Protea Hotel by Marriott Dorpshuis & Spa Stellenbosch

And if you can’t, I think you should reconfigure your trip to stay in a different town. Full disclosure: we only stayed here one night and liked that it was closer to restaurants than the other Marriott Protea, but we were very happy to not have to stay a second night. This should sum it up for us: they give out free sherry in the lobby (which was delicious), but I still joke that it was the only way that they can help people make it through the night. This may come across a bit harsh, but hear me out here... -“Not a modern hotel” was called out in a previous review - I would say this is old and hasn’t been updated since the 80’s or 90’s. We got “upgraded” to a two-level room, and I’m pretty sure that we stayed in a barn. (The bathroom upstairs didn’t have a ceiling or door, the one downstairs had a shower that didn’t drain.) The bed wasn’t too bad, but I definitely did not sleep well. -There is not a gym. The closest one is in the mall 10-15 minutes away, and you have to pay a guest fee. -The neighborhood isn’t great, so they’ve got security and a gate at all times. (This is a plus on this review.) However, this is walking distance to the downtown area, as long as you’re not too squeamish. (We felt perfectly safe, but who knows.) -Breakfast is not included - as a Titanium Elite, you can get the Continental breakfast instead of your welcome points, but then you need to pay an up charge to get anything warm. (The restaurant looked nice, but we did not eat there.) -As noted in other reviews, the “pool” is not great and calling it a “spa” seems a bit of a stretch. -We changed our plans about a month out and cancelled our old reservation, but for some reason they reinstated our reservation for a different day. When we arrived, they debated us for the first day on whether or not we actually cancelled it. They ended up taking it off after we showed them the cancellation confirmation multiple times, but not before they made it seem like it was our fault.

The service was good and the staff seemed quite accommodating. The quality of the rooms were definitely below expected standard for a 4 star establishment. The mattress in particular was a disappointment as one could both hear and feel the mattress springs when on the bed. The room was very dusty, had no safe or luggage rack. The towels were ragged and of low thread count. As the previous two knights I stayed at a four star hotel and where the experience of quality was superb in comparison. Parking was also an issue. The bays were to small. The breakfast buffet was also below standard unfortunately. Items on the buffet were mis labeled and the majority of items had no label. Although the staff were great, I will surely not recommend this hotel.

The staff were lovely (including The Chef) but the property was run down (several items in the loft did not work) and levels of cleaning nit great. We were woken each day by staff walking past our windows and talking loudly.

We found the employees at this hotel friendly and helpful. When checking in, we asked for opinions on the choice of wineries we planned to visit. Shortly after we got to our room, someone delivered printouts of directions to each winery we discussed. In addition to the woman I perceived to be the manager that helped us with suggestions, we found Pricilla to be especially helpful. As a Titanium member, I was upgraded to a bi-level one BR loft which I was quite happy with. Although it might appear that this room is suitable for more than the advertised two people, the couch would be uncomfortable for someone other than a small child.

Best thing about the hotel is the staff! Very helpful, and friendly. Location is not great, as it is close to the main roads and traffic noise is endless and never stops. They should definitely look at soundproofing the bedrooms, to ensure that one can actually sleep at night. Décor and furniture in the rooms are also outdated, and it is time for an upgrade.

Unless your in your twenties do not take a 2 tiered room Living area first floor, bedroom second floor fourteen stairs up Forget about taking luggage up Desk up refrigerator down terrible hassle Room size excellent logistics poor Insist on a one floor suite

I stayed in the Protea Hotel Dorpshuis on the 24th and 25th of September. Arrived on the 24th after 23:00 and was greated by friendly and helpful staff. I immediately felt at home. The room was perfect, clean and comfortable. Overall, I had the best stay and will definately return. Room service meals were great, affordable and served with a smile. I never experienced such friendly service from any hotel's personnel ever in my life. I was really impressed and as said will definately return. Well done to whoever appoint and train your staff!!

I’m so very disappointed with this Protea Hotel. It’s grubby, dirty and dated and the most unpleasant place to stay. The photos on the website are misleading and don’t show the true state of the place. I’m sorry but I wouldn’t recommend this place at all .

I had a lovely stay at this hotel.I called the Reception around 11:50 pm and Mentor assisted me.He was very friendly, jolly, welcoming. I enjoyed speaking to him. Receptionist Sonja was welcoming and has qualifies of good customer care. Breakfast buffet is excellent. I would definitely recommend for leisure and business.

Seems the reviews here are all over the board, so let me try to at least put our stay in perspective. This is an old historic property that is actually a named national historic museum in it's own right. As such it carries a lot of baggage relative to how it must be maintained etc. IF you are looking for a very modern hotel with all the current bells and whistles you might be disappointed here as it is set up as a turn of the century (as in early 1900's) hotel complete with sitting rooms, antique style furniture etc. Yes it could use some TLC and some repairs in places, some corners aren't square, electrical outlets and switches are in weird places as they were added later, some doors don't close plumb, and some of the furniture is a little worn, but that is the atmosphere that exists. The rooms (or at least ours) was 2 levels and large, with a sitting room on the lower level and the bedroom upstairs. The lighting could have been a bit better inside as it was a little on the dark side. Thus if you are looking for a more "Victorian and historic" experience, you may really like it here. We did. The staff was very friendly and helpful and always available. The small Victorian style "bar" was there but hardly used. The main sitting area with a fireplace was very comfortable. There was supposed to be a Spa, but it was all locked up and not being used when we were there, but we really didn't have time anyway. Kind of odd to advertise a "spa" and not have it open. The breakfast area was fine with a good selection and the ability to have eggs made to order. The location to downtown is one of the biggest assets as it is easy to get to just about anywhere from the hotel quickly and easily. All in all we had a nice and enjoyable stay.