Protea & African Pride hotels
Sep 23, 2017, 12:04 am
#121
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,750
It seems like we were staying at some of the same hotels around the same time frame but had quite different experiences!
We were in South Africa for 17 days in August as the first part of a 5 weeks trip. Among our hotels we have stayed at the following Proteas + the only Marriott, all award nights.
So I would give reviews on those, especially the Protel Hotel at Knysna as our experiences are completely opposite than what you have.
Marriott at Century City Cape Town
Reception knows Gold benefit, advised breakfast at the lobby restaurant due to no lounge at this property which is very close to the Century City Mall.
Room wasn't ready at check in despite it is close to 3pm. Left luggage and walked to the mall. They did not give us the storage slip but nonetheless were able to locate the guy who took our bags and they were delivered to our room shortly after check in. Dont seem to get a room upgrade.
Room size is on the small side. Except for a few rooms, most are facing the building immediately across the narrow street.
Room design is very funky with mood lighting and a odd bathroom set up. TripAdvisor has lots of comments on such. Some said the mood lighting made it looked like a brothel. You get the picture.
The worst part of the room design is, there are no anywhere one can comfortably sit. There are only 2 transparent plastic chairs placed behind the TV (rises up from the hidden place at the end of the bed) facing outside. I dont know who would sit on this chair - hard, no cushion and there is very little space between the chair and the floor to ceiling glass wall, with absolutely NO VIEW but building across street. In short, there is NO place to sit in the room and the only way to watch TV is in the bed.
Breakfast in the lobby restaurant was slightly above average. Not a whole lot to choose from but the ingredients were fresh except there was no greens of any kind. We have found this is the case through out South Africa. They dont have any salads at breakfast. You are lucky if you find tomato and cucumber.
Protea Hotel Knysna Quays
Here we have a completely different experience - it is a drastically contrast experience than you that I felt I should write it up so to give this property the credit it is due.
We have 2 nights booked on points on 2 reservations as initially only 1 night was available. Check in agent was VERY politely and friendly. In fact, ALL staff were very friendly towards us. They gave us the only suite in the hotel - it is a 3 Bedrooms suite that is of 6 regular rooms size, facing the pool. It is Room 339 and it is not on the direction plate when you get off the elevator. I looked at the plate and said, there was no Room 339. The bellboy said, yes, there was. Turned out the room was on one end of the floor. The double door indicated something nice but we never would have imagined it was such a big FLAT. We actually felt it was too big for just 2 of us - such a waste...
The check in agent called up in about 15 min time to ask if we like the "room" and if we needed anything. Very warm and friendly.
The suite probably is over 2000 sqft. It looks like a nicely furnished apartment with all the obligatory decorative items at appropriate places such as the dress tables, desks, coffee tables and even the kitchen shelves and the bar.
There Living Room has 3 set of sittings each can easily seats 6 to 8 persons. The bar surrounding the kitchen has 6 high tops.
There is also a 8 persons dining table right behind one of the sitting set up/
Next to the Living Room there is an "indoor" balcony - it has a cover atop that could be manually opened by turning a long bar hanging from above. On that balcony it is equipped with yet another 8 persons dining table in more casual furnishing and a very big BBQ facility by the corner.
The kitchen is a full kitchen with all usual appliances., utensils and cutlery, plus the glasses, cups, bowls, plates etc.
The design is geared for entertaining - you can easily have a 25 persons party and everyone would have a place to sit and there is still space left.
You can check this out on hotel website
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel...-knysna-quays/
The pictures are not as pretty as in realty. They have renovated part of the suite recently according to the Housekeeping Manager. I believe the pictures on the website are before renovation, as the living room furniture are nicer in realty than in the picture.
They need to do a better job to showcase this huge suite.
There are floor to ceiling windows facing the pool area and the bay beyond it. Wooden blinds are very heavy though. I was so afraid the string would break so when I raised them I supported the blinds with my hand from below.
On the 2nd afternoon when we returned to the suite, there were a pair of birds standing on the railing behind the glass. I could watch them very up close without disturbing them due to the glass. It was a real treat.
We did have a little hiccup during the stay - husband found there was a notice in one of the kitchen drawer that informed the guests to check the inventory to make sure nothing was missing, else the guest would be charged for the missing items should that not reported upon check in. So we started to go over the list, then we started finding missing items... so much so I gave up and just called Housekeeping on that. An employee showed up within 5 min. We explained to her about there were quite a few missing items, so she started going over the list with me - as we went on, both she and I would fail to identify some items. She told me not to worry about it, wrote down her name and her manager's name on the inventory list and told us she would talk to her manager tomorrow. Later I took the inventory list to FD and talked to our check in agent about the issue. He said not to worry about it, Housekeeping should have kept everything in order. But to make me feel better, he went in the back office to check with his manager who also said not to worry about it.
The next day afternoon, Housekeeping manager knocked on our door. He came to apologize for the inconvenience caused us. He once again assured us not to worry about missing items. He also signed on the list.
Later I took the list down to FD asked to make a photocopy and may be speaking to the manager just to get it cleared once and for all. It turned out the manager was right at the counter. Sweet lady patted my hand, said to me "My dear, you are on vacation. Dont worry about it. We all know there are missing items. Housekeeping should have updated its list and not to scare guests." I asked if she could mark on the list we would not be responsible for anything missing. She gladly did that.
Also at check in the staff did inform us the parking outside was free and the security was up to 11pm. We opted to park in the hotel's own parking area has gated entrance with a little guardhouse. The parking was very cheap, at 30 ZAR a day that is less than $3 a day. We did not feel it was worth it to take the risk parking outside in the insecured area. Not to mention that the next morning we saw some areas of the parking lot outside were going thru resurface work but there was absolutely no indication the night before this was planned. I cannot imagine what might happen if we parked our car in that area not knowing the next morning surface work would take place.
We do not know what kind of good fortune to make the hotel gives us such a Huge upgrade on a point stay. The check in agent just said, the room was available and we would like our elite guests to have a great experience. Can't ask any nicer treatment than that!
We genuinely feel we are warmly welcome there. Each time we passed the reception area the staff would greet us with broad smiles, waved at us when we returned.
So, our experiences are all superb. Can't understand why they make you feel they are impolite and cold towards guests. (Protea at Port Elizabeth is stark contrast).
For us, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND this hotel.
