First Group Margate Sands

Beautiful place friendly staff everything we needed was provided for

Excellent accommodation

Nothing to dislike

The views were beautiful, the house was clean and bathrooms were nice, staff were friendly

Although place was clean, There were a lot of small cockroaches in the kitchen which was a put off

 I am extremely dissatisfied and frankly appalled by the condition of this establishment. For a property advertised as a 4-star establishment, the standard we experienced was completely unacceptable and nowhere near what we paid for. Upon arrival, we immediately encountered multiple issues. The one lift in the building has no light, the sliding door does not lock properly, and there were cockroaches and ants inside the apartment. The overall cleanliness of the apartment was extremely disappointing and clearly not up to the standard expected from a 4-star establishment. There was also a strong, unpleasant smell coming from the fridge, which was completely unacceptable. The Wi-Fi does not work, and even the phones in the apartment do not work, making it difficult to contact reception or request assistance when needed. The furniture, appliances and cutlery also appear extremely old and poorly maintained. I actually visited this property approximately 6 years ago, and it is extremely disappointing to see that very little, if anything, appears to have been replaced or properly maintained since then. To make matters worse, the noise throughout the night kept us awake, making it virtually impossible to get a proper night's rest. This was supposed to be a holiday escape, yet the experience has been anything but relaxing. We travelled all the way from Port Elizabeth and paid R5,300 for two nights, which is a significant amount of money to spend on accommodation that is in this condition. We expected a clean, safe and properly maintained 4-star property, and instead we were met with an experience that falls far below those expectations. What is particularly concerning is that when we arrived on the 8th, we witnessed numerous other guests complaining at reception about their experiences. I strongly suggest that management review the reception CCTV footage from the day of our arrival, as this will clearly show the number of guests raising complaints.

Easy check in, friendly staff and great location

There's no more a heated pool and it was not mentioned when I did my booking.

The location, room, and view were all great.

Elevators don't work properly, some staff members were not approachable. They said they would fix the elevators but never did. They also promised to update the activity board but never did. We were not told that we cannot go to the pool area after a certain time before booking. They only told us that when we wanted to go to the pool area at night. They escorted us out of the pool area. We had 6 people booked but they charges us an extra R80 for the second car which is unacceptable as 6 people cannot fit in one car. Also, the noise from the next door restaurant/ bar was absolutely unacceptable. The noise continued far beyond 3am in the morning. We couldn't rest at all.

The view l was amazing the cleanness was on point kitchen plates and pots and mugs were all perfect

The aircon was not working Oven was crusted out Kitchen light flickering Uncomfortable couches but chairs made up for it

Just the view

The fact that yourl stated it has heated pools and it's not. The room had roaches which was disgusting No kids game room It's false advertisement I am honestly disappointed with this stay I had to take my kids elsewhere to keep them entertained. P

The location is perfect, didn’t have to drive to restaurants and other facilities. The staff is welcoming and friendly. The checking in was smooth. The staff made sure my room was up to standard.

It would be nice to have a restaurant on site 😉

Location

The housekeeping staff not as attentive as at the other places like the Umhlanga cabanas

Well maintained apartments Cleaned everyday Good distance to the beach Excellent staff Daily allocation of towels

Advertise : Heated pool but never heated. Games room but doesn't exist. On-site shopping centre but doesn't exist. Absolutely terrible pool/braai lighting! Terrible parking spots as well as allocating of parking spaces One supply of toilet rolls only for 6 occupants!

View is amazing

Room is infested with cockroches. T.V and aircon never worked when we complained they sent someone to fix it however he has no idea what he is doing and even tells you he knows nothing about this... Housekeeping is extremely unfriendly especially the lady servicing our room , she is so unhappy with her job and she makes the guests feel very uncomfortable....we needed glasses and they never brought us this had to use champagne glasses to give my kids cool drink. I stayed here years back and it was amazing, sadly now place is not managed well and being run down

I liked that it was a safe environment for my kids. It was clean and neat. The staff were friendly and always willing to assist us.

I didnt like the fact that it was a lot of false advertisement reason being, we were told there would be heated pool, game room, trampoline, golf but the trampoline was out of order, the pool no longer is heated and there was no game room for the kids. The reason I booked this stay is because all these facilities was advertised and I was going to book elsewhere but chose this because of the different variety of activities they had for my kids. It was disappointing as there were no ball to play golf, the trampoline was broken, no games or anything for the kids to play besides a small jungle gym. If there is no longer those facilities they need to be removed from the advertisement as well as the pictures on the website.

Place is infested with cockroachs, lady at reception rolled her eyes when she was infromed about this.Repeatedly asked staff at the front desk to fix a fan in the room (multiple times)which was faulty nothing was done. En- suit bathroom hand shower head was broken and the other shower was missing a drain cover, you could easily slip and get your foot stuck in there.Unit was advertised with a washing machine, nothing was there upon arrival when informed a faulty machine was put into the unit.

