Review Protea Hotel by Marriott Nelspruit / Mbombela
Details:
Duration of stay: 1 night / vacation, prior Safari in the Kruger National Park.
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
—-
After a little bit more than a year we are back at this property.
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 great and the agent was super friendly. She interacted with us all the time and we had a great chat whilst she processed our check-in.
Check-out:
Check out was fantastic. Great interaction, a nice chat and super friendly agent.
Staff at frontdesk was always helpful and super 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:
Status recognition as per Marriott Procedures .
The agent just asked if we would like to have the points or breakfast as welcome amenity. We decided for the breakfast.
As we already booked the highest category of rooms, no upgrade possible.
In the room, there was a handwritten card from the GM and team together with a beautiful and lekker welcome amenity.
Posting of Points, Revenue and Nights:
The posting on our account was visible 24 hours after our departure. Unfortunately the amount of points and revenue was incorrect. The hotel only posted the amount for the roomrate but not for
the F&B.
We had to let it correct from Marriott Bonvoy.
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.
Compared to our last stay, the hotel and the inventory got a little tired. It is still okay but a refresh needs to be done soon.
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 a bigger king room.
The rooms aren't as tired as the public area.
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.
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.
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 need a decalcification.so. This hasn't changed since last time.
Basic amenities are provided and everything was super clean.
Housekeeping:
Housekeeping does a fantastic job and the rooms was 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 as always. 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.
The buffet was set up beautifully and with love.
Dinner was served again as a buffet.
Compared to our last stay, I was rather disappointed with the buffetm
It used to be so good, big and beautifully set up.
This time I was shocked at first when I saw it. The presentation was lousy and cheap, no love.
The size was reduced to half compared to last time.
There was a salad buffet with ingredients for a Greek salat and 3 other options, some samosa style snacks, and a small dessert buffet.
Hot meal was still the same like last time. It consisted of two side dishes, vegetables as well as 3 different kinds of meat or fish. The quality of the food was good
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 and we had amazing mojitos there after our arrival.
Also here, all staff (kitchen and waiting staff) were absolutely amazing. They did an outstanding job with care and class.
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 again a great stay.
Staff is still amazing. 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. They
always take the time for a quick chat or a nice word.
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.
We can fully recommend to stay at this property and are already looking forward to our return.
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.
- If you are interested in more details, please send us a private message and I will be happy to share more information and pictures