Hotels near Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes, Khorixas

My stay at this hotel was highly disappointing. I arrived late in the evening with my local driver, exhausted after a long journey. Check-in was chaotic, with two reception desks facing each other, and staff shuffling me back and forth before finally locating my reservation. I was informed that Wi-Fi was only available in the reception area—not in the rooms—and came at an extra charge. Being in the middle of the desert, this lack of transparency prior to arrival felt incredibly commercial and inconsiderate. When I requested a room for my driver, I expected it to be complimentary or heavily discounted, as is customary in other countries I’ve visited. Instead, they offered it at 50% of the already steep $200 rate. Finding my room was another ordeal. No one escorted me, despite the distance from the reception and the challenge of navigating in the dark. The room itself was shabby, poorly furnished, and in hostel-like condition. There was no phone to contact reception, and the ceiling fan was running. I tried in vain to turn on the AC. When I returned to the reception for assistance, I discovered it had been shut down for the night without any prior notice. The night was miserable. The room was hot, the bed was hard and uncomfortable, and the walls were so thin I could clearly hear my neighbors on both sides. I didn’t sleep at all. The next morning, I learned that I needed to turn a key in the wall to operate the AC—something no one bothered to explain during check-in. There was no apology or explanation for this oversight. To top it off, the food at the restaurant was mediocre at best. The only redeeming quality of this lodge is its location near the Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site and the Damara Living Museum. However, if I could go back in time, I’d have chosen a different place to stay.