Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge

The hotel met our need for placement in order for us to run the Cape Town Marathon. 5 min walk to start. / EXPO We found out that it was previously a prison, which made the experience fun. The room was nice, but with double dyne where we would have had one each. There were clean soft towels and delicious morning jacket. The room was clean and nice, and the cleaning was quite as it should be. There was electric kettle in the room, and bottled water even though you can drink the water. However, it tastes a little chlorine. We had trouble getting hot water for bathing, which we contacted the reception many times, without a solution to the problem. This draws a lot down on our experience, as a nice bath is of great importance to us. Breakfast was standard, it was nothing special but with very friendly and service-minded staff. They made sure to open for breakfast so we could eat before the race. This is not something we have seen elsewhere in the countries we have visited. The only minus was that sometimes it can be difficult to get a table. All in all a hotel we can recommend if you are not for much luxury but simply want a clean hotel with good catering.

The hotel is in three buildings in a business university and is not near in the waterfront. This building is in a converted old citadel prison. Part of the complex is Hotel and part is university which doesn’t lend itself to a nice hotel vibe. Also, my complaint is I was in building two and there was no hot water. I called twice and the solution was to let the water run for 20 to 25 minutes. I still did not have hot water. Supposedly hotels are eco-friendly and don’t want to wash your towels yet it’s OK to let water run for 25 minutes. Next time I would look for something on the waterfront

Had most contact time with Nolubabalo and Jerram. Nolubabalo is pleasant, well mannered, cheerful, patient, helpful, respectful, and provided useful local intelligence on what matters most for tourists. Jerram is highly conversant in various subjects including ethnic composition in SA, life experiences, tourist sites, overseas travels. He came across as well experienced and intelligent man. Jerram seems to be over qualified for his current role in the hotel and should be considered for bigger roles in hotel, if that is what he wants. I am impressed by how knowledgeable and well spoken he is. Jerram is a pride to South Africa. Security officers Bulelwa and Matanzima outserved by engaging me and showing me how to keep safe in CT. Enjoyed hearing about their work and lives. Others whom contributed positively to my stay include Euwan and Themba. Comfortable room, short walk from V&A waterfront with safe passage through hotel and university grounds. Visible presence of private security guards.