did not find the staff equipped to deal with guest as expected.

Staff - wonderful, friendly, welcoming, accommodating, the list goes on. Melissa in particular was so helpful, as was anyone else we encountered working there. Bed - huge and very comfortable, well made up, comfy pillows, good mattress. Room - large, clean and bright. The changing light colour options are a nice touch, as are the coffee bags. Air-conditioning worked well to heat and cool as needed. Little fridge is good. Outlets really well placed by both sides of the bed, including USB ports. Shower and Towels - Nice water pressure and amenities, love a large soft towel and they were good quality. Patio - private with a nice little couch and table. Room service - food was absolutely delicious and hot. Breakfast - very tasty and again, lovely people working there. Small selection of fruit, yoghurt, pastries, apple and orange juice and cereal were set up to help yourself and were very tasty. No menu, but options were flexible and a full English breakfast and coffee was delicious when ordered. We had breakfast included and were very happy with it. Area - Really nice views. Tv - love that our room had a dedicated Netflix channel. Noise - we visited at a very quiet time of year, and it was peaceful.

Things to be aware of (not "bad", just FYI): Jacuzzi - no bubbles (although has gentle jets), but as long as it's been running long enough, it gets nice and hot. More like an outside bath than hot tub. Do not turn it off during your stay or you'll have to wait a good few hours for it to come up to temperature. But very pleasant to use when hot. Spa - there is no on-site spa. They do liaise with a local business for this to provide spa options like massages that you book direct with the provider, but the website (to me) gives the vibe that there is a spa on the grounds as wellness integration options are mentioned prominently, so just something to note. I did see other guests confused about this too (which the staff handled really well, working with their contact to find suitable arrangements). Garden walk - there is a small, manicured, central green lawn by the small pools (beautiful looking, genuinely very pretty, although we didn't use them ourselves as maintenance was going on with it), but the website says expansive gardens on the property, which I mistakenly thought meant you could walk around in gardens on the property. This could perhaps be just my unique understanding. There are not any walks like that on the property, however again the staff were knowledgeable, and on their recommendation, exit the property, turn left, and an 800m safe walk up the road there is a gorgeous tiny, open wetlands reserve to wander around, with stunning views. I fully suggest anyone do this as a little stroll after breakfast. Kiru - Just a note that the tasting menus which is their dinner option do not allow substitutions or changes, so those with allergens please check ahead of time if they can accommodate. Room service is not available Sunday and Monday, but there are around 15 restaurants that deliver food by options like uber eats and Mr. Delivery that you can order to reception.

Friendly staff. Quick response time and trying to anticipate our needs. Appreciated the privacy our room offered and thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub. Venue is beautiful gardens and spaces (even though we didn't use them)

N/A

Alle Mitarbeiter so herzlich. Die Zimmer außergewöhnlich sauber und rein. Der Garten einfach perfekt. Ich habe meinen Aufenthalt sehr genossen. Leider wurde das Restaurant renoviert und ich konnte abends dort nicht essen. Ich empfehle allen, die Ruhe und Entspannung suchen dieses Hotel. Für mich das Highlight meines 3 Wöchigen Aufenthalt in und um Kapstadt.

Es gibt nichts was man bemängeln kann

Our room was not very presentable. Broken tiles in bathroom, mould on door, taps broken etc. Although neat and clean, definitely lost points on presentation.

Clean, spacious, quiet and luxurious toiletries in the unisex bathroom.

Not applicable

I loved the bath pod, it was absolutely amazing. The space was exceptional, super spacious, with great spaces all around and a beautiful overall feel.

The hot breakfast was good

The room was not as advertised. The wifi couldn't even play the TV. Had to manually fix the tv myself at some point because it was just stuck.

The breakfast was delicious and I had my own personal hot jacuzzi.

Tranquil! Loved the little booth areas in the garden. This is a beautiful place to relax in a beautiful setting. Night time is beautiful when you look out over the pool and garden. The room was excellent and the staff were very helpful and friendly. We had one of the best spa sessions we’ve had in a long time as well, we felt so relaxed for days after our visit.

Difficult to say… The place is beautiful! Too peaceful to find fault!

Beautiful well maintained property. Truly feels like a retreat.

Breakfast was excellent, beyond expectations. The location was great, within walking distance of shops and restaurants and an easy Uber ride away from beaches etc. I loved the garden view room and time in the huts for meditation was appreciated.

The blinds in Room seven werent working.

The pool area, the rooms, breakfast was great. Staff were amazing.

