Review: Protea Hotel by Marriott O. R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg
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During our family trip to South Africa, we stayed one night at the Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport, belonging to the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Reservation at Protea Hotel By Marriott O.r. Tambo Airport
The hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport is category 2 in the Marriott Bonvoy program. This means that one night will cost between 10,000 and 15,000 points.
The easiest way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is by subscribing to one of the program’s card s:
See all the details at the end of the article!
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and 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”).
Location of Protea Hotel By Marriott O.r. Tambo Airport
The hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport is located a few minutes from JNB Airport. It should not be confused with the transit hotel located in the airport, the hotel Protea Hotel Transit O.R. Tambo Airport.
A free shuttle is available between the airport and the hotel.
As we had a rental car, we did not benefit from it. Hotel parking is free of charge.
Check-in at Protea Hotel By Marriott O.r. Tambo Airport
This airport hotel was built under the theme of aeronautics. The Avgeek in me was fulfilled!
From the reception to the restaurant, through the rooms and common areas: all the decorations were a reminder of the aerial world!
Being accompanied by my mother and our two children, we had taken two rooms. One of them was of type Larger King Bed thanks to an upgrade with my Titanium status.
Our room at Protea Hotel By Marriott O.r. Tambo Airport
Although it was a large room, this room seemed very narrow. But it’s actually one of the largest after looking at the floor plan!
The entire wall above the bed was covered with a picture of planes on the ground at JNB.
As said before, many keys are found here and there to remind us of aeronautics. Whether it’s the desk and chair or the mini-bar.
As a welcome gift, little things to eat (even if the name is not the right one…:D)!
The bathroom
The bathroom has a separate shower and bathtub.
The separation with the room is a simple curtain. However the toilets are of course separate (note the decoration there too)!
Services of the Protea Hotel By Marriott O.r. Tambo Airport
Breakfast
Thanks to the Titanium status of the Marriott Bonvoy program, we had free breakfasts at the hotel restaurant.
Breakfast consists of a large and varied buffet.
We saw several crew members from different airlines having breakfast with us.
Here are the different dishes offered for breakfast:
Avgeek like me, our daughter spent more time playing with the decor than eating lunch!
The pool
In front of the airport runways there is a large swimming pool. Unfortunately, the weather was not good for swimming (not heated).
The garden, however, is pleasant. It is possible to climb to the top of a hill to see the different planes, so a British Airways Airbus A380 parked in front of us.
The gym
In the basement of the hotel there is a small training room.
However, the lighting and the lack of outside brightness do not make it really pleasant.
Our general impression of the hotel
The hotel Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport fulfilled perfectly its function as a stopover hotel for one night before / after a flight.
Accessible from 10,000 points per night, it’s really a good deal, especially for Platinum or Titanium status holders to get free breakfasts.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
There are two main methods to earn Marriott Bonvoy points through credit cards:
- Directly: with Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
- Indirectly: by transferring Membership Rewards from American Express
Directly with the Marriott Bonvoy credit card.
You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points directly with the two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards:
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | |||
| $120 |
These two card s each offer a excellent welcome bonus. And, for each of your expenses, you can earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
Besides, upon renewal, with each of these cards, you get an annual reward night certificate.
Indirectly, by transfer of points
Marriott Bonvoy points can be earned indirectly via American Express Membership Rewards by transferring points via American Express Membership Rewards credit cards.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $799 | |||
| $250 | |||
| $191.88 | |||
| $0 | |||
| $799 | |||
| $199 |
These cards each offer a nice welcome bonus. You can transfer Membership Rewards Points to Marriott Bonvoy at the rate of 1:1.2. That means that by transferring 50,000 Membership Rewards points, you will earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points!
Our favorite card here is the American Express CobaltMD Card: you can earn up to 5 points per dollar (that’s 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar) on everyday purchases how groceries, restaurants or convenience stores.
- 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”).
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.