Protea Hotel Port Elizabeth
Now I would classify the staff at this Protea being impolite and cold. Not just the check in agent but the staff the next day at check out had the same attitude. It took very long to check in too. For whatever reason the check in clerk took a very look time to look up things to process check in. Not a single word of welcome, let alone apology for taking so long.
At check out, different clerk, same cold attitude. What is wrong with this property?
Room is very basic. Smaller and Worse furnished than the Radisson Blu nearby where we stayed in 2015. Our room facing the side street and parking lot. At Radisson Blu 2015 they acknowledged our Club Carlson Gold and gave us a room facing the ocean.
The area is Summerstrand, it is the better neighborhood in Port Elizabeth (probably the best neighborhood). There is long stretch of sandy beach park with many facilities and many vacation condos and hotels along that stretch. Protea is much further down the road, almost at the end of said stretch. Parking is free at this location. Less than 15 min drive to the airport for our flight to Durban.
Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga
Quite similar experience. Received updated room on the tower with view of the ocean. Again point stay. All we owed was the parking.
The long boardwalk along the beach at Umhlanga is very nice. On the day of arrival we took a short stroll in the evening. We walked to nearby streets and malls at night, had dinner at the open terrace of Ocean Basket - the cheap seafood chain in many towns of South Africa. There is a Red Barron in the Pearl? mall. Also a Food Lover's Market in the mall. Radisson Blu is building a HUGE residential towers and hotel complex right at the corner across the Protea Mall which is an outdated, smallish mall.
Many many restaurants lining up across street from the Protea Mall. Patrons started to come after dark. Area feels very safe.
The following morning we took a very long stroll. It was quite enjoyable. Lots of bird watching opportunities along the walk. Plenty of people jogged on the boardwalk, families on the beach, etc.
We never go to Durban proper.
Protea Hotel Richards Bay
Quite similar experience. We stayed here 2 nights on 2 separate reservations. They had no problem to let us stay in the same room. We did not use the restaurants nearby. On first night the weather was very very bad with high wind and heavy rain. But everything subsided at about 3am. It was so calm after the violent weather, if you had not witnessed the bad weather before, you would never realize it had happened. A navy base is nearby. Big cargo ships coming and going can be seen from the hotel room. It is a working port.
We used it as a base to go to Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park about 1 hour drive on northwest direction due to the Hluhluwe Protea deflagged a few weeks before our trip.
I would say Umhlanga is MUCH NICER than Richards Bay which is an Industrial port and has some heavy industries, including an Aluminum plant (we accidentally drove into the plant area - saw trucks moving melted metal escorted by car in the front and at the back ...)
From Richard Bay we took an unusual route driving towards Malelane Gate Kruger Park, with one overnight at a small town called Piet Retief where there are some decent B&Bs.
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate
This is our 2nd time staying here. So we know what to expect. Last year we had 2 nights, one each bookended our stays inside Kruger park. This year we stayed all 4 nights at the Protea on 4 separate reservations due to the hotel never released more than 2 consecutive nights. Our ever changing plan also means we would be better off to book individual night to preserve the flexibility. At check in the guy at FD could not find the reservation(s). He showed us another guest's check in card (not check in yet) and asked if this was us. Nope, despite it was an Asian's name. Eventually he located us in the system but for some reason he could not find the check in card. However he turned over the screen to show us, that indeed he located our reservations. We were given similar room like last year except on different orientation. We only needed to sign one check in card which was not a preprinted one as he could not locate it. He told us to just get our keys reprogrammed each evening when we returned to the hotel. It worked like a charm. They brought small amenities and the Vivreau water on first night but subsequent nights only the Vivreau water.
We did not eat at the hotel. We had bought foods at the Spar at Malelane where we entered Kruger park in midday. We had meals at the rest camps inside Kruger park. Though on our first night it was Saturday, there were some big tour groups coming to stay, and the dining room had some big performance which we did not see any notice about such. Must be special arrangement. It was quite noisy for about an hour. Nothing on Sunday and the remaining 2 nights of our stay. Had we not bought foods we would go to the buffet on Saturday as the performance sounded quite exciting.
Protea Hotel O.R. Tempo
This is the property OUTSIDE airport, literally across street from the runway of the airport. It has regular shuttle every 30 min on the hour and half hour from the airport and 15min 45 min from the hotel.
This is our 3rd time staying here due to its convenient location to the airport. Hotel was quite busy and the restaurant was surprisingly full of patrons. They had buffet as well as a la carte menu. We opted for the buffet. You can also take the shuttle back to the airport where there is a huge food court at the end of the domestic terminal with at least a doz eateries from full service restaurants to take aways.
Last year during our 2 different stays, they sent up a nicely decorated amenity plate with treats, and on the first stay they actually had a free bar hour for Marriott members though we totally missed it due to the handwritten invitation was at the back of the regular welcome note. We learned about it at check out the following morning when being asked, "how did you feel about the reception last night?" There was a reception last night?
This year unfortunately there was no more nice treat. Instead we were given some cheap candies as "amenity".
Hotel enjoyed very robust business though. So I guess they dont need to try hard.
All in all we are grateful for the Marriott point redemption at South Africa even though now the properties at Cape Town have jumped from Cat 2 when the redemption first became possible, to now some are Cat 5! A big jump in 2 years time.
Side note - for those who have a Cape Town visit, check out the Radisson Le Vendom at Sea Point. It is much more reasonable than the Radisson Blu Waterfront near V&A. It is a smaller property built with European Boutique Hotel charm in mind. The standard room is on the small side but the executive room is of good size and with a balcony. They provide free breakfast to everyone and it is an excellent breakfast in every standard. For those who do not want to drive, they have hourly shuttle to/from V&A to as late as 10pm. They put out some wine and cheese at the lobby in the evening, again free to everyone.
If booked in advance even on fully cancellable rate, it is very reasonable at about $85 to $90 including taxes. The neghborhood is safe, the seafront Beach Road is very walkable, with promenade and jogging trail, plus dog park. The Main road inland has some hidden gem of restaurants. Highly recommend one Asian restaurant called Make, great foods (Chinese, Japanese and Thai) with very cheap prices. It is small and unpretentious. Lots of locals come to dine in or to buy take outs. It is across street from a Ocean Basket. So if anyone wants to know the location just find the Ocean Basket.
We were in South Africa for 17 days in August as the first part of a 5 weeks trip. Among our hotels we have stayed at the following Proteas + the only Marriott, all award nights.
So I would give reviews on those, especially the Protel Hotel at Knysna as our experiences are completely opposite than what you have.