No lunch or dinner offerings. Staff need more training on bar / drinks offerings. Its not the staff its lack of management and training by managers ot owners. Staff just left to fend for themselves and they are really lovely.

A lovely accommodation with such lovely people hosting. Really beautiful space. Highly recommend staying here.

Location

Das Personal war sehr freundlich und das Frühstück mit frischem Obst etc. sehr gut.Schade ist ein Cappuccino bei diesem Hotelpreis noch zusätzlich kostenpflichtig. Es gab auch immer genügend Parkplätze. Die Lage ist ruhig

Was auf booking als Deluxzimmer angeboten wurde hat sich vor Ort als Standartzimmer herausgestellt. Auf der Terrasse hat es kein Sonnenschirm oder Dachvorsprung so, dass es enorm heiss ist am Ende des Tages und nicht zum Draussensitzen einladend ist. Die Stühle beim Frühstück sind eine Zumutung. Kein Stuhl der nicht kaputt oder dreckig war.

Loved our stay there, staff super lovely and the breakfast was amazing.

A poorly stocked bar with a very limited choice of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Comfy seating or lounge area would have been nice in the garden, plus more sunbeds needed.

The location was in walking distance from some restaurants and the breakfast was delicious

No Dstv

Nice and relaxed

Seemed very understaffed but the staff that were there were very helpful, just felt for them! Ceiling fan in the bedroom wasn't great so definitely get a room with AC

Hout Bay is a lovely in-country area. The property has secure parking area within the gated compound. The bed, pillows and linen were comfortable.

The room was knowingly allocated for the night even though it appears they knew about problems that made it beyond acceptable. The roller curtain system was broken. One blind stopped two thirds of the way down, one worked and the first did not come down at all and seemed to be a manual blind but pulling lightly on the centre of the blind result in it falling down bruising my arm and narrowly missing my head. We too, having checked with reception as to the re-entry at night (after dinner locally) found the gate bell system to be fault and we had to stand outside calling with a mobile phone and shouting in the hope someone would hear us for about 15 minutes. Finally someone from reception let us in. Luckily, having seen a review of this issue before we staying had made it less stressful but still caused distress for my wife locked out without a car in the street at night (about 23:10 hrs). The bathroom felt dirty with highly stained tile grout and cracked across the sink bowl which was discoloured. It appears that the hotel is expecting to become a Marriott property and is holding off renovations until that contract is concluded. Not ideal for those staying there for now. After you book you will find out the restaurant is only open for breakfast and not for lunch or dinner.

Everything

I was surprised to be charged for the sheets which I cleaned to the best of my ability when I had a stomach upset.

Favourite hotel we stayed at in Cape Town! Stayed at the end of February and Vida Nova was so relaxing. The heated pool was heavenly, the breakfast was delicious, the staff were so lovely and helpful, comfy bed and lovely room with balcony overlooking the beautifully kept gardens! Would recommend anyone coming to Cape Town to stay here!

It was not at all as it seems in the photos. We arrived and felt unsafe, the room looked nothing like described. We ended up leaving soon after we arrived

Absolutely beautiful hotel, very welcoming and friendly staff, great breakfast and service. The rooms are very big and bright, with beautiful views. Great location.

There was a heatwave for 2 days, and the rooms didn't have air-conditioning, so it was a bit warm at night , only a ceiling fan. But the rest of the time, it was very comfortable .

Goed ontbijt, mooie tuin met ligbedden, behulpzaamheid manager.

Hotel is naast een lawaaierige baan gelegen

Föhn war durch den Bettrahmen fixiert und konnte nicht ins Bad mitgenommen werden. Es fehlte ein Spiegel dort wo der Föhn fixiert war. Wurde leider beim Ausbau nicht mitgedacht.

Staff was very friendly, beautiful garden and pool and spacious rooms!

Das Hotel liegt ideal für Ausflüge zum Kap, in die Stadt und zu den Weingütern in Constantia. Die Zimmer sind sehr geräumig und gemütlich mit Blick auf den schönen Garten. Der Service ist sehr gut, das Frühstück lecker.

Alles sehr schön.

Toller Garten mit 2 Pools, schöne Zimmer und eine tolle Lage zu den Cape Winelands und den Beaches in Hout Bay.

LAGE SUPER, POOLS TOLL

Langweiliges Frühstück, Gartenmöbel inkl Auflagen ziemlich veraltet,

The venue

Diese Unterkunft ist unglaublich gut! Das Personal ist so nett und bemüht, die Zimmer sind wunderschön und der Pool Bereich ist atemberaubend!

