Premier Hotel Knysna — Hotel in George

A terribly cheap hotel hiding behind a thin veneer of pretentiously modern architecture - and the veneer is literally peeling.

Lack of forethought and a severe deficiency in attention to detail shows everywhere. The small rooms are all joined by a common 3-story hallway which is partly outside, so you can't walk to the reception without getting wet if it's raining. The hallway is covered in tiles, so it forms one big echo chamber. The rooms are poorly insulated, so anything that happens in the hallway is heard in every room. The windows are single glazed, so they fog up and it gets cold at night. Yet, the bathroom has no ventilation except for a tiny window that opens into the hallway. I took a shower in the late afternoon (making sure to open the window) and it was still damp the next morning. No wonder the paint is beginning to peel.

The door to the room has a full-sized frosted glass window in it, so the always-on light from the hallway streams in at night. There's a curtain you can roll down (probably installed as an afterthought), but it does a poor job of blocking the light.

The bedside lamps have no switch, and the plug was wedged behind the bed, so the only way I could find of turning it off without moving the bed was to unscrew the bulb!

Many of the problems are bafflingly stupid and should be simple to fix. The toilet roll hangs across the bathroom from the toilet and is barely reachable. There's paint on the towel rack and on the light fixtures. Putting down a hot cup of tea on the bedside table leaves an immediate ring - and I could see rings of previous guests doing the same. The balcony has a "roof" of spaced-out wooden beams that provide no protection from rain, and presumably gives you a zebra-like suntan in sunny weather. The jet engine they use for a backup generator during load shedding is so loud it woke me up at night. The water pressure on the first floor is abysmal. The wifi at reception is okay, but in the rooms all you get is 3 hours of dialup speeds in exchange for your email address, and that's after ignoring all the safety warnings my browser gave. The TV signal is still analog, overlayed with a scrolling message saying they started phasing it out in favor of digital TV over a month ago and it could be disconnected at any moment. The reception, dining room, and lounge are all connected into a single big, echoey room, so there's not a single quiet place in the building.

I could forgive some of these issues and consider them quirky if they weren't going for this modern architectural style. The sleek, almost featureless interior makes the faults stand out all the more.

I give it 2 stars only because the staff is friendly...

What a hidden gem… Facing the Knysna lagoon set on a large piece of property with manicured gardens and fantastic self catering units with all amenities. Excellent service, friendly staff, perfect accommodation and overall exceptional stay for truly relaxing holiday. Kids club is awesome 👏 a range of activities including a movie theater with treats You can relax at the sunset lounge and enjoy the views with a bar and easy seating Breakfast outstanding with attentive staff Spa really reasonable ensuring everyone can enjoy beautiful treatments and a heated pool for relaxation Two additional pools to enjoy Absolutely loved our...

If you in Knysna make sure you consider Premier Moorings Hotel as your preferred accommodation spot. Lovely hotel and the villas by the waterfront a awesome for holidaymakers. They just need to improve the wifi signal...