Location is good.

Apartment was old and outdated. Needs fresh paint and tiles

The beach view is amazing.

The apartment is small. The property is old fashioned and some modern revemping, especially the furniture and deco🗑️🚮 Bin cupboard was not closing properly. Thr mop was do dirty and smelling like a poo.

View

Dirty furniture, the couch had staines and also the linen had stains

The quiet side of Everything. Anything you required was around you. No rush.

A few things need a spruce of paint here and there. Exercise machines a rust hazard

The view was great - as advertised

We booked Margate Sands through Booking.com because the listing specifically advertised a fully functional outdoor play area, indoor children's activity facilities, and everything a family would need for a proper holiday. That is exactly why we chose this hotel. Unfortunately none of that matched what we actually found when we arrived. The outdoor play area is in a serious state of disrepair. Right next to the pool, less than two meters away, there is electrical wiring that is not even enclosed in a conduit, with the connectors just exposed. That is a real safety hazard, not a small thing to overlook. The trampoline has no safety tape around it at all, and both the frame and the springs are rusted through. There is an indemnity sign up, but that does not fix the actual hazard sitting right there for kids to use. We were told by staff that the indoor children's activity center has been closed and abandoned since COVID, yet it is still being advertised as if it is available. We were also told there is currently no maintenance manager on site, and honestly it shows. There is algae growing around the taps in the communal public areas. This is not a one off issue, it feels like general neglect across the property. To be fair, the room itself was good and comfortable. But the amenities we specifically booked for, the ones advertised prominently on this listing, were simply not there or not safe to use. This was even acknowledged to us directly by the duty manager on site, so it is not a matter of opinion. I would think twice before booking based on this listing until the hotel actually addresses what is advertised versus what guests are getting. Beautiful room, but the rest was disappointing and in some cases genuinely concerning from a safety standpoint.

The view is wow

Our cleaner has attitude she doesn't greet us she didn't introduce herself to us clean late don't provide towels and toilet papers..And please provide blankets for double beds we have single blankets .The bathroom also is bad

View was very nice. Location very good.

Couch was dirty. Cockroaches in the unit. No answer at reception when trying to call from the unit.

I love this property everything is close by shop’s rastaurant and the beach

Check in time and check out time I’m not happy about it

The rooms itself are spacious . Views are beautiful

There is nothing for the children to do. Absolutely nothing . Our rooms the TV was not working because they never have a remote for that specific TV. The children died of boredom in the room. Trampoline is broken, they had a heated pool which is not heated now because the pump is broken . They have to do a little better to sort out all these things . THE PHOTOS ARE A LIE ON BOOKING.COM. they must remove all the photos that show gaming room ,bicycles etc

The accomodation was comfortable,unit was a good size and had all necessities, the location to the beach and shopping centre's was excellent, just park your car and walk everywhere.

The stuff online when you search no longer exists, with kids you look for certain amenities and this no longer existed, the games room is no longer there the trampoline had a red tape around it the jungle gym is in a poor condition and a hazard to kids my daughter actually fell through one of the missing planks and the fireman pole is way to far from the platform which any kid could easily get hurt on The monkey bar is missing a pole. The cleaning ladies as well come in way too late the room was only cleaned after 1pm.

The apartment was spacious and had all the ammenities that you need.

The trampoline was damaged, the braai area did not look like it was cleaned in years. The game room has been closed for a while. This is all advertised on the website but clearly not updated in years. Its a shame as there is so much potential for this hotel but clearly maintenance is not been done up to standard.

Everything, the privacy that we get.

Well everything was perfect except that we had a glitch with the main switch. Room 48 on 6th floor please check the socket next to washing machine, we did report it but it kept on giving us problems

Friendly and kind staff. Great space and suites.

Hot water got finished after 1 person bathe. General upkeep of the kiddies area (jungle gym & trampoline)

The scenery. Sea views.

Unit was very untidy. Cockroaches are full in the kitchen. Cleanliness is needed.

The unit was beautiful, spacious and clean.The cleaning staff was most helpful and Nelly.

I was asked to carry my own Toilet paper after a day.Never in the history of using First Group Resorts was I asked to do that.Iv stayed at The Palace in Dbn and could not fault them.The unit below me was allowed to smoke Marijuana that was so strong we could not enjoy the balcony at all.I asked the security to address the matter but he intern told them it was number 34 complaining.I am so disappointed with the stay.Please remove the 2 Koi fish that are being tortured, pressed and squashed by the kids that visit the resort.I had to reprimand 3 kids that were doing this.