Rigtig dejligt sted. Skønne omgivelser. Super lækker morgenmad, der blev serveret med et smil. Personalet gjorde alt for at forkæle gæsterne. Der er ikke nogle af de gamle negative kommentarer der passer på stedet mere, ren luxus for sjælen. Håber vores vej falder forbi en dag. Tak til alle

Wonderful service, lovely gardens

Rooms beginning to age Only breakfast available - no other food. Bars unmanned

Le calme, un lieu de retraite.

Un hôtel sans restaurant. Si vous avez faim, on vous recommande de commander Uber Eats! Inacceptable !

Room was nice but not great!

No restaurant, breakfast service was extremely slow, staff not that friendly, only 2 hangers in the cupboard asked for more and they said they didn’t have any! The property was taken over by someone else 4 weeks before our stay, I was told this by another person who was also staying at the hotel. we stayed last year and the service was much better. Also they have put a huge canopy over the garden by swimming pool which really spoils the garden! All the sun loungers were under the canopy and they were really heavy to move into the sun!

No aircon

Good breakfast - tasty and well presented, Loved the outside hot pool and cold pool Lovely setting with mountain views

the hard-core approach to 10am checkout is a bit disconcerting . we were there one night only (Saturday) and a bit more of a leisurely morning would have been appreciated

Trevlig personal och jättebra frukost. Bra läge och fin trädgård. Vi uppskattade att det både fanns en kallare och varmare pool. Bra att vi kunde förvara bagaget där några timmar efter utcheckningstiden.

Rummen var inte klara då vi anlände efter en lång flygresa (2h efter utsatt incheckningstid) pga av försenad leverans av tvätten, vilket blev onödigt jobbigt och krångligt efter en lång flygresa.

Very nice location

Safe in the room doesn't work. Failed to understand why it’s not fixable, from the explanation given. Ceiling fan does not work in cooling mode. Restaurant not open at the moment.

Very nice garden and lounge

Very good breakfast

The staff was incredibly friendly, especially Sands at the front desk was amazing. The garden is beautiful and the breakfast was good as well.

Unfortunately the restaurant was closed and this was not clear at the time of our booking. However we received great recommendations for dinner and enjoyed the places they suggested very much.

Excellent breakfast

Look forward to being able to get lunch/ dinner on the property

Staff attitude poor. Water pressure in room poor. Bar not functional. Staff the main issue.

Excellent breakfast served by helpful,pleasant staff. Reception staff really lovely - allowed us in to room earlier than expected. Private patio. Outstanding, well cared for gardens

Nothing

Groene omgeving en goed gelegen in Hout Bay

Wifi buiten de deur, verouderd verblijf, lekkage in badkamer bij regen die lekte op het toilet. Plastic badmat in douche is onhygiënisch. Het voortuintje is omheind maar voelt benauwd. Stekkeromvormer bleef in hoofbord bij bed hangen en kregen we er niet meer uit. Er is geen restaurant maar wel ontbijt op bestelling dus geen buffet

Good

Lacks attention to detail - great venue ,looks like a hotel but more of a B & B .Good for a 1 or 2 night stay

Its a true Retreat! Very relaxing environment and set up

Really comfortable room very clean lovely balcony

The property was very good

Schöne Anlage und Zimmer.

Da Frühstück in der Nebensaison war gewöhnungsbedürftig: abgespeckte Croissants (alt), 1-2 Scheiben Toast, kein Käse oder ähnliches. Obst und Müsli vorhanden.

Die Unterkunft strahlt eine ruhige entspannte Atmosphäre aus, es ist alles sehr gepflegt und das Personal war sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend . Das Zimmer war groß , das Bett bequem und die Umgebung ist sehr ruhig, in einer guten Wohngegend. Zum Thema Frühstück kann ich nur sagen, wir waren komplett überrascht und begeistert!! Aufgrund einiger negativer Bewertungen bzgl. der Auswahl und Bezahlung z.Bsp. für Cappuccino waren wir sehr gespannt was uns erwarten würde. Es war das erste Frühstücksbuffet mit frisch gepresstem Orangensaft auf unserer 3wöchigen Reise und der größten Auswahl an frischen Früchten !! Feigen, Kirschen, Beeren einfach super !! Eierspeisen nach Wahl , es scheint unter neuer Leitung zu sein, meine Tochter hat es im letztes Jahr auch anders erlebt.

Eigentlich nichts, nur die abgepackten Croissants zum Frühstück passen nicht ins Bild.

