MyPond Hotel is a beautiful 4 star boutique hotel situated at the Kowie river bank in Port Alfred. MyPond is operated by one of the most prestigious Hotel Management Schools on the African continent: Stenden South Africa. As a guest you may therefore expect excellent service standards and warm and dedicated hospitality in a beautiful setting. The emphasis of the accommodation is on comfortable, affordable luxury, with stunning, spacious river-view suites, family rooms (approx 50 m²) and classic rooms (approx 25 m²). The rooms are all en-suite, air-conditioned, with Smart televisions, telephones, universal plug points, safe, fridge and tea/coffee facilities. The Suites are equipped with heated towel rails. Our award winning in-house restaurant Lily offers a contemporary menu selection with a wide variety of South African cuisine. As a guest you can look forward to a relaxed and welcoming dining atmosphere on the banks of the Kowie River. Choose from our extensive wine selection of top South African wines to compliment your meal.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Location
33 Van Der Riet Street, Port Alfred 6170 South Africa
MyPond Hotel by Stenden
594 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
The rooms are top notch and are fitted with aircons which really helped with the heat. The food was really great and we enjoyed our experience in the restaurant. The hotel staff were simply awesome during the entire stay. They made us feel at home.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pearl Motaung-Mlangeni, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 16 Feb 2023
Thank you for your feedback received. We are pleased you enjoyed your stay, complimenting the rooms are top notch, food being delicious in the restaurant. The team members are pleased they could deliver great service. We look forward to hosting you in the near future again. Have a wonderful day. Kind regards, MyPond Team
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We booked a room at short notice. We were delighted to be welcomed to the hotel with a big bright smile. Recommendations of restaurants close by, extremely helpful. We had a very early departue out of Port Alfred, our breakfast box was packed and ready at 6;30am. Views were awsome on the river bank. The rooms were squeaky clean.
Absolutely worth a stay.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Â Excellent!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bianca Ambraal, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 23 Jan 2021
Thank you for your kind words , The MyPond Team will be happy to read what you wrote! Warm Regards, The MyPond Team
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I had a last minute booking and staff were overall friendly and very accommodating as I had a toddler who needed his own bed. Rooms were neat, clean and comfortable. The fridge was not on and had been leaking but we managed to change the setting. Enjoyed the food and pool time. Their wine list is quite price, almost 120% markup from what it costs in-store. Overall we had a pleasant experience and would definitely go back in future.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bianca Ambraal, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 15 Feb 2021
Thank you for selecting MyPond Hotel by Stenden South Africa, we are pleased that you had a pleasant experience and look forward to welcoming in the near future Warm Regards, The MyPond Team
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Requested/booked a family booking aka 2x suites next door or closeby unable to produce on arrival - rooms were down different hallways. Swimmingpool was littered & notice on door says no bottles/glasses, but coolbox with exactly this accommodated swimmers in pool, kids were unable to swim. All hotel provided dispensers with toiletries (hand wash, shampoos,etc) was either almost or empty, bathroom mirrors dirty, toiletroll holder was broken & emergency lights provided during load shedding inoperable- generator was out of order. The hotel restaurant (Lily's) was understaffed, cutlery not clean and where some starters were out of stock (camembert), the same ingredients were used thereafter in mains? A pity as this is such a quaint town.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Mypond, Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 08 Jan 2020
Dear ElmaretLang On behalf of management I would to apologise about the bad experience in our Hotel Regards, Paul
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This is the second time I booked accommodation in Port Alfred based on overwhelmingly good reviews online. BIG mistake.
Upon arrival, we already felt that the parking was unsafe, with suspicious car guards lurking around and a dodgy bar next to the hotel. Also, the hotel is walking distance from the taxi ranks. This was only the beginning.
Entering the hotel, we were overwhelmed by the amount of noise. There were men sitting at the outdoor seating area with cooler bags full of alcohol getting drunk. We then went to the pool area, only to see the same scenario. A bunch of drunk women in the pool and overbearing noise.
Outside the rooms were occasional chairs where more people thought would be a great place to have loud chats while their infants ran around screaming outside the rooms.
The room itself was not any better. We could hear EVERYTHING happening outside, including people in other rooms. Hardly got any sleep as the partying went on the whole night. Also, mould in the bathroom was quite severe.
