Protea Hotel Johannesburg Wanderers — Hotel in Gauteng

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5)

I visited Protea Hotel by Marriott Johannesburg Wanderers (Rosebank) in August 2025 while attending the Africa Hepatopancreaticobiliary Cancer Consortium Conference 2025 #AHPBCC. My stay turned out to be a memorable mix of comfort, convenience, and a few small surprises along the way.

Arrival & Check-In 🛬

The hotel is about 30 minutes from O.R. Tambo Airport—smooth ride, no stress. I arrived around 6 p.m., and the lobby wasn’t too busy. Check-in was swift and professional. The lobby itself sets the tone: minimalistic but artistic, with tasteful finishing and artwork that instantly makes you feel you’re in a modern African space. One thing I did notice though—no welcome drink. In Kenya, we’re quite used to that touch of hospitality.

The Room (304, Standard) 🛏️

Walking into my third-floor room, I was pleasantly surprised. It may have been a standard room, but it ticked all the right boxes: • Spacious, fresh-smelling, and spotless. • The bathroom was compact but well done—fresh towels daily, a rain shower that delivered perfectly, hot/cold water on demand, and a bathtub that felt just right. Toiletries were neatly arranged, the toilet clean. • A wardrobe with a working safe was provided. There was even an ironing board, though curiously, no iron box. • The bed—excellent. Large, dressed with silky soft sheets, a fluffy duvet, and pillows that hugged you after a long day. • Décor & lighting were on point, warm and inviting. The TV worked fine, with sports, movies, and even cartoons—though a little small for my taste. Internet speed was surprisingly fast (posting my photos was seamless). • I appreciated the study area, complete with a desk, sockets, lamp, and a coffee/tea station. It felt like something you’d expect in a European city hotel.

Dining 🍳🥓🥗🥂 • Breakfast was the one area that didn’t wow me. It felt limited—bacon, sausages, juices, smoothies, some fruits, cheese, salads, and of course, the omelette station (the chef there deserves applause 👏). While satisfying, it lacked variety compared to other Protea hotels I’ve visited. • Dinner, however, was another story altogether. I had pork ribs on my first evening—hands down the best-tasting ribs I’ve had in a long time. Big portions, cooked to perfection, paired with a solid wine selection from the bar. Every meal felt hearty and worth the spend.

Fitness & Amenities 💪

The gym in the basement is very well-equipped, with a wide range of machines—perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to miss a workout while traveling. No sauna or steam room, which would’ve been a welcome extra, but the gym itself exceeded expectations.

Location 🌆

The hotel has a conference feel, which worked perfectly since I was attending one. It’s attached to the Wanderers Club (with more amenities I didn’t explore this time). Rosebank Mall is nearby, nightlife and clubs aren’t far, and Sandton is only 10–15 minutes by car. Location-wise, it’s a winner.

Service 👨‍💼

Staff were warm and professional. Housekeeping was consistent, and my room was always spotless. The key card worked without fuss, which sounds basic but is a big deal when you’ve had bad experiences elsewhere.

Final Verdict 🎯

Overall, I’d give Protea Wanderers a 4.5/5. It’s stylish, comfortable, and well-located for both business and leisure. A slightly bigger TV, a more exciting breakfast spread, and maybe a wellness spa would make it a solid 5/5.

Would I stay again? Absolutely. Whether for another conference or a personal trip, this hotel balances convenience with comfort in a way that keeps you...

I stayed six nights at this hotel. A nice (albeit quite small) room with an excellent shower and a comfortable bed. BUT...|I encountered one disappointment after another. Any one of them I might have dismissed as "one of those things" but taken together, these incidents really soured my view of the Protea Wanderers. Here's what happened...|-- Two days before arrival, I received an email asking for my personal and credit card details. I filled it in, yet the front desk had no record of it when I arrived at 10.30pm . This was more than a minor inconvenience as I was using my sister's credit card and couldn 't ph one her for the details at that time of night. With some reluctance, the desk clerk agreed to let me provide the details the next day.|-- When I got to my room, there was a note on the desk welcoming "Brian Eloff" to the hotel. I am not Brian Eloff , which meant I had to traipse back to the front desk to ensure that they had given me the right room and that I would not be disturbed by Mr Eloff in the middle of the night. |-- I had to go back to the front desk yet again when I was unable to sign into the hotel WiFi. The receptionist said the problem was that I had just checked in and got the WiFi connected. However, the next morning it was again not working -- this time, the receptionist on duty signed on using her own password. Three days later, I was disconnected again....|-- When I checked in, I asked the front desk to reserve a table for dinner the following evening for myself and four friends. The restaurant had no record of the reservation the next day. |-- The dinner turned out to be a rather bizarre experience. Three of us ordered the rump steak with three prawns and stir fry. When our dishes arrived, none had a stir fry . One came with chips (French fries), one with mashed potatoes and mine with spinach (which I detest). My brother reported that his curry was at best lukewarm and quite tasteless. At least the fifth member of our party was pleased with his oxtail casserole. For dessert, I ordered the malva pudding and custard only to be told 10 minutes later that the kitchen had run out of the custard that was supposed to come with it. (Oh yes, and one of us ordered soda water which never arrived).|All in all, my stay fell well short of what I have come to expect from a...

The first night of my stay, I went down to reception to find out about a menu for room service dinner. The receptionist told me that there is a QR code in my room with the menu. I went to my room, no QR code to be found (or menu), and when I told the receptionist she didn’t seem surprised?? So I phoned the restaurant from my room to get a menu, to which they replied that they are under-staffed so if I want a menu I must come down to get one. Fine.

The next morning, I got stuck in the lift which dropped and made a loud banging noise. Luckily the lifts opened upon me jamming the open doors button, and I was able to get down via the emergency stairs. I ended up in the kitchen, with no one questioning why I was there or helping me find my way.

When I got back from work that day, I ordered room service (a simple Grapetiser and tomato pasta), which took 2 HOURS to arrive. I phoned the restaurant multiple times and got multiple responses: “we are under-staffed”, “it’s coming right now”, “there’s load shedding”. Eventually I was so starving I started waking down the stairs (since ALL the lifts were broken at this point) and saw the waiter carrying my food up the stairs. He was sweating and out of breath, and I felt bad, as I was on the 5th floor. He unfortunately forgot to bring the card machine as well, which I asked the restaurant twice for.

The next morning, the lifts had been down for 12 hours by this point, I had to take down all my luggage down 5+ flights of stairs, with no help or anything.

With the lifts being down, no one told us what to do or where to go or offered any assistance.

When I checked out the receptionist asked me how my stay was. I said “it was okay” and she didn’t say anything after that. In the hospitality industry, aren’t you supposed to be hospitable!? I understand it’s not the employees fault that the lifts were down but there was NO help or assistance or information on it??

PS when I arrived in my room at the beginning there was a large black hair in my bed and dried food on the counter....