Marriott at Century City Cape Town
Reception knows Gold benefit, advised breakfast at the lobby restaurant due to no lounge at this property which is very close to the Century City Mall.
Room wasn't ready at check in despite it is close to 3pm. Left luggage and walked to the mall. They did not give us the storage slip but nonetheless were able to locate the guy who took our bags and they were delivered to our room shortly after check in. Dont seem to get a room upgrade.
Room size is on the small side. Except for a few rooms, most are facing the building immediately across the narrow street.
Room design is very funky with mood lighting and a odd bathroom set up. TripAdvisor has lots of comments on such. Some said the mood lighting made it looked like a brothel. You get the picture.
The worst part of the room design is, there are no anywhere one can comfortably sit. There are only 2 transparent plastic chairs placed behind the TV (rises up from the hidden place at the end of the bed) facing outside. I dont know who would sit on this chair - hard, no cushion and there is very little space between the chair and the floor to ceiling glass wall, with absolutely NO VIEW but building across street. In short, there is NO place to sit in the room and the only way to watch TV is in the bed.
Breakfast in the lobby restaurant was slightly above average. Not a whole lot to choose from but the ingredients were fresh except there was no greens of any kind. We have found this is the case through out South Africa. They dont have any salads at breakfast. You are lucky if you find tomato and cucumber.
Protea Hotel Knysna Quays
Here we have a completely different experience - it is a drastically contrast experience than you that I felt I should write it up so to give this property the credit it is due.
We have 2 nights booked on points on 2 reservations as initially only 1 night was available. Check in agent was VERY politely and friendly. In fact, ALL staff were very friendly towards us. They gave us the only suite in the hotel - it is a 3 Bedrooms suite that is of 6 regular rooms size, facing the pool. It is Room 339 and it is not on the direction plate when you get off the elevator. I looked at the plate and said, there was no Room 339. The bellboy said, yes, there was. Turned out the room was on one end of the floor. The double door indicated something nice but we never would have imagined it was such a big FLAT. We actually felt it was too big for just 2 of us - such a waste...
The check in agent called up in about 15 min time to ask if we like the "room" and if we needed anything. Very warm and friendly.
The suite probably is over 2000 sqft. It looks like a nicely furnished apartment with all the obligatory decorative items at appropriate places such as the dress tables, desks, coffee tables and even the kitchen shelves and the bar.
There Living Room has 3 set of sittings each can easily seats 6 to 8 persons. The bar surrounding the kitchen has 6 high tops.
There is also a 8 persons dining table right behind one of the sitting set up/
Next to the Living Room there is an "indoor" balcony - it has a cover atop that could be manually opened by turning a long bar hanging from above. On that balcony it is equipped with yet another 8 persons dining table in more casual furnishing and a very big BBQ facility by the corner.
The kitchen is a full kitchen with all usual appliances., utensils and cutlery, plus the glasses, cups, bowls, plates etc.
The design is geared for entertaining - you can easily have a 25 persons party and everyone would have a place to sit and there is still space left.
You can check this out on hotel website
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel...-knysna-quays/
The pictures are not as pretty as in realty. They have renovated part of the suite recently according to the Housekeeping Manager. I believe the pictures on the website are before renovation, as the living room furniture are nicer in realty than in the picture.
They need to do a better job to showcase this huge suite.
There are floor to ceiling windows facing the pool area and the bay beyond it. Wooden blinds are very heavy though. I was so afraid the string would break so when I raised them I supported the blinds with my hand from below.
On the 2nd afternoon when we returned to the suite, there were a pair of birds standing on the railing behind the glass. I could watch them very up close without disturbing them due to the glass. It was a real treat.
We did have a little hiccup during the stay - husband found there was a notice in one of the kitchen drawer that informed the guests to check the inventory to make sure nothing was missing, else the guest would be charged for the missing items should that not reported upon check in. So we started to go over the list, then we started finding missing items... so much so I gave up and just called Housekeeping on that. An employee showed up within 5 min. We explained to her about there were quite a few missing items, so she started going over the list with me - as we went on, both she and I would fail to identify some items. She told me not to worry about it, wrote down her name and her manager's name on the inventory list and told us she would talk to her manager tomorrow. Later I took the inventory list to FD and talked to our check in agent about the issue. He said not to worry about it, Housekeeping should have kept everything in order. But to make me feel better, he went in the back office to check with his manager who also said not to worry about it.
The next day afternoon, Housekeeping manager knocked on our door. He came to apologize for the inconvenience caused us. He once again assured us not to worry about missing items. He also signed on the list.
Later I took the list down to FD asked to make a photocopy and may be speaking to the manager just to get it cleared once and for all. It turned out the manager was right at the counter. Sweet lady patted my hand, said to me "My dear, you are on vacation. Dont worry about it. We all know there are missing items. Housekeeping should have updated its list and not to scare guests." I asked if she could mark on the list we would not be responsible for anything missing. She gladly did that.
Also at check in the staff did inform us the parking outside was free and the security was up to 11pm. We opted to park in the hotel's own parking area has gated entrance with a little guardhouse. The parking was very cheap, at 30 ZAR a day that is less than $3 a day. We did not feel it was worth it to take the risk parking outside in the insecured area. Not to mention that the next morning we saw some areas of the parking lot outside were going thru resurface work but there was absolutely no indication the night before this was planned. I cannot imagine what might happen if we parked our car in that area not knowing the next morning surface work would take place.
We do not know what kind of good fortune to make the hotel gives us such a Huge upgrade on a point stay. The check in agent just said, the room was available and we would like our elite guests to have a great experience. Can't ask any nicer treatment than that!
We genuinely feel we are warmly welcome there. Each time we passed the reception area the staff would greet us with broad smiles, waved at us when we returned.
So, our experiences are all superb. Can't understand why they make you feel they are impolite and cold towards guests. (Protea at Port Elizabeth is stark contrast).
For us, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND this hotel.
Protea Hotel Port Elizabeth
Now I would classify the staff at this Protea being impolite and cold. Not just the check in agent but the staff the next day at check out had the same attitude. It took very long to check in too. For whatever reason the check in clerk took a very look time to look up things to process check in. Not a single word of welcome, let alone apology for taking so long.
At check out, different clerk, same cold attitude. What is wrong with this property?
Room is very basic. Smaller and Worse furnished than the Radisson Blu nearby where we stayed in 2015. Our room facing the side street and parking lot. At Radisson Blu 2015 they acknowledged our Club Carlson Gold and gave us a room facing the ocean.