Breakfast was less than mediocre. There were scrambled eggs floating in water which no one touched and the remaining sausages and yoghurt wasn't enough food.
We were then approached at breakfast by management to ask how our stay was. After explaining the situation, the lady made a joke and said we should've joined the partying if we couldn't sleep and showed zero interest in our feedback.
I urge anyone that values peace and quiet to stay far away from this place, regardless of what the reviews say. Next time I'll rather sleep in my car if I had no other option.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bianca Ambraal, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 23 Jan 2021
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review,. Our sincere apologies for the service you had received from arrival to departure. We appreciate your valuable feedback and will definitely look into all the points you raised. Warm Regards, The MyPond Team
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My overall stay was great but there are a few things that need to be worked on. On the final morning of my stay I ordered room service for breakfast. There were some items missing. I was phoned about how I wanted my eggs but I never received my eggs, I ordered hashbrowns for myself and my daughter but they never arrived. I feel that curtains need to added over the blinds as light still comes through. There are signs around the hotel stating quiet time but I must say that this not enforced. The people who stayed in the same block as me were slamming doors and shouting until well after midnight.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: March 2023
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pearl Motaung-Mlangeni, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Thank you for your feedback received. Thank you for the improvement suggestions, we have noted to avoid disappointment for future guests. We are sad to hear that you did not receive your complete order for breakfast. In addition, we shall enforce the quiet periods to our guests to avoid sleep quality of our guests. Have a wonderful day. Kind regards, MyPond Team
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The location and the actual Hotel is beautiful and clean. But the staff were unexperienced and their behavior was appalling. I didnt eat my supper and asked for a doggy bag but was advised that the staff and supervisor on duty ate my food. Even when I complained the next day, my complaint was not handled well - worst service ever.
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Date of stay: November 2020
Value
Service
Room Tip:Â Beautiful and quiet
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bianca Ambraal, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 23 Jan 2021
Thank you for your review and for highlighting all the service you had received at our establishment. Our sincere apologies for the service and your complaint not dealt correctly in a timely manner. We had strive towards our service delivery and improve our standards. Hoping to welcome you back in the not too distant future Warm Regards, The MyPond Team
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The staff are so nice and accommodating, they are super professional and will try their best to accommodate your requests. The Hotel breakfast is really worth it and it has an amazing view. I would 100% go back there and recommend to my friends, it was such a pleasant stay, the attitudes of the staff made the experience so much better and honestly better than most of hotels I've stayed in. They hosted a wonderful Mexican themed dinner evening and the staff prepared it so well and it was so much fun to attend, and the food was great.
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Date of stay: May 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â The suites have the best view of the Kowie river, rooms 1-5
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pearl Motaung-Mlangeni, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 09 Jun 2021
Thank you for all your feedback – we love to hear from our guests and we are glad that you had an amazing experience. We look forward hosting in the near future. Warm regards, The MyPond Team
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Excellent Service, we were a very late arrival due to engine problems however the Hotel has someone on duty 24 hours and we were accommodatd with no problem. Wonderful Staff who go out of their way to make you feel welcome and make sure everything is perfect. Exceptionally Clean and Comfortable with some rooms having a Balcony and view of the River. A Lovely Hotel in a Lovely Setting. Highly recommend The Pond.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pearl Motaung-Mlangeni, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 08 Feb 2022
Thank you for all your feedback – we love to hear from our guests and we are glad that you had an amazing experience. The team and Stenden South Africa University shall be so pleased to hear the comments you have left. We strive for excellence and the review illustrates the service standards for us. We look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Warm regards, The MyPond Team
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The staff really go way beyond your expectations and make this establishment stand out from the rest. That kind of can-do attitude generally among hospitality staff in this country is a rare find. So, I am grateful for the excellent service received.
And then the beautiful views that you get of the Kowie River when you are enjoying breakfast or taking a stroll on the property are just a bonus!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bianca Ambraal, General Manager at MyPond Hotel by Stenden
Responded 23 Jan 2021
Thank you for all your feedback – we love to hear from our guests and we are glad that you had an amazing experience. Hoping to welcoming you back Warm regards, The MyPond Team
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
There are more places to choose from in the Port Alfred area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 761 - RÂ 1,114 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaEastern CapePort Alfred
NUMBER OF ROOMS
27
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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