Location, and room with the most comfortable bed and pillows and garden view. Felt peaceful. Breakfast was yummy and coffee good.

A few hairs in the bathroom 🫣

Heerlijke tuin met super zwembad, ruime kamer / appartement

Das gesamte Gebäude war sehr sauber, ganz tolle super gepflegte Außenanlagen. An der Rezeption sehr freundliches Personal.

Am ersten Tag gab es Verständigungsschwierigkeiten beim Frühstück. Dies endete damit das es uns untersagt wurde uns am aufgebauten Buffet zu bedienen. Das hieß kein Saft keine Früchte. Lediglich das bestellte englische Frühstück mit einem Toast war für uns bereit. Sowas habe ich in 15 Jahren Südafrika noch nie erlebt. Unwürdig

There was nothing to like, not after the inconsistent and terrible service received from the staff

Service and poor communication: We deliberately booked what was presented as a private unit with a private hot tub, based on the listing description and gallery. This created a reasonable expectation that the unit included its own private outdoor patio/stoep area. On the morning of arrival, we phoned the venue to confirm check-in and specifically asked whether we could bring our elderly small dog. We were clearly informed that pets are not allowed inside the unit but would be acceptable outside, which we reasonably understood to mean the private patio area associated with the unit. This was confirmed during the call. Upon arrival, this permission was withdrawn, and we were informed that pets were not allowed under any circumstances. As a result, we were unable to stay and were forced to cancel and secure alternative accommodation at short notice. Despite the cancellation being caused by the venue’s own miscommunication, no refund was provided. The issue was not the pet policy itself, but the misleading presentation of the unit and the lack of accurate and consistent communication.

nothing, it is a scam and we want the full refund.

Dear Customer Service, I am writing to formally complain about my reservation at Vida Nova Retreat, Cape Town. Upon arrival, it became immediately clear that the property was significantly misrepresented compared to the listing on Booking.com and was in an unacceptable condition. The accommodation failed to meet basic standards of cleanliness, maintenance, staffing, and safety. Cleanliness and hygiene issues included: Dirty and stained floors throughout the room Unclean bathroom facilities, including a dirty bathroom bin Visible grime, discolouration, and lack of proper cleaning Rusted and corroded bathroom fixtures Maintenance and condition issues included: Broken furniture present on arrival (detached handle/knob) Poor finishing and visible long-term neglect Worn and poorly maintained interior and exterior areas Serious safety and security concerns: Damaged and incomplete door hardware No visible security presence at the property at any time Only two staff members on site, with long periods where no staff were available Given the location in Cape Town, the absence of security and staff created a genuine safety concern Facilities were also not as advertised: The restaurant was closed The bar was only open for a few hours No alternative services or adequate staff support were provided These were not minor inconveniences or matters of personal preference, but objective issues that made the accommodation unsuitable and unsafe to stay in. Because of these conditions, we were forced to leave the property and secure alternative accommodation at our own expense. Due to the clear misrepresentation, unacceptable conditions, and safety concerns, I am formally requesting a full refund of the booking and reimbursement of additional accommodation costs incurred as a direct result of having to relocate. I will also send an email to the custmer support with a folder full of images. Look forward to hearing back from you. BR Christoffer

Нет кондиционеров в комнатах,

View

The clean environment

Lugnet ich grönskan.

Gardens/pool area beautiful and well maintained. Staff very friendly and welcoming. Comfortable bed

Nothing!

This was the most wonderful stay. Warm friendly welcome, spacious beautiful room, most comfortable bed and pillows, breakfast was continental plus a fresh cooked hot breakfast. The gardens well kept and the 2 swimming pools, one cool and one hot pool was perfect to relax in. I also had a massage here which the hotel organised. Fabulous location for Haut Bay, Camps Bay, Constantia, garden route and Cape Town. Nothing was too much and we would be back next time we travel.

Nothing

The property was superb and the room was really lovely.

The room was really warm and the fan was spinning in the wrong direction, so it wasn't very effective. My partner didn't sleep well because of that, which is the shame.

Everything. The staff especially are so friendly and helpful. It is quiet which we like and ideal situation to see everything we want to

Location , pool, very quiet

Nothing to dislike

Staff and pool area

The rooms were a bit dated and the doors and windows let in a lot of noise. If your room happens to close to the breakfast hall you will be woken up early by the noise from others.

Facilities, location and amenities.

Staff, service and attention

Grounds and the location was nice, private hot tub was very nice

Restaurant was closed, not enough pool seats, lack of spa treatment availability

Great breakfast. Good coffee. Lovely views.