During my stay in South Africa, we stayed at the Protea Hotel Knysna Quays, part of the Marriott Bonvoy program.

This is a Category 2 hotel that we can book from as little as 10,000 points per night!

Situated on the Garden Road, just a stone’s throw from the bustling marina dock, Protea Hotel Knysna Quays stands out for its location.

With the Knysna Lagoon at its feet, several tours will offer you a boat trip to the Indian Ocean, for example at sunset. These are also beautiful.

The hotel is located near restaurants, grocery stores, shops and gas stations. Everything can be reached on foot.

We were given two restaurant recommendations:

• The Olive Tree and Le Maquis, which unfortunately were at full capacity at the time of our visit.

We went back for breakfast to:

• Bread Island, which accepts our American Express Cobalt™ Card and awards 5 points per dollar. We recommend it to you. Real healthy breakfasts. A 15 minute walk.

The ones offered at the hotel were too expensive. Almost $25!

And for dinner, we went to:

• JJ’s Restaurant, next door to the hotel – they even let you charge the meal to your room (which earns more points, especially when you then pay your bill with the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express^® Card to get 5 points per dollar!)

Excellent food at affordable prices. The local oysters are huge and very good. So are the wines. Knysna is known for its oysters.

The Protea Hotel Knysna Quays was kind enough to welcome us with the mention of our Silver and Gold status at the reception. A chocolate bar and a welcome note were also waiting for us in the room.

The rooms are small compared to the other hotels we visited. I was lucky enough to get one with a view of the pool and the lagoon. But the rest of the family had to settle for a view of the parking lot.

The rooms are equipped with a kitchenette with microwave and small fridge.

While I had a regular sized shower and bath, my family members ended up with much larger showers but… no bath. So, make sure to mention your needs.

The entrance hall and the floors are very bright and give full view on the lagoon and its marina. Loveseats and armchairs invite you to relax and enjoy small family gatherings.

The hotel offers a SPA service where for about $50 you will receive a one hour massage. A few members of our family took advantage of this.

The free WIFI is high speed and we did not suffer from the power cuts common in South Africa. Parking costs $3 per day.

The swimming pool behind the hotel is heated and lined with deckchairs and tables with umbrellas. My family members played hot games of Skip-Bo while sipping cocktails.

The Protea Hotel Knysna Quays was very comfortable and inexpensive, starting at only 10,000 points per night!

Knysna is a very popular city for South Africans. Two guides recommended it to us, for its liveliness, the view of the lagoons from the hill and its boat trips in the Knysna’s Heads. We actually enjoyed these two days of rest before continuing eastwards for our safaris.