Hotel Villas des Mangas in Maputo charges 3,400 MZN ($US94 or Euro 67) for a room. I moved here after spending few days in Hotel Africa 1 (2,500 MZN or $US69 or Euro50) and I didn’t like it because of its hygiene, cleanness and lousy service. Though breakfast was OK. I checked out and went for a weekend trip . Upon return on Sunday I checked in to the room in Villas des Mangas. I made an advance booking so they were expecting me. Though when I left my luggage there on Friday they told me that they will start charging me as of Friday. I protested and told them that I will be checking in only on Sunday and I am just postponing my booking. After one hour negotiations they agreed.
I was very tired and dirty from a long trip and I was desperate for a hot shower. I went to the room, unpacked and went to the shower. Guess what, irony of life – no hot water. So, I called the receptionist he came, checked, went back, returned and he repeated this several times. I told him that he has to change my room. In response he said that they are full and that he can’t move me to another room. I was shocked and wanted to leave, but all the hotels I called were full. Receptionist offered a bucket of hot water (!!!) which I refused an protested – in a hotel which costs $US94? This took two hours and you can imagine how frustrated I was. Eventually miracle happened and they discovered one room for me – after 3 hours I was finally moved to a new room. Do you think that the story ends here? The shower had hardly any pressure and temperature of the water would change every few seconds from very cold to very hot – it was literary impossible to regulate the water. This continued throughout my stay in Villas des Mangas – two weeks. I was not able to find another hotel within the price range I could afford ($US60 – 80), as they were all full in Maputo.
Breakfast in Villas des Mangas turned out to be much worse than in any other hotel I have ever been. I do not want to go in to the details, but the restaurant serving breakfast, dishes, food there was just horrible. Additionally they charged 100MZN ($US3) for single espresso during the breakfast which was included in the room rate.
This was just a beginning. One evening as I watching TV in my room, one of total two English channels, I heard a big bang and ceiling literary collapsed and fell on my bed. The room was covered in dust and rubble. The next morning they came, cleaned sand fixed it.
There was no single glass in the room or an ashtray even though I reminded them several times during two weeks of my stay there. On a daily basis they would forget to put a towel in my room and until I reminded them they wouldn’t bring it.
When I was checking out I raised all these issues and expressed my disappointment, as for the money I paid I hardly received value, quality or services expected for that price in Maputo. They didn’t apologise or offer any discount. I left and promised them that I will send this email to my friends and that I will post this on Internet... they didn’t seem to be bothered.
I have travelled a lot and I continue to travel. I do not have high expectations in some places, and I am used to inconveniences, but this time it was too much. I am sharing this to let you know that Villas des Mangas in Maputo doesn’t worth a penny, it is very inconvenient, dirty, services are horrible, maintenance is not done and the place is falling apart, breakfast/food is terrible and it is extremely expensive for such an environment.
I did my due, now it is up to you if you are going to stay there or recommend this place to your friends. Trust me if you do you or your friends will be highly disappointed, so good luck.