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Welcome to the Garden Route's oldest and best-loved Hotels! With a grand tradition as honeymoon spot, family hotel and a tourist and business destination, it's steeped in tradition and it's got a warm, old-style charm. But it's also a modern hotel with all the facilities you need - The 150-bedroom property boasts a beauty spa, two swimming pools, a bowling green, two tennis courts, a squash court, putt-putt and six banqueting halls and conference rooms. We are situated almost in the centre of the Garden Route - 45 minutes' drive to both Mossel Bay and Knysna, less than an hour to Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo. Not to mention 300 meters from golden beaches, surrounded by indigenous forests and striking lagoons. It's a Mecca for sport and adventures and Wilderness is part of the unfenced Garden Route National Park - with some of the world's most popular walks and trails. All of this makes The Wilderness Hotel perfect for niche markets like birders, mountain bikers