Protea Hotel Stellenbosch and Conference Centre — Hotel in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

Newer again!!!! Not a Marriott Standard at all! ||This hotel was a very bad experience. I can not see why the hotel was described as "modern"?! |Nearly Everthing is old and they are so many parts that smells bad.|We trusted the Marriott brand, but were extremely dissapointed. At reception it smelled but I couldn´t identify it.. ||Everything is dark furnished and not really friendly.||The room we had was C07. Nice size and view. But this was it!||The bath tub which was supposed to be white was rather reddish/brown, never would have used it- the sink of the washing table was brown/black. The shower smelled badly, I only entered it with bath shoes and tried not to touch anything-|When we arrived the corridor was not cleaned, feathers of any not identified birds, and some old used tisues. In the wardrobe as well, there was garbage from the guest before ?||When we walked through the corridor we saw other rooms which were about to be cleaned and we saw the old matresses, without the cover. They were dark yellow/brown. |I didn´t want to think of how old this mattresses were :(( disgusting.||We wanted to use the pool - the good thing: it is really big. ||But when you want to go, you need to ask for pool towels, why they are not in the room from the beginning, no idea- |So we had to organizw the towels. They were in the size of hand towels?! |I was not able to use for my whole body. Why is this named a pool towel ? There are some old plastic sun chairs around the pool - Obviously with no covers.||So we tried to use the "pool towel" but I could only sit on it, it was too small to lean down on the sun chair.... So not really a nice "Wellness Eperience" to sit on the plastic chair on a small towel.|The water seemed to be clean and it was nice to swim. But if you use swimming goggles you see things on the floor which you do not want to see. All dirty. You need a pool cleaning machine to get this brown this off the bottom. But apparently this is not used here.|The side of the pool is old and the there were broken Tiles outside, when you try to get out. I had to take care not to hurt myself.||One evening we came back late from dinner and were told the the ceilling from our room came down. Apparently a water problem. I saw the whole and took a foto! I couldn´t believe it!!!! Luckily we were not there, and good luck that it happened at night.||BUT the hotel was not able to inform us during the whole day. So we had to pack our staff at 22:00 tiered as we were and got moved to another room- this was named executive. (nr 104)|The room has a nice view and it seemed to have new furniture - but I was wandering where the bad small of the toilet came from??! We did not find out. There was not a possibility to open the big window. Only a verry little part of it. (a very small window flap) and this didn´t help. ||In the middle of the room was a little bath tub (new- yippi!!!) but when we wanted to use it, the water was only coming out a bit more than water drops. And there was no bath or shower gel any were, only soap. However when we asked, they brought some....It was 11pm already....||Breakfast room seemed to be one of the modern parts - we wanted to sit outside, but we had to collect our cuttlery/nappkin and cup aso ourselves. Nobody cared if there are people outside. However, we tried to make the best of it and helped ourselves.||I would not suggest to book this hotel again as I found it too expensive as what you get for it. ||But I have to mention that the porter/cleaning and security staff was really freindly and helpful. Unfortunately the Management doesn´t really care of all...

Over the past few years, this hotel and its two restaurants have been a favorite among my family and me. We have attended their Christmas, Easter, and other special events, consistently appreciating their beautiful offerings, delectable cuisine, and breathtaking views.

However, our most recent visit in May 2025 was a complete disappointment. We had booked breakfast and received a reservation. Despite my confirmation and proof provided by Timothy, a staff member at the restaurant door informed us that we did not have a reservation. Although this staff member was initially adamant and rude, a professional member named Ferdinand intervened and secured a table for us.

Despite Ferdinand’s efforts, our experience was further compromised. The Food & Beverage Manager, visibly upset, approached our table of six. The tension was palpable, and he proceeded to question me in front of everyone present, including other guests in the breakfast area. He demanded to see the email confirmation, and his negative energy made us feel as though we had committed an error by being there with a valid reservation.

In addition to his unprofessional demeanor, I sensed that the F&B manager was determined to uncover the identity of the staff member who booked the reservation. I believe that any underlying internal political issues should not spill over onto the restaurant floor, affecting the customers.

The unfortunate encounter left us all deeply disappointed. The F&B manager’s interactions with guests were inappropriate and lacked the necessary skill set. It is evident that he requires specialized training to manage his emotions and interact with customers in a professional manner.

The breakfast experience was marred from the outset, leaving us feeling unwelcome and compelled to depart. Ferdinand, however, demonstrated exceptional professionalism and personability, trying his best to provide us with a comfortable atmosphere. His efforts were in stark contrast to the unfriendly behavior exhibited by the other two staff members we encountered.

I subsequently informed the hotel general manager about the situation. He clarified that the Food & Beverage manager is responsible for printing and placing reservation boards, including one with my name, on the tables.

This raises a critical question: how could the staff member at the door overlook the reserved table with my name on it? (We all saw the board with my name on it). Furthermore, how could the highly unprofessional Food & Beverage manager fail to recognize my booking even before my arrival? Given this oversight, it is imperative that he investigate any potential issues with our booking and presence internally before we arrive as according to the general manager the F&B manager printed the reservation card with my name on it before we even arrived.

Such behavior is unacceptable and reflects poorly on the establishment. If staff members lack the necessary guest interaction skills, it is advisable to reconsider their roles. Additionally, internal conflicts should be addressed before guests arrive to ensure a...

I'm torn with how to leave a fair review of this property. I was able to upgrade to the Executive rooms thanks to Marriott Platinum status which gave us the most amazing views of the mountains and nearby vineyards. The facilities such as the pool were dated and needed some TLC, the pool side was dirty with old and dirty chairs strewn about. The pool itself was in desperate need of cleaning.

On the flip side, the rooms were immaculate and particularly the executive rooms I saw were stunning. Everything was thoroughly clean and looked fresh. The rooms are spacious and feel luxurious with the bathtub overlooking the oversized windows as you look out onto the mountainside. If you're looking for a romantic get-away to the wine region of Stellenbosch, this is the place to be!

Unfortunately, as with all hotels, the service and staff are what really make or break a place. In this case the restaurant staff really came up short and all over an order of French Fries!

I am vegan, but on this occasion I decided I'd be vegetarian since there was literally nothing on the menu I could eat other than French Fries otherwise. I ordered some Jalapeno poppers and french fries. The waiter then told me I couldn't order french fries because they are not on the main menu, they are only on the kids menu..... Seriously!? I explained to her that I am vegetarian and there isn't anything else on the menu I could eat. One of the other guest nearby with kids even offered to have their kid come join my table (thinking then they would let me order the french fries from the kids menu.) 🤣🤣

Regrettably the restaurant staff were unmoved and stood firm in denying me my french fries. Even after I asked the waiter and manager if they have eaten french fries recently (to which they replied yes) I then pointed out that they themselves were not children and since when is French Fries a kids only dish??!! At this point I decided to leave and ended up going out to eat elsewhere which means that the hotel missed out on my money because they refused to serve me some simple french fries. When I checked out the next day I wasn't offered any explanation or compensation for the situation.

I left with mixed feelings over this property. The room and views were amazing, but my only real interaction with the staff went so poorly and was so outrageous, I have to give them 1...