Originally Posted by
needtoescape
Thanks Roger. I did read your previous post but did not realize that it was an award stay. For the dates I am considering, I only see "standard" room awards for MR point stays, so I did not realize you could book other room types as an award stay at that property. That hotel definitely has a lot of comments in TripAdvisor reviews indicating that there is a big difference among the different rooms. The two level rooms seem like they are pretty modern, but I don't expect to get one of those if I book a standard room using points.
Maybe I should go with the category 1 Protea and save 2,500 points per night, especially if the rooms are more consistent.
I booked 2 award rooms on points at the Techno Park location last November, and got upgraded for both rooms to executive king suites without even asking. I only have silver status, and that's only through the Marriott card.
I arrived at the hotel around 11 am, dropped off my bags at the front desk, and my wine tour guide pulled into the parking lot the same time I did. When we returned from our day of wine tasting the bags were already in the rooms - we stopped at the front desk to pick up our keys, and the incredibly friendly staff let us know we had been upgraded. I stayed on a Thursday, and only for one night, which may have helped get the upgrade.
The rooms were very nice, with great views (
http://i.imgur.com/DzHphw3.jpg), and a small kitchenette area. I didn't eat at the hotel, so I can't comment on that. It *is* about a 8-10 minute drive out of the center of town, but I didn't find that inconvenient at all. After wine tasting all day, I came back to the hotel, took a half hour nap, walked around the grounds a bit, and drove into town for dinner. Went back to town for breakfast in the morning and enjoyed walking around.
I think my mistake was only spending one night in Stellenbosch. The wine tasting is great, but the town is also a great place to spend time in, and rather historical.
If you're interested in a tour guide for wine tastings (or anything else in that area), I'd be glad to pass on a recommendation - I'm really a do-it-yourself traveler but obviously can't drive myself to wine tastings, so I had to have someone take me and my 2 traveling companions. I honestly felt like I started the day with a tour guide and ended the day with a friend. (PM me if you'd like for contact info.)