Balcony

Reviews of Forest Hall Guest House

4 out of 5
Forest Hall Guest House
84 River Road (between 9th-10th Ave.), Walmer, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 97 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 24 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 122 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.6/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Louise

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Pleasant and convenient
Was slightly disappointed as the property wasn't as nice as I'd expected. It was comfortable enough but seemed a little tired. There was no hot water in the morning so had a luke-warm shower. Its very convenient to the airport, shops and restaurants. All amenities were provided in the room although I thought that the battered ironing board on display didn't do much for the decor.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alice

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Forest Hall is our “go to” place to stay in Port Elizabeth. Staff and management are wonderful, the setting is lovely and the rooms are lovely!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022
Response from Zoë on 27 Oct 2022
Thank you Alice,It is great to know that you are comfortable and happy at Forest Hall.

10/10 Excellent

Akshay

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022
Response from Zoe on 22 Mar 2022
Hi Akshay, Thank you for your wonderful review. I am so pleased that you were comfortable at Forest Hall, and hope we will see you again. Kindest regards, Zoë

10/10 Excellent

Alice

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Set on spacious, lovely grounds with great service, never disappoints.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Response from Zoe on 1 Feb 2022
Hi Alice, Thank you for the lovely review. It is always great to have a regular return comment that they continue to be happy.

10/10 Excellent

Alice

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is our “go to” place in PE, a real gem!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2021

10/10 Excellent

Alice

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is our ‘go to’ place to stay in PE. Lovely setting, lovely rooms!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We have stayed here many times and it never disappoints. Convenient, safe and lovely location with friendly, efficient service.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from Zoë on 21 Jun 2021
Thank you for your lovely review. It is always good to have return guests, and awesome to welcome "old friends" back.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A lovely, convenient and safe place to stay in Port Elizabeth.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021
Response from Zoë on 17 Jun 2021
Thank you for your lovely review. We are thrilled that you had a comfortable time with us.

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021

8/10 Good

Tsemach

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Nice guesthouse but disappointing
Forest Hall guest house is located in a beautiful area of Port Elizabeth and has a huge and amazing garden. It's secluded and very pleasant. The room itself was very big' with a kitchen and all amenities. The hosts are lovely people. Breakfast was ordinary but goog enough. The things that disappointed us were: The place is very old and worn down and needs urgent remodeling. Level of cleaness low - sheets came with stains and many ants on kitchen counter.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A welcoming property with attentive staff. The fruit salad at breakfast lea few oomph for improvement. Mine host works hard to make guests happy.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

R E

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

This is my second visit to Forest Hall and it did not disappoint, it real is an excellent place to stay :)
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from Zoë on 16 Sept 2019
Good Morning, Thank you for your lovely review. It is always great to have return guests, and hear that they are happy second time around too. Have a fabulous week

10/10 Excellent

Raviv

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay in. Very friendly staff.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Dave on 24 Aug 2019
Hi Raviv, We are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us.

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First night of our Garden Route tour.
After a trying day, we were made most welcome by David on our arrival. He gave us a lovely room, suggestions on where to have dinner and information on the Garden Route.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Dave on 28 Jul 2019
I am so glad you enjoyed your stay, it was an absolute pleasure having you here at Forest Hall. Enjoy the rest of your trip

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This place is absolutely lovely! We were sorry to spend such a short time here
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from James on 26 Jun 2019
Thank you for your super review. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay, and hope we will see you again. Warmest regards, James and the team at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Home from Home
Will visit again as accommodation of the highest standard and personal service much appreciated.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Response from James on 6 May 2019
Thank you for your comments So much appreciated and pleased you enjoyed your stay .Hope to see you back here again in the near future regards Forest Hall team

10/10 Excellent

Manuel, Paraguay

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My family and I loved it! the rooms/apartments are around a big garden that really looks like a forest. Our room was like a loft with everything we needed. Staff and owners were very kind and ready to receive us and the other guests. Everything was perfect!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from james on 17 Apr 2019
so pleased to hear that you and your family enjoyed your visit to Forest Hall

