Review: Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek
Loading article…
An affordable hotel with Marriott Bonvoy points
The hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek is category 2 (December 2019).
This means that it costs between 10,000 and 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to spend a night there.
To earn Marriott Bonvoy points in Canada, the easiest way is via one of these 3 credit cards:
- The Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card
- The Marriott BonvoyMD Business American ExpressMD* Card
- The American Express CobaltMD Card
Each of them offers a nice welcome bonus and the possibility to earn Marriott Bonvoy points on each of your purchases (either directly for the card s Marriott Bonvoy, or by transfer for la Carte Cobaltmᶜ American Express).
You could have both Marriott Bonvoy cards and collect your points in your Marriott Bonvoy account!
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 | |||
| $191.88 |
As for the card Cobaltmᶜ American Express, it allows you to transfer your Membership Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 1:1.2.
With the 5 membership rewards points per dollar you earn on:
- grocery stores
- restaurants and bars
- convenience stores
- food delivery at home
it is like earning 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar!
- Annual fee
- $191.88
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $255
- Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months
- Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Our opinion about Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek
After 2 nights in the beautiful African Pride Arabella Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection, we joined the South African wine region.
We might as well tell you right now: the hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek is our favourite hotel on all Marriott hotels visited in South Africa!
Location
We chose to stay at the Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek car:
- it is a very good hotel located in the heart of the small town of Franschoek
- it only cost us 10,000 points per night (category 2 in low season) while the public rate was over $150
Address: 33/34 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek, Cape Town 7690 South Africa
Arrival
When we check in, the reception desk informs us of our advantages with the Titanium Elite status of Marriott Bonvoy: a welcome gift (a few snacks) and breakfast.
We had 2 rooms (identical) for my mother and our children, and for us. No upgrades though (the hotel was fully booked).
The lobby of this small hotel is just like the rest: charming!
In the reception, the Christmas decorations were in place (we were there from December 25 to 27).
Next to the reception, a small lounge with a library. There’s a computer with a printer.
The hotel has 2 floors. If your room is on the second floor, you will have to go up the stairs as there is no elevator.
We won’t need to go upstairs, our rooms will be on the ground floor, next to the pool.
We’ll have rooms 4 and 5, strictly identical.
The room
The room is a nice size.
The colourful patterns seen in the lobby can be found there.
Facing the bed, a television hangs on the wall. And there is a buffet with a refrigerator in it.
And a nice desk right next to the bed, with all the necessary electrical connections.
Finally, in the cupboard, we find a safe and the hair dryer.
The bathroom is separated from the bedroom by a beautiful glass door.
The bathroom
The bathroom has a bathtub and a separate shower, as well as hygiene products.
Hotel amenities
The pool
The hotel has a nice outdoor swimming pool (unheated).
What is particularly enjoyable, especially with children, is the garden surrounding the swimming pool, with plenty of seating.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the hotel’s partner restaurant and in the form of a buffet.
Here are the different dishes:
The choice wasn’t huge. On the other hand, quality was present, especially in the throughndes proposed (the speciality of this restaurant, which looks like an English pub).
Bottom Line
The hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek is excellent and we wouldn’t be surprised to see it change category as the category 2 rate seems so ridiculous for the services!
Franschhoek is a very nice and rather posh little town. Lodging there can therefore be expensive: this hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott Franschhoek is a perfect choice, especially as it is right in the heart of the action. From this hotel, it is easy to walk along the main street to discover the many shops, cafés and restaurants, each one more beautiful than the next.
As you can see, we not only fell in love with the hotel, but also with the small town of Franschhoek (which we liked better than Stellenbosch).
To easily earn Marriott Bonvoy points, here’s the current offer on the Marriott BonvoyTM American ExpressMD Card:
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now
on American Express's website
Apply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).
Go further with Marriott Bonvoy
To maximize your stays and points earning, check our complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide and our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards ranking. For personal use, see the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. For business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card earns points on every business purchase. And if a points purchase promotion is running, take advantage via our Marriott Bonvoy points purchase guide.