Introduction After a crazy driving tour of Namibia on my own I decided to slow down rapidly and went to Walvis Bay, instead of Swakopmund. Admittedly I let myself be directed by the fact that there are no Marriott properties in Swakopmund, which is generally considered the more desirable place to be. However, I do not regret it.This is a COVID period review, so everything is pretty much empty or not in demand. I initially booked this hotel for one night, then booked another night. Then a third, and then 5 nights additionally. All on points. Check In The first night when I checked in, I arrived at 20:30. I tried to check in with the lady at the front desk, not realizing she was only security. She had to call someone else to check me in. Apparently this other person was not well trained. I was given the cheapest room category that I had booked.The next day the reception proactively reached out to me and upgraded me to a spacious Pelican Suite (what they also internally designate the Presidential Suite).Again, Protea hotels do not seem to quickly get the bookings from Marriott, but they were able to find it with the confirmation number.As an Ambassador member I got breakfast each day (I think everyone does). I was also offered the option of 500 points which I also received. Room The original room was a standard room with view onto the ocea and an outdoor patio. I liked the room in general, but you could tell that it was really beat up and in need of repairs. Slats in the closet doors wer loose or broken, the faucets could literally be twisted as a whole, etc. I did not take any photos of those rooms. I did notice that they were keeping all of the room doors open in the entire floor. I suspect this was to prevent dampness or mold to set into the rooms given the low occupancy.Starting the second night I was moved to a very spacious suite. The suite is probably less frequently booked and seemed to be in much better condition. It consists of two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The master bed also has a mosquito net (only decorative) and the master bath has a jacuzzi function in the bathtub. There is a large dining table for six, seating in front of a fireplace. Pretty much there are lounging areas everywhere. In addition there is a large warp-around outdoor terrace.I was not able to get the fireplace to work (I suspect that there is no gas). I might ask the hotel if it generally works.One negative about this room is that the wifi works poorly in the main room and terrace, so I end up having to sit at one of the desks in the bedroom to have a strong enough connection to meaningfully do anything. Location The hotel is located in the souther half of Walvis Bay on the water. Nearby is the Raft, with is a decent bar/restaurant on stilts. Further there is another bar direclty next door with billards tables.What is not so obvious is that if you head towards the yacht club there are actually several bars, restaurants and tour operators along the Harbour. Several options there including what looks like a good seafood restaurant, a grill restaurant, sushi and a sports bar.The hotel is convenient to the Walvis Bay airport. A tip if you want to travel to and from Swakopmund -
http://welwitschiashuttle.com. They can often add you to groups coming from the airport heading to Swakopmund. That means your trip can cost as little as 50 NAD one-way. They can also take you back. In the worst case it will be 200 NAD to get back if they have to drive you alone. Dining The breakfast has probably been the best of the three Proteas I have tested so far in Namibia. They have an omlette station.The staff here is generally very friendly and ready to engage in conversation if you want to.I also had room service brought to me. I had ordered a soup, main and dessert. For the first time in my life, the food was brought per course. Not sure if they normally do it this way, or if their low occupancy allows for this.