The Lofts Boutique Hotel

The staff were a real highlight, friendly, attentive and always ready to help with a smile. You could tell they cared about making our stay feel special. We also loved the fresh, delicious food and drinks, from breakfast to evening cocktails by the water. On Thesen Island, The Lofts Boutique Hotel is peaceful, with lovely lagoon views, especially at sunset, and restaurants and shops within walking distance. The design is stylish and beautiful, but the hotel still feels warm and inviting, never pretentious. We left feeling relaxed and would love to come back.

The waterfront room, food and drinks were all wonderful, and we’d gladly recommend The Lofts Boutique Hotel to anyone staying in Knysna. During our three-week trip to SA, our agent Africa & Beyond arranged two nights there. From arrival to departure, everyone at The Lofts and The Nest (breakfast) gave us five-star service. Nothing felt like too much trouble. Gashmey at The Nest deserves a special mention for making me a vegetarian breakfast, and Frank gave the hire car an excellent wash after we took a 26km return trip along a dusty track to Rust en Vrede waterfall. Luvo, Jarryd, Lwami, Candice x 2, Sean, Bradley, Zalea, Annelisha, Lesley and Mercy were all fabulous as well. We also got to meet and chat with Dr. Chris Mulder and his wife Pat, who created the original Lofts renovation project, and Marcus from The Nest. They were lovely people. One small postscript: I hope Richard has arranged with the local community to fill the pothole on the first causeway speedbump. I hit it full on and thought I’d damaged the hire car.

We couldn’t find a single thing to complain about during our three nights at The Lofts Boutique Hotel. The team welcomed us so warmly, and our room in Tower 1 was stylish, beautiful and spacious. It was thoroughly cleaned every day and kept spotless. The view of Knysna from the room was breathtaking, and there were several great restaurants just a short walk away. The whole stay was relaxing and exceeded our expectations. We’ll recommend it to friends and family, and we’re already looking forward to coming back. Thanks to The Lofts team for making the trip special.

What stood out most was the hospitality. The staff found us a room at short notice early in the day, then even checked whale tour availability and times before we thought to ask. The attached restaurants are excellent, too. The Lofts Boutique Hotel is a lovely stop along the Garden Route, set in the middle of Thesen Island. The rooms are spacious and thoughtfully decorated, with an East Coast US feel, think Natucket. It had everything we hoped for and more. Thank you!