The area is Summerstrand, it is the better neighborhood in Port Elizabeth (probably the best neighborhood). There is long stretch of sandy beach park with many facilities and many vacation condos and hotels along that stretch. Protea is much further down the road, almost at the end of said stretch. Parking is free at this location. Less than 15 min drive to the airport for our flight to Durban.
Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga
Quite similar experience. Received updated room on the tower with view of the ocean. Again point stay. All we owed was the parking.
The long boardwalk along the beach at Umhlanga is very nice. On the day of arrival we took a short stroll in the evening. We walked to nearby streets and malls at night, had dinner at the open terrace of Ocean Basket - the cheap seafood chain in many towns of South Africa. There is a Red Barron in the Pearl? mall. Also a Food Lover's Market in the mall. Radisson Blu is building a HUGE residential towers and hotel complex right at the corner across the Protea Mall which is an outdated, smallish mall.
Many many restaurants lining up across street from the Protea Mall. Patrons started to come after dark. Area feels very safe.
The following morning we took a very long stroll. It was quite enjoyable. Lots of bird watching opportunities along the walk. Plenty of people jogged on the boardwalk, families on the beach, etc.
We never go to Durban proper.
Protea Hotel Richards Bay
Quite similar experience. We stayed here 2 nights on 2 separate reservations. They had no problem to let us stay in the same room. We did not use the restaurants nearby. On first night the weather was very very bad with high wind and heavy rain. But everything subsided at about 3am. It was so calm after the violent weather, if you had not witnessed the bad weather before, you would never realize it had happened. A navy base is nearby. Big cargo ships coming and going can be seen from the hotel room. It is a working port.
We used it as a base to go to Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park about 1 hour drive on northwest direction due to the Hluhluwe Protea deflagged a few weeks before our trip.
I would say Umhlanga is MUCH NICER than Richards Bay which is an Industrial port and has some heavy industries, including an Aluminum plant (we accidentally drove into the plant area - saw trucks moving melted metal escorted by car in the front and at the back ...)
From Richard Bay we took an unusual route driving towards Malelane Gate Kruger Park, with one overnight at a small town called Piet Retief where there are some decent B&Bs.
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate
This is our 2nd time staying here. So we know what to expect. Last year we had 2 nights, one each bookended our stays inside Kruger park. This year we stayed all 4 nights at the Protea on 4 separate reservations due to the hotel never released more than 2 consecutive nights. Our ever changing plan also means we would be better off to book individual night to preserve the flexibility. At check in the guy at FD could not find the reservation(s). He showed us another guest's check in card (not check in yet) and asked if this was us. Nope, despite it was an Asian's name. Eventually he located us in the system but for some reason he could not find the check in card. However he turned over the screen to show us, that indeed he located our reservations. We were given similar room like last year except on different orientation. We only needed to sign one check in card which was not a preprinted one as he could not locate it. He told us to just get our keys reprogrammed each evening when we returned to the hotel. It worked like a charm. They brought small amenities and the Vivreau water on first night but subsequent nights only the Vivreau water.
We did not eat at the hotel. We had bought foods at the Spar at Malelane where we entered Kruger park in midday. We had meals at the rest camps inside Kruger park. Though on our first night it was Saturday, there were some big tour groups coming to stay, and the dining room had some big performance which we did not see any notice about such. Must be special arrangement. It was quite noisy for about an hour. Nothing on Sunday and the remaining 2 nights of our stay. Had we not bought foods we would go to the buffet on Saturday as the performance sounded quite exciting.
Protea Hotel O.R. Tempo
This is the property OUTSIDE airport, literally across street from the runway of the airport. It has regular shuttle every 30 min on the hour and half hour from the airport and 15min 45 min from the hotel.
This is our 3rd time staying here due to its convenient location to the airport. Hotel was quite busy and the restaurant was surprisingly full of patrons. They had buffet as well as a la carte menu. We opted for the buffet. You can also take the shuttle back to the airport where there is a huge food court at the end of the domestic terminal with at least a doz eateries from full service restaurants to take aways.
Last year during our 2 different stays, they sent up a nicely decorated amenity plate with treats, and on the first stay they actually had a free bar hour for Marriott members though we totally missed it due to the handwritten invitation was at the back of the regular welcome note. We learned about it at check out the following morning when being asked, "how did you feel about the reception last night?" There was a reception last night?
This year unfortunately there was no more nice treat. Instead we were given some cheap candies as "amenity".
Hotel enjoyed very robust business though. So I guess they dont need to try hard.
All in all we are grateful for the Marriott point redemption at South Africa even though now the properties at Cape Town have jumped from Cat 2 when the redemption first became possible, to now some are Cat 5! A big jump in 2 years time.
Side note - for those who have a Cape Town visit, check out the Radisson Le Vendom at Sea Point. It is much more reasonable than the Radisson Blu Waterfront near V&A. It is a smaller property built with European Boutique Hotel charm in mind. The standard room is on the small side but the executive room is of good size and with a balcony. They provide free breakfast to everyone and it is an excellent breakfast in every standard. For those who do not want to drive, they have hourly shuttle to/from V&A to as late as 10pm. They put out some wine and cheese at the lobby in the evening, again free to everyone.
If booked in advance even on fully cancellable rate, it is very reasonable at about $85 to $90 including taxes. The neghborhood is safe, the seafront Beach Road is very walkable, with promenade and jogging trail, plus dog park. The Main road inland has some hidden gem of restaurants. Highly recommend one Asian restaurant called Make, great foods (Chinese, Japanese and Thai) with very cheap prices. It is small and unpretentious. Lots of locals come to dine in or to buy take outs. It is across street from a Ocean Basket. So if anyone wants to know the location just find the Ocean Basket.
Back from a 3 week holiday of which we spent more than half of the nights in Protea hotels. More or less half of them on points and half of them paid.
I hope to provide some more in depth reviews of some of the hotels in the future but here we good for some quick insights already:
African Pride Melrose Arch : Funky hotel. In style of decorations I would dare to say this would be a modern Renaissance hotel. Staff were friendly. It was a part points/part cash style and that did not gave any problems at check-in. Like how the room was decorated as well.
We did not use the restaurant. There're plenty of options nearby within walking distance for small and larger appetites.
