Protea Hotel by Marriott Kimberley

My recent two-night stay was comfortable overall, but the food wasn’t great. The only option available was the à la carte menu, and it needs improvement. I’ve stayed here before and always looked forward to the buffet breakfast and dinner, which used to be fantastic.

The rest of my stay was pretty much up to standard, with no complaints, but the water situation was awful. The bottle in my room had green mould inside, which I only noticed after it tasted off. I reported it to the front desk and asked for a replacement. The new bottle was cold but smelled and tasted like ordinary tap water. I’ve stayed countless nights at Marriott hotels around the world, and this was by far my most disgusting experience at one. Other hotels use similar bottles with sealed tops, but Protea Kimberley’s weren’t sealed. The water clearly didn’t seem purified. Management never apologized or contacted me, so I’m left assuming this is normal or they don’t care. Their “on-site purified” water claim is an absolute farce. To avoid getting sick, I’d bring your own bottled water to drink.

A lovely overnight stop on our way to Orange River. The rooms had gorgeous king beds and air conditioning, and the staff were very friendly. The hotel is decorated beautifully with lots of antiques and historical pieces. There’s a lovely pool looking over the Kimberly hole, and a museum next door that apparently is well worth visiting. We didn’t have time to go in.

From reception through to the kitchen and cleaning teams, everyone was friendly, professional and attentive. Khanyisile Tshazi and Sihle Tshaka deserve a heartfelt thank you for the warm hospitality and excellent service. Everything was handled with care and precision, a true 10/10 experience. Well done to the whole team for keeping standards high. Protea Hotel Kimberley comes highly recommended. Keep it up! Kind regards, Jackie Gagiano, Redspot Marketing Solutions.