Protea Hotel Nelspruit Review
Paul‘s Hotel Review for the
Details:
Duration of stay: 2 nights / vacation
Check-in / Check-out:
Check-in Process: 
Check-out Process:
Concierge Service: N/A
Staff @ Front Desk:
Bonvoy recognition:
At Check-in:
In General:
Posting of points&nights:
Room / Bathroom:
Bed, quality of sleep:
Bathroom, Shower:
Room Atmosphere:
WiFi / Internet:
Housekeeping general:
Cleanliness:
Food & Beverage:
Breakfast:
Bar: 
Restaurant:
Lounge: N/A
Staff:
Paul‘s Mix:
Pool, Spa:
Hotel Location:
Mojito Rating 
:
:
General Customer Care:
Staff attitude, interaction and responsiveness:
Social media interaction:
—-
= bad, a lot of work needs to be done
=not good, you will be busy with corrections
= good & normal, nothing special
= high level, but the icing on the cake is missing
= topnotch, leave me here!
= Half a Point/sheep
: extra recognition for outstanding service
—-
General Info:
The hotel is located on the eastern part of the city of Nelspruit / Mbombela.
Except a big shopping mall with a few F&B outlets there isn't much around the hotel.
There is no public transport so you will need a rental car to move around.
The Hotel is a true little gem, a real oasis in the hussle of Nelspruit. It has a Total of 92 rooms including some bigger king size rooms.
Check-in:
The check in was nice and the agent was super friendly. He interacted with us all the time.
He offered to help us getting our bags into our room.
Check-out:
Check out was fantastic.
Staff at frontdesk was always helpful and friendly.
Everytime we passed the frontdesk they always had the time for a chat and or asked if everything was okay. They were always smiling and helpful.
Marriott Bonvoy Recognition:
At check-in there wasn't actually any recognition of our status.
The agent just asked if we would like to have the points or breakfast as welcome amenity. We decided for the breakfast.
Eligible nights and points:
The nights and points were posted 24 hours after our stay.
Everything was posted correctly which hasn't happened in a loooong loooong time.
Property in General:
The hotel has a very special vibe which is really difficult to explain. We both felt the same about it. It is somehow a feeling of being home, a lively atmosphere from guests and staff but it
never got to hectic.
It is a real oasis, a retreat from the surrounding.
The entire hotel is still in great shape and it seems that the hotel got refreshed recently. All public places are a mix between a modern style hotel but still keeping its roots and typical
style. Throughout the entire property there are super modern pictures paired with old pictures from the history and story of the area and Africa.
The outdoor area is very nice and we liked the courtyard area with the lounge as well as the pool.
Room/Suite:
We got an executive king room on the first floor of the main building. Also the rooms seem to have gone through an refurbishment / update recently.
The room isn't huge in size but still okay and it has a good atmosphere. There is a huge window which allows a lot of daylight to come in.
The furniture is in great shape. There is a king size bed in the middle of the room. On the left there is a desk and two chairs which also can be used as a table and next to the window there
is a dresser with coffee/tea amenities and indirect lighting which gives a special atmosphere.
On one of the walls there are many pictures from the history of the area and South Africa itself.
We really loved the atmosphere of the room and had a great stay.
The bed as well as the bedding material such as the duvet and the pillows were super comfortable.
Bathroom:
The bathroom is okay, it hadn't gone through refurbishment yet, just some painting.
There is a bath tub on the left, the toilet and a walk in shower on the right as well as a sink.
The shower had super low pressure and could definitely a decalcification.
Basic amenities are provided and everything was super clean.
Housekeeping:
Housekeeping does a fantastic job and the rooms were always tidy and impeccable clean.
The housekeeping staff was super friendly when passing by and you could feel the pride in what they do. This is the difference in having own housekeeping and outsourced staff.
F&B:
The Hotel has only one restaurant and one bar.
The Fig Tree Restaurant
This is the only restaurant of this property where a buffet breakfast is served, a la carte lunch as well as a buffet dinner.
Breakfast was very good. The choice and quality of food is great. The presentation is done with love and the staff is simply top.
They offer fresh fruits, cereals, Danish and pastry, toast, cold cuts and lots more. There is also a hot buffet including scrambled eggs. Any other egg dish such as omelets can be ordered
from the live cooking station.
The waiting staff does their job with passion and pride, they are super welcoming and friendly.
Dinner was served again as a buffet. We had dinner both nights and the buffet was amazing. They served different dishes every night. There was a huge salad buffet with lots of different
salads, a huge hot dish buffet consisting of two side dishes, vegetables as well as 3 different kinds of meat or fish. The quality of the food was absolutely top.
To end the meal there was a huge dessert buffet.
I am usually not a fan of buffets but we really liked it and as said the quality was outstanding.
The bar:
The bar has a great atmosphere and fantastic and super friendly staff. Also here the theme is a modern historic mix.
The bar also serves the drinks you are ordering at the pool. We had amazing mojitos and other drinks and went every night for a night cap.
Also here, all staff (kitchen and waiting staff) were absolutely amazing. They did an outstanding job with care and class.
The staff treated us as family and were super attentive.
Pool / Spa:
The pool is rather small but ok for a city property. There are enough sunchairs and other options to relax.
It is settled in the Courtyard of the two room building complexes. Drinks and food is served at the pool.
Executive Lounge:
No Lounge at Protea Hotels.
Social Media:
Social media seems to be unknown to this property. They aren't online on Facebook or Instagram even they would have an account.
Summary:
All in all an absolutely fantastic stay.
We felt home away from home in this oasis.
The hotel is a real hidden gem.
The biggest treasure is the staff. We haven't met a single employee which wasn't smiling or interacting with the guests. They work with care and class, make you feel welcome and sort of
family. The is always the time for a quick chat or a nice word.
We haven't seen such an amazing customer service in a very long time. Very well done and a huge thank you from our side for this top class service.
The property itself has as said a very special feeling. An oasis with a fantastic atmosphere. They have a great mix between a modern and historic touch.
Notes:
- Paul the Sheep does not get any benefits from the Hotels/Airlines etc.
- Paul will always pay for the services in order to be able to rate freely and truly about the experiences.