The area is safe, probably the most expensive square km in Jo'burg. We counted plenty of expensive cars (Bentley, Porsche, BMW i8, Lamborghini)
Protea Hotel Hazyview : Hotel is located outside the city center. Hotel room is spacious but standard. No internet (no cable, no wifi) in the room. Only option is to go to the lobby. Dinner in the restaurant was OK (option of buffet or ŕ la carte). Bfast buffet was OK as well. The view from the swimming pool is quite nice but except for this really nothing special. No recognition of elite status. We stayed on points, no problems encountered.
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate : The hotel is really next to the Paul Kruger Gate, really good location. Public area's of the hotel are exactly like you would find them in a lodge in Sabi or the likes. Really loved how they did this. The room is basic hotel room, it would have been great if they made this a bit more 'safari-like' but this is a minor remark, you don't spend much time in here. We usually went to sit at the bar were you might be able to spot wildlife in the Sabie river. I really would recommend this hotel for your safaris. From here you can do safari's in Kruger as well as in Sabi Sands (with elephant herd) No recognition of elite status. One night on points, one paid night. No problem to stay in the same room and to switch our dinner (included in the paid rate) to the free night. Dinner in the lapa restaurant was actually quite good. Huge buffet and great dessert. :-). As for bfast we asked for a box to take with us on the safari.
Protea Hotel Richards Bay: Well situated hotel near the port. Modern design. We were well taken care of, checked up with us if we liked our room and everything was clean. Some restaurants nearby for dinner. Limited option for bfast though. We planned going to Thule Thule from Richards Bay but except for this not really any touristy things from here (which you can't do from Durban). No recognition of elite status. Paid stay.
Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga : Durban's international airport is closer to Umhlanga than it's to Durban so we opted to stay in Umhlanga. Just like Durban the city has not much to offer for tourists. The hotel is located at the Protea mall were you have some food options. Another good restaurant not too far away would be at the Oyster box hotel. Umhlange is much safer than Durban. Very friendly at the reception, first time elite status was mentioned at check-in and we received a new tower (renovated room) instead of the standard room booked. Paid stay.
If you arrive by car it's best to directly head to the parking from where you can take an elevator to the lobby.
Protea Hotel Knysna Quays : Hotel's location is actually pretty good. The quays offer lot's of restaurants that are open for bfast and dinner. (and probably lunch as well if you want). The hotel has a heated pool, welcome in winter time. We used this on both days of our stays. First night on the hotel was on points, second night was a paid stay. At first they insisted we switched rooms after the first night. To stay in the same room we should pay an additional 400ZAR as our paid room was not a standard room. (this was at 6PM) After we said a standard room was OK for us as well for both days and we rather had a refund for the second day instead of paying extra a supervisor decided we could get the Pool King for both days. The room had a terrible smell of car oil (not mentioned at check-in). After informing ourselves we were told this was from cleaning the boiler. He also told it was harmless. Water was yellowish. We left the window open all day but after 2 days the room still smelled. Not pleasant at all. Parking at the hotel is not free but across the street is a free parking lot. Parked there without a problem. Wouldn't recommend this hotel, did not find them very polite and I cannot understand they didn't mention anything about the smell upfront as they were aware of it, and even tried to get an extra 400ZAR for the room. No recognition of elite status.
Protea Hotel Franschoek : We were a bit reluctant about booking this hotel as we found a lot of negative reviews. No reasons to be reluctant however, this hotel is really having a huge makeover for the better. Rooms have become really colorful. Loved the wallpapers. First impression of the room is 'wow'. Works are still in progress but at this point all rooms that are offered to guests are renovated. The restaurant in the hotel is now the 'Husslar Grill'. Had a very good dinner here. Bfast offered is a small buffet with cold options (the usual) and you can order your hot options from the waiter. Staff in the restaurant are uber-friendly. The restaurant was open for 3 days when we were there. We had a little chat with the manager of the hotel as well and she was really friendly as well. The hotel is located in the main street of Franschoek, albeit at the outskirts of the town but you can easily walk across town and back in more or less 1 hour. It's really not that big :-). No recognition of elite status. Paid stay.
Protea Stellenbosch Techno : The hotel is located outside of Stellenbosch. We opted for this hotel as it got the better reviews over the Dorpshuis which is located in the main street of Stellenbosch. Arrived here quite early (before noon) so we left our luggage with reception and started our wine tasting trip :-). When we arrived back at the hotel after dinner our luggage was taken to our room and we discovered we had been upgraded to a deluxe room with a separate living area. View from the room over the golf estate was really nice. Quite large bfast buffet with eggs made to order station. This was a Points + Cash stay.
Protea Cape Town Breakwater Lodge : Our number one when it comes to service. We're welcomed as elites and received some snacks, an appletizer and a pen with USB stick. Were upgraded to a business suite room. Received a call from the reception to check up on us asking if we needed anything extra.
Hotel location is the best out of the 4 Protea's near the V&A waterfront. Easy to walk and completely safe. Had dinner in the restaurant. Choice of buffet or ŕ la carte. We both opted for a pizza which was OK. Can certainly recommend this hotel. First night was on points, second night on points+cash.
Protea Cape Town Castle : This hotel is located 400m from the breakwater lodge. It's still possible to walk to the V&A waterfront from this hotel but it would involve a detour along a busy street. From the moment we arrived at this hotel we noticed it would be completely different from the Breakwater lodge. Reception staff were completely uninterested, not rude but not friendly either. Asked for a room on a high floor, received one on the first floor. Asked again and then we got a room on floor 8. We needed to pay for our accommodation at check-in!? Never had this before. The parking of the hotel is quite tricky. Parking has 2 levels. Once you get to the second level you can't get back to the first level, you need to exit the parking at the back, drive a block around the hotel to enter back at the front. I found the parking spots to be rather small as well.
The rooms are supposed to be renovated in 2011 but looked quite dated to me. Everything from the room over the public areas, even the parking, could certainly benefit from a renovation but luckily the bed was OK.
I should mention that the person staffing the reception at check-out was much friendlier than the one who checked us in but not a professional and friendly as at breakwater lodge.
Only a huge difference in price in between this hotel and the breakwater lodge would convince me to book this hotel again, otherwise Breakwater lodge is certainly the winner for me. This was a paid stay.
I hope to provide some more in depth reviews of some of the hotels in the future but here we good for some quick insights already:
African Pride Melrose Arch : Funky hotel. In style of decorations I would dare to say this would be a modern Renaissance hotel. Staff were friendly. It was a part points/part cash style and that did not gave any problems at check-in. Like how the room was decorated as well.