8/10 Good

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First night of our Garden Route Tour
Lovely place with lots of old world charm. We rented the family unit that has the pool directly out front - it confortably fit the 4 of us. Great breakfast and they even had an ‘honor bar’ where you could get a cold beer and they just put it on your tab. Overall great hospitality. The only suggestions I have is to have better quality wine selection in the ‘honor bar’. The white wine was pretty much not drinkable. Also there is no airconditioning - lots of fans provided, but may be a bit too warm if you are there in the summer months. We were here at the very end of summer.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from james on 3 May 2019
Hi Anne Thanks for your review . Generally Port Elizabeth climate does not need air conditioning but 12 of our 17 rooms do have air conditioning in them . Your room you were in has a large number of windows in place as well as a ceiling fan and 2 additional fans .You must have been unlucky with the wine as we haven't had any negative reports in this regard before and the wine is very reasonably priced accordingly regards James

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from james on 2 Apr 2019
thanks so much for this

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The place is beautiful and has excellent facilities including two lovely pools and a tennis court. The staff were lovely, breakfast was amazing and the rooms really cute. The only thing was the fan was a bit slow so it was a little hot when we got there but it cools down nicely in the evening.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from james on 13 Jan 2019
Thanks for your review. Much appreciated and pleased you enjoyed your time here .The ceiling fans in all the rooms all have 3 speed settings. It is usually on the slowest speed on arrival but can easily be adjusted regards Forest Hall team

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Forest Hall is in a spacious, quiet, and peaceful setting, and you will be pampered during your stay by the guesthouse owners. The room is stocked with amenities like an iron, hair dryer, complimentary sherry and water and chocolates, and much more. Breakfast in the morning is also lovely and the dining room is like eating at a high-end restaurant.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from james on 12 Dec 2018
Thanks so much for your review so much appreciated We are so pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay at Forest Hall regards Forest Hall team

8/10 Good

Elizabeth

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from james on 21 Nov 2018
thanks for your review

10/10 Excellent

D, Vancouver Island

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely property, good location, quiet, bird song, trees
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from james on 14 Nov 2018
Pleased you enjoyed your stay here at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Owner
The owner “James was very kind to us.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from james on 26 Sept 2018
thanks so much regards James

10/10 Excellent

Yuchen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from james on 1 Aug 2018
thanks so much for your 5 out of 5

10/10 Excellent

Sven

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Zoë on 22 Jun 2018
Hi Sven, Thank you for your kind review. I am happy that you had a pleasant time at Forest Hall. I will pass on to James and the staff. Wishing you safe travels.

10/10 Excellent

Desiree

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2018
Response from james on 29 May 2018
thanks for your review and rating us 5 out of 5 for your recent stay at Forest Hall

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely guest home and friendly staff. Comfortable bed. Beautiful grounds. Breakfast was fantastic! A great place to stay while visiting Port Elizabeth. Enjoyed everything about my stay however I did not realize that the guestrooms did not have air conditioning but fortunately the weather was mild enough that it wasn't missed too much. All in all, however, this was a lovely home and we really enjoyed out stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018
Response from James on 5 Apr 2018
Thanks for your review .So pleased you enjoyed your time at Forest Hall .Yes most of our rooms are fitted with ceiling fans and small portable fans Only 4 of our rooms have air conditioning available which you would need to request in advance if available

10/10 Excellent

Thulile

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Forest Hall Guest House
Excellent facility and location. Will return
Response from James on 3 Apr 2018
so pleased you enjoyed your time at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

Jayne, East London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect In Every Way
Set in beautiful surroundings, the guesthouse manages to be homely and luxurious all at the same time. Comfiest of beds, tasty breakfast and lovely personal touches. James really couldn't do enough for us and most graciously assisted in jump starting our car when the battery went dead. You won't be within walking distance of anything so a car is required but really accessible to the Walmer shopping plazas and a short drive to Summerstrand.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018
Response from James on 3 Apr 2018
So pleased you enjoyed your stay It was a great pleasure having you at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

pinni

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very nice hotel clean, good location,
the rooms are very clean and nice. hotel location in a nice neighborhood . good breakfast,
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2018
Response from James on 21 Mar 2018
thanks so much for your positive feedback

10/10 Excellent

Dave

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I can not say enough about the place. Owners were over the top friendly, the estate was gorgeous, and the room was amazing. Wish we would have stayed for a week instead of 2 days! Book here and you will not be disapointed!
Response from James on 26 Feb 2018
Thank you for this positive response

10/10 Excellent

Musa, Philadelphia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Superb
The Forest Hall Guest House is in a quiet, safe and beautiful part of Walmer Suburb in Port Elizabeth. It was very well-maintained, clean and the staff is very hospitable.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2018
Response from james on 7 Feb 2018
thanks so much for this