My bookings I didn’t include the breakfast

Nothing everything was good to me

Cleanliness number 1👌 Location was perfect close to everything The seaview was amazing…watched a couple sunrises in bed👌 The staff was top notch especially Nosihle👏👏she is a dedicated employee The apartment decor and the balcony 💃🏻. My family loved it we will definitely come back again The braai area by the pool was so convenient The Spa was cool though the jacuzzi gave some problems

Heated pool wasn’t working kids swam in cold water No Netflix and YouTube (introduce smart tvs when time permits)

Was near to the shops and the beach friendly staff. Can

Everything

I liked everything from the staff to apartment very clean,the view definitely coming back 💃🏻

Nothing at all,I’ll be lying if I can say I didn’t like something there everything was beyond my expectations

Location

Good position and spacious unit

Unit in need of repairs

Excellent accommodation

Nothing to dislike

Can do better with regards to tiles, on entrance at 2nd floor

Tiles and entrance from parking was poor condition. The pool was not heated.

The view

Apartments and common areas in some sections showing signs of age and wear .Maintenance not always being carried out as quickly as guests would expect.noise or other guests disturbing quiet stays. cockroaches, resort is infested , no est control/

Location, right across the beach.

False advertising, no game room....half the stuff wasnt working, not much for the kids to do, oven wasnt workin

Everything was was excellent the place was clean friendly staff I’m definitely gonna go back during holidays the lovely beach view the restaurant everything is closer

The pool was not heated

The View and exalt Service

Loved the whole stay

Location and staff friendliness

None

Loved the location..

Magate sands is gone bad everthing was unclen

Everything was superb

N/A

Views

It is very good, open space , sea view

Nothing

Excellent views friendly staff very neat an comfortable accommodation. It was a business trip but we'll worth it.Will be coming back with family for holiday.

Nothing to dislike

The staff good and very friendly.

Security was not visible apart the entrance of the resort. The noise levels from the clubs opposite were ridiculous and went on till early hours of the morning we little to no sleep at night. We were told that the pool is no longer a heated pool. The game room has been converted to extra parking, the trampoline safety nets were removed leaving barely no activities for kids. There were no kids activities planned for the whole weekend. I have been to this resort 3 times before my last visit was less than 5 months ago yet so much has changed.

The staff was friendly and the location is good the rooms are big enough

The rooms have cockroaches and the fridge was licking we have to mop now and again and it took them a while to give us a mop to wipe the floor

Enjoyed the pool and the great views !

Cockroaches. Everywhere. I looked into the toaster and there were 4 large cockroaches. There were small little cockroaches Everywhere.

Everything

Nothing

Easily accessible facilities

Had a Power blackout and Noise from neighbours

Everything about my stay at Margate Sands was awesome

One lift had no light and it was dark.

The location very nice,3 minutes walk to the sea. Food outlets near the venue. Heated pool. And friendliness of one of the housekeeping staff. Forgot her name but she was on duty even on Sunday when we checked out. Very nice lady .always eager to assist us.

Bed linen not changed. And toilet paper not replenished daily. That was bad. Had to go and buy. Only one roll per bathroom for entire three nights for 6 people. Thats not okey . I didn't like that. We should be told when booking that I should bring my own toilet rolls than being told when I ran out of toilet paper in the room.

The location is fab although quite noisy. It’s in the main city on the main beach so lots pf street noise and traffic noise. Fabulous views of the beach though. The manager Leonard did his best to accommodate all our requests

Liked the fact that all my family were together

No towels were given- the first day, kept, getting stories of towels still drying, main bathroom toilet was clogged. We all were bitten terribly- alot of dustmites! Those stinging bites. There is centralised AC- vents are filthy and blowing more dust everywhere. 2 bedrooms, vents never worked. No coffee filled. Cleaners opened some of our snacks on the 1 day they came to clean- never swept at all & informed they dont change the bedding, even with us informing them of being bitten. We couldnt get pool towels without oaying cash only. Some staff didnt ask for any deposit- no consistency. Staff refused to provide extra toiletrolls. Had we known all this we would’ve carried our own.Great place- neglected with terrible service.

Location and Staff

It needs massive TLC, furniture is old, it was dirty, we had roaches and leaking bathroom taps, kettle was broken, had to ask for replacement.

We frequently enjoy relaxing weekends at this resort because of the spacious units and awesome beach views.

There was a problem with the air conditioning in the unit we were allocated, but the staff were very accommodating and moved us to another unit. The staff was extremely helpful.

Nothing went well. Place is infested with cockroaches and different insects. The both apartments had a damp and musty smell that eventually made my entire family nauseas and sick.

Cleanliness, hygiene, no air conditioning, lack of support from staff and supervisors. Empty promises of getting our complaints rectified. Conditions and pictures advertised were completely different from what we experienced.

The location

Location

Pool was supposed to be heated but was often cold. Room should have included toiletries but some were not refilled and some were not in place. The stove didn’t work. The shower door didn’t work. The amenities like kids play room didn’t exist. Despite the hotel confirming my time of arrival 3 times, the room was not available when I arrived.