We did not use the restaurant. There're plenty of options nearby within walking distance for small and larger appetites.
The area is safe, probably the most expensive square km in Jo'burg. We counted plenty of expensive cars (Bentley, Porsche, BMW i8, Lamborghini)
Protea Hotel Hazyview : Hotel is located outside the city center. Hotel room is spacious but standard. No internet (no cable, no wifi) in the room. Only option is to go to the lobby. Dinner in the restaurant was OK (option of buffet or ŕ la carte). Bfast buffet was OK as well. The view from the swimming pool is quite nice but except for this really nothing special. No recognition of elite status. We stayed on points, no problems encountered.
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate : The hotel is really next to the Paul Kruger Gate, really good location. Public area's of the hotel are exactly like you would find them in a lodge in Sabi or the likes. Really loved how they did this. The room is basic hotel room, it would have been great if they made this a bit more 'safari-like' but this is a minor remark, you don't spend much time in here. We usually went to sit at the bar were you might be able to spot wildlife in the Sabie river. I really would recommend this hotel for your safaris. From here you can do safari's in Kruger as well as in Sabi Sands (with elephant herd) No recognition of elite status. One night on points, one paid night. No problem to stay in the same room and to switch our dinner (included in the paid rate) to the free night. Dinner in the lapa restaurant was actually quite good. Huge buffet and great dessert. :-). As for bfast we asked for a box to take with us on the safari.
Protea Hotel Richards Bay: Well situated hotel near the port. Modern design. We were well taken care of, checked up with us if we liked our room and everything was clean. Some restaurants nearby for dinner. Limited option for bfast though. We planned going to Thule Thule from Richards Bay but except for this not really any touristy things from here (which you can't do from Durban). No recognition of elite status. Paid stay.
Protea Hotel Durban Umhlanga : Durban's international airport is closer to Umhlanga than it's to Durban so we opted to stay in Umhlanga. Just like Durban the city has not much to offer for tourists. The hotel is located at the Protea mall were you have some food options. Another good restaurant not too far away would be at the Oyster box hotel. Umhlange is much safer than Durban. Very friendly at the reception, first time elite status was mentioned at check-in and we received a new tower (renovated room) instead of the standard room booked. Paid stay.
If you arrive by car it's best to directly head to the parking from where you can take an elevator to the lobby.
Protea Hotel Knysna Quays : Hotel's location is actually pretty good. The quays offer lot's of restaurants that are open for bfast and dinner. (and probably lunch as well if you want). The hotel has a heated pool, welcome in winter time. We used this on both days of our stays. First night on the hotel was on points, second night was a paid stay. At first they insisted we switched rooms after the first night. To stay in the same room we should pay an additional 400ZAR as our paid room was not a standard room. (this was at 6PM) After we said a standard room was OK for us as well for both days and we rather had a refund for the second day instead of paying extra a supervisor decided we could get the Pool King for both days. The room had a terrible smell of car oil (not mentioned at check-in). After informing ourselves we were told this was from cleaning the boiler. He also told it was harmless. Water was yellowish. We left the window open all day but after 2 days the room still smelled. Not pleasant at all. Parking at the hotel is not free but across the street is a free parking lot. Parked there without a problem. Wouldn't recommend this hotel, did not find them very polite and I cannot understand they didn't mention anything about the smell upfront as they were aware of it, and even tried to get an extra 400ZAR for the room. No recognition of elite status.
Protea Hotel Franschoek : We were a bit reluctant about booking this hotel as we found a lot of negative reviews. No reasons to be reluctant however, this hotel is really having a huge makeover for the better. Rooms have become really colorful. Loved the wallpapers. First impression of the room is 'wow'. Works are still in progress but at this point all rooms that are offered to guests are renovated. The restaurant in the hotel is now the 'Husslar Grill'. Had a very good dinner here. Bfast offered is a small buffet with cold options (the usual) and you can order your hot options from the waiter. Staff in the restaurant are uber-friendly. The restaurant was open for 3 days when we were there. We had a little chat with the manager of the hotel as well and she was really friendly as well. The hotel is located in the main street of Franschoek, albeit at the outskirts of the town but you can easily walk across town and back in more or less 1 hour. It's really not that big :-). No recognition of elite status. Paid stay.
Protea Stellenbosch Techno : The hotel is located outside of Stellenbosch. We opted for this hotel as it got the better reviews over the Dorpshuis which is located in the main street of Stellenbosch. Arrived here quite early (before noon) so we left our luggage with reception and started our wine tasting trip :-). When we arrived back at the hotel after dinner our luggage was taken to our room and we discovered we had been upgraded to a deluxe room with a separate living area. View from the room over the golf estate was really nice. Quite large bfast buffet with eggs made to order station. This was a Points + Cash stay.
Protea Cape Town Breakwater Lodge : Our number one when it comes to service. We're welcomed as elites and received some snacks, an appletizer and a pen with USB stick. Were upgraded to a business suite room. Received a call from the reception to check up on us asking if we needed anything extra.
Hotel location is the best out of the 4 Protea's near the V&A waterfront. Easy to walk and completely safe. Had dinner in the restaurant. Choice of buffet or ŕ la carte. We both opted for a pizza which was OK. Can certainly recommend this hotel. First night was on points, second night on points+cash.
Protea Cape Town Castle : This hotel is located 400m from the breakwater lodge. It's still possible to walk to the V&A waterfront from this hotel but it would involve a detour along a busy street. From the moment we arrived at this hotel we noticed it would be completely different from the Breakwater lodge. Reception staff were completely uninterested, not rude but not friendly either. Asked for a room on a high floor, received one on the first floor. Asked again and then we got a room on floor 8. We needed to pay for our accommodation at check-in!? Never had this before. The parking of the hotel is quite tricky. Parking has 2 levels. Once you get to the second level you can't get back to the first level, you need to exit the parking at the back, drive a block around the hotel to enter back at the front. I found the parking spots to be rather small as well.
The rooms are supposed to be renovated in 2011 but looked quite dated to me. Everything from the room over the public areas, even the parking, could certainly benefit from a renovation but luckily the bed was OK.
I should mention that the person staffing the reception at check-out was much friendlier than the one who checked us in but not a professional and friendly as at breakwater lodge.
Only a huge difference in price in between this hotel and the breakwater lodge would convince me to book this hotel again, otherwise Breakwater lodge is certainly the winner for me. This was a paid stay.