10/10 Excellent

Louise

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Gem
James was an amazing host. His attention to detail was superb. We had everything necessary for a comfortable stay. James recommended a wonderful restaurant and got a taxi for us. Unfortunately we were staying for only one night........
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Response from james on 23 Jan 2018
so pleased you enjoyed your time here Louise

10/10 Excellent

Tubatsi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Response from james on 23 Jan 2018
thanks it means a lot

10/10 Excellent

Tom, Houston, Texas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Incredible place to stay!
Absolutely THE most quaint place on our trip to South Africa! Would highly recommend this place.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2018
Response from james on 23 Jan 2018
so pleased you enjoyed your time here Tom

10/10 Excellent

fj, rugby

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great hotel friendly owners
loved the hotel and got up grade to a lovely big room with just as a a bathroom v luxurious. used pool and tennis courts- supplied racquets and we found balls left but might need own. short drive to a few restaurants. would have preferred to walk but advised not to. breakfast really nice esp pancakes. owners very friendly and helpful. thanks
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017
Response from James on 20 Dec 2017
Thanks so much for your review .So pleased you enjoyed your time at Forest Hall .All guests need to provide own tennis balls but we do have tennis racquets available regards James

10/10 Excellent

Joe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Simply the Best ...
There may be no better host in the industry than James at Forest Hall. It is one of my favorite stays in the entire country. I have a lot of guesthouse stays carved into my travellers stick and truly this is one is up there with the best of the best. Extraordinary for the rate. You need not think to hard before you book here - I wouldn't really wait too long just incase they run out of space - I would actually plan a trip around finding accommodation here.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017
Response from James on 26 Nov 2017
Thanks so much for this It is always great having you stay at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

Keanu Roberts

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017
Response from James on 7 Nov 2017
thanks so much

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a beautiful site
The room was beautiful with a seating area on a nice balcony. Everything was thought of meticulously. Breakfast was delicious. Even the choice of music during breakfast was of very good taste. Loved everything about it.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
Response from james on 12 Nov 2017
thanks so much for your review So pleased you enjoyed your time with us at Forest Hall

10/10 Excellent

Ian, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic B and B
A fantastic B and B close to PE airport and Walmer shopping mall. Met by James and given a quick tour and made to feel so welcome. There are some excellent eateries nearby and although the weather was a tad too cold to enjoy the swimming pool, my son and I had a very pleasant hour or so using the tennis court. A great breakfast the next morning set us up nicely for our journey up to Amakhla game lodge. Have no hesitation in recommending this as a great place to stay
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Response from james on 26 Aug 2017
Hi Ian Thanks so much for your review .Pleased you enjoyed your time here and look forward to seeing you back again soon regards James 7Forest Hall team

10/10 Excellent

Zack

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Peaceful upmarket accommodations in leafy suburb.
Great stay. Premium accommodations. Will definitely return!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
Response from James on 5 Aug 2017
Thanking you so much for your support and pleased you enjoyed your stay

10/10 Excellent

bidflip, vancouver, canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful country estate
Beautiful country house converted to guest house. Large room, lovely bathroom. And beautiful grounds. Close to restaurants and airport.
Response from Zoë & Maria on 20 Jul 2017
Thank you for your wonderful review. We are so glad that you had a good time at Forest Hall. Trusting you have safe and happy travels.

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
FANTASTIC

10/10 Excellent

Warren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Forest Hall a Gem in the "forest"
Had an absolute awesome time in PE whilst staying at Forest Hall Guest House. It was centerally located which served us well and the hospitality was over & beyond. Can highly recommend

10/10 Excellent

Alexis, Seattle, WA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Surprise Outside of Johannesburg!
This is such a lovely and well-kept secret! We needed a place close to the airport, and while it is, you might as well be on a safari! We were offered numerous day-trips to Johannesburg and Soweto, for Elephant Reserves and Big Cat Reserves, but in the end, the grounds were so lovely, and the pool so inviting, we ended up staying. Rodney picked us up from the airport, and was very friendly and answered all our questions. The restaurant was also VERY good, but the service was a bit lacking. Out of left field, I had some of the BEST spaghetti sauce outside of Italy that I have ever had. Another gem!

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Horrible
Horrible , place is a scam . Beware .

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This lodging has old world charm, security, privacy and a great breakfast.

10/10 Excellent

Carole

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well situated and good quality B&B.
Great welcome. Lovely room overlooking 1 of 2 pools and the tennis court. Good quality breakfast. Quiet and peaceful large gardens.