Last edited by Happy; Sep 23, 2017 at 12:25 am
Sep 24, 2017, 12:55 am
#122
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: DCA, EGE, IAD
Programs: MR LTT, BA Gold, AA LTP, UA Silver
Posts: 6,077
Protea Hotel O.R. Tempo
This is the property OUTSIDE airport, literally across street from the runway of the airport. It has regular shuttle every 30 min on the hour and half hour from the airport and 15min 45 min from the hotel.
This is our 3rd time staying here due to its convenient location to the airport. Hotel was quite busy and the restaurant was surprisingly full of patrons. They had buffet as well as a la carte menu. We opted for the buffet. You can also take the shuttle back to the airport where there is a huge food court at the end of the domestic terminal with at least a doz eateries from full service restaurants to take aways.
Last year during our 2 different stays, they sent up a nicely decorated amenity plate with treats, and on the first stay they actually had a free bar hour for Marriott members though we totally missed it due to the handwritten invitation was at the back of the regular welcome note. We learned about it at check out the following morning when being asked, "how did you feel about the reception last night?" There was a reception last night?
This year unfortunately there was no more nice treat. Instead we were given some cheap candies as "amenity".
Hotel enjoyed very robust business though. So I guess they dont need to try hard.
This is the property OUTSIDE airport, literally across street from the runway of the airport. It has regular shuttle every 30 min on the hour and half hour from the airport and 15min 45 min from the hotel.
This is our 3rd time staying here due to its convenient location to the airport. Hotel was quite busy and the restaurant was surprisingly full of patrons. They had buffet as well as a la carte menu. We opted for the buffet. You can also take the shuttle back to the airport where there is a huge food court at the end of the domestic terminal with at least a doz eateries from full service restaurants to take aways.
Last year during our 2 different stays, they sent up a nicely decorated amenity plate with treats, and on the first stay they actually had a free bar hour for Marriott members though we totally missed it due to the handwritten invitation was at the back of the regular welcome note. We learned about it at check out the following morning when being asked, "how did you feel about the reception last night?" There was a reception last night?
This year unfortunately there was no more nice treat. Instead we were given some cheap candies as "amenity".
Hotel enjoyed very robust business though. So I guess they dont need to try hard.
Currently finishing up a stay at the O.R. Tambo Protea.
I can easily say that this was the worst stay at a Marriott associated property in a couple decades (aka 1000+ nights).
No Plat recognition, no arrival amenity as describe by the previous poster.
King size mattress was sagging badly on both sides so I slept in the middle.
No shampoo or wash clothes which I didn't discover this morning at 5:30 AM
I had a burger in the restaurant yesterday evening which I ordered medium. A huge burger, 8-12 oz, but rare to raw on the inside center so I ate the outside edges, which was more than enough. Chips/fries were good and staff was friendly and was grateful for feedback.
Breakfast was not included in my room rate nor as a Plat benefit, which is in line with expected elite benefits. A sparse cold buffet with fruit, bread, cereal, pancake machine, and more hot dishes which included couple types of sausages, potatoes, beans, mushrooms, bacon, and what may have a been fried fritter of some sort, and eggs cooked to order. Cost of breakfast in 195 ZAR.
I was going to let the Plat arrival gift slide, but after all the shortcomings I decided to request the compensation of $50 USD or equivalent. I did so after breakfast, and the front desk agent tried to defer my attention by wanting to reauthorize my credit card for a lower amount. I told her that was not necessary as I would settle my bill with my credit card when I check out. I again requested the equivalent of $50 USD be credited to my bill. She said she would have to speak to her manager who was on her way in. Well it was her supervisor that was on the way in. When I spoke with the supervisor, she said the manager needs to handle it and would not be in until tomorrow, so when I check out the bill would remain open until the manager handles it tomorrow morning.
I called Marriott reservations and had them put notes on my reservation that I had requested the Plat Arrival compensation prior to checking out. Between that and this post, I think I have enough evidence to show I requested the compensation while AT the hotel.
More to come...
African Pride 15 on Orange
Excellent stay. I was offered Platinum amenity upon check-in and had been upgraded to a huge Table Mountain view deluxe room, which was more like a suite.
The rate for the first two nights included breakfast, and I skipped breakfast in the third and last day which was on points. Very nice breakfast buffet with choice of juices, pastries, fruit, cheese, sliced meat, yogurt, bread, cereal, eggs, bacon and sausage with eggs made to order and of course coffee.
Tip: An excellent restaurant called Nelson's Eye is very close by, only a 3 block walk. I visited here on my first visit to Cape Town when I was staying down near V&A waterfront. Great steaks.
Sep 24, 2017, 8:34 am
#123
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,107
General comment: we're starting to create separate threads for the Protea properties, just as we have for the other brands' properties & hope to keep this thread more along the traditional family-thread way, which is more along the lines of am thinking of this one or that one, anyone suggest which is better, etc, type questions. The reason for the creating new property threads or adding info to the current ones means it will be easier for FTers to find info on specific properties since FT's search isn't that great.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Feb 12, 2018, 8:00 am
#124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
Inconsistency is the key word with Protea and Marriott particularly when bookings are made on the Protea site vs the Marriott one. Just had two Explorer bookings/stays and neither have posted to my Marriott account after two weeks even though I presented both cards at check=in. Curiously at the Protea North Wharf in Cape Town, on an Explorer free night I did get breakfast comp'd, but at a BOGO stay at the Balalaika in Sandton/Johannesburg I was charged. A query with Marriott indicates that breakfast is not a Gold/Platinum benefit at Protea hotels. Have submitted the two stays (the free for the night's credit, the BOGO for the actual points and nights' credit).
Feb 12, 2018, 8:36 am
#125
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,316
Inconsistency is the key word with Protea and Marriott particularly when bookings are made on the Protea site vs the Marriott one. Just had two Explorer bookings/stays and neither have posted to my Marriott account after two weeks even though I presented both cards at check=in. Curiously at the Protea North Wharf in Cape Town, on an Explorer free night I did get breakfast comp'd, but at a BOGO stay at the Balalaika in Sandton/Johannesburg I was charged. A query with Marriott indicates that breakfast is not a Gold/Platinum benefit at Protea hotels. Have submitted the two stays (the free for the night's credit, the BOGO for the actual points and nights' credit).
Feb 12, 2018, 8:44 am
#126
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routičres, PCR
Posts: 13,609
Now that several Protea hotels have been rebranded as Marriotts, it will be interesting to see how Marriott elite benefits will be delivered - and whether there will be a difference between Marriott-branded hotels and Protea-branded hotels.
Feb 12, 2018, 9:02 am
#127
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,316
Perhaps because it's a Marriott elite benefit?
Now that several Protea hotels have been rebranded as Marriotts, it will be interesting to see how Marriott elite benefits will be delivered - and whether there will be a difference between Marriott-branded hotels and Protea-branded hotels.
Now that several Protea hotels have been rebranded as Marriotts, it will be interesting to see how Marriott elite benefits will be delivered - and whether there will be a difference between Marriott-branded hotels and Protea-branded hotels.
it's a benefit specific to certain Marriott brands- which brands offer it is plainly listed on the MR website: "JW Marriott®, Autograph Collection®, Renaissance® and Marriott Hotels®, Delta Hotels® (resorts excluded)"
It is not a benefit at Courtyards or ACs either. Or Ritz-Carltons.
You can keep thinking it *should* be a benefit at Protea properties, or Marriott family wide. But that doesn't make it so. It's like me complaining about the 5x points calculation for staying at a Residence Inn and insisting 10x is a "Marriott benefit"
Feb 12, 2018, 6:19 pm
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Of course, the same inconsistency can be found at Courtyard. I got free continental breakfast (as a Marriott Plat) in the restaurant (not bistro!) of the Courtyard Aguadilla (Puerto Rico) a few years ago. but so far that's the only Courtyard I've seen with a real restaurant and free breakfast for Marriott Elites. But what if that had been my very first Courtyard stay, how confused would I have been by my second Courtyard stay?
Feb 20, 2019, 1:47 am
#129
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 4,279
OK property - Friendly staff
Protea Hotel Dorpshuis & Spa
22 Dorp Street Stellenbosch, Cape Town, ZA 7599
Not RecommendedLiked: LocationServiceFoodAmenitiesRoom
OK property - Friendly staff (12 Photos)
Protea Hotel Dorpshuis & Spa
This is my first stay at a Protea hotel, so I was not sure what to expect of this chain.
Location
The property is located at the end/beginning of Dorp street/straat. However it is still about 2 km walk to the centre of Stellenbosch (where the different restaurants, bars, attractions are located). Around the hotel itself there is not much - in a sort of housing area - although there is a wineyard across the street from the hotel. It is at the corner of a busy intersection which can be an issue (more later in the review). Other than that they do have (limited) parking within the compound of the property and lots of street parking. The area seems to be a safe.
Check In
Arrived late in the afternoon so check in was empty. Since the property are more single unit like, check-in area was in a separate house. It was a small check-in area which is also the main access to the on-site dining/restaurant.
Check-in was fast and was greeted as an Elite member. I was than given real keys to my room. The security guard working on-site showed the way to the room which was located more to the backside of the property in a unit closes to one of the main road.
Room
The room was upgraded to a Suite - which is actually a loft (this seems to be common in hotels in South Africa). The loft was spacious and had a large living room and kitchenette downstairs and the bedroom was located up the flight of stairs.
There was also a smaller guest bathroom (with shower) downstairs and a bigger one upstairs. Air conditioner unit was located both down and upstairs - they were efficient and luckily not too loud even at high fan speed.
The kitchenette area was ok - though rather useless as there was no utensils - not even glasses (only available in the toilet). There was a microwave unit for use. Only 1 small bottle of water was provided in the room.
For the guest bathroom at the ground floor - it was only with a walk in shower. For the 1st floor bathroom, there was bath tub and a walk-in shower (although due to the water issues in this part of the SA, the bath tub is not in use). Water pressure and temperature was good. The toilets were provided with toiletries from a local brand, Earthology (hope I got this right) - which was ok. There was only a problem with the toilet as it just kept leaking water into the bowl - which was quite irritating as you hear water dripping the whole time when the tv is out.
Internet was ok - as an Elite I was provided with the code, however the problem with the internet was both speed and stability - it kept dropping frequently. Tried to do some work, but it was nearly impossible due to the instability of the signal. It only seemed to be slightly better closer to the main house.
The bed was ok, slightly on the harder side, but still ok for sleep. However due to the proximity of the unit to the intersection/main roads, traffic noise is quite loud, it dies down after about 11pm and again becomes heavy around 5 am. Was woken up due to traffic noise earlier than what I had planned (since I was catching up on sleep after a long flight and day).
Breakfast
Breakfast was served in the main dining area in the main house. The spread is ok with some local dishes. There is an egg station where you can personalize your egg order.
Other than that, service was ok. There is some nice seating area outside if weather permit.
Exterior and Pool
There was a small pool deck area. It is mainly just for dipping into the water to cool down. However I was surprised that the water temperature was much cooler than I expected since daytime temperature during my stay was above 30 deg C, therefore I had expected it to be much warmer, but I believe it was closer to about 20+ deg C.
They do keep the pool clean - though not sure how often the water is changed especially with the water crisis ongoing in the region. [Therefore even if it was closed due to the crisis, that would be understandable].
Overall
All in all an OK property - with a touch of being a boutique like hotel. However at least for me the main reason I would not recommend this property - to me because of
- the location of the property, not the closes to the centre and the traffic noise (I do wonder how much it will improve even if given a unit facing the entrance street - which is quiet but still surrounded by 2 main roads) since the problem is that since this is I believe a former estate house - so windows will never close completely (you see the gaps) and never noise isolating.
- service attitude - yes, staff are friendly, but not very effective in problem solving. (I do still have an open issue ongoing with them which I could not solve onsite, sending an email received no response and after calling, received an answer which was not reasonable).
- price-value level - rather poor compared to the other properties closer to the centre (where I saw even some nicer B&B asking for 1/2 the price).
Aug 10, 2019, 10:23 pm
#130
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
Johannesburg
Can anyone recommend the best options Marriott has for Johannesburg?
I was looking at the African Pride Melrose Arch.
I was looking at the African Pride Melrose Arch.
Aug 10, 2019, 10:31 pm
#131
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,717
I like Melrose Arch and the Protea there. Your other main choice for staying somewhere you can actually go outside would be the Protea Sandton. I've not been in that actual hotel, the Sandton area larger than Melrose Arch (but a bit more variable).
Aug 10, 2019, 11:46 pm
#132
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
Thanks! So it's safe to walk around near the Melrose Arch?
Aug 10, 2019, 11:49 pm
#133
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,717
Aug 10, 2019, 11:54 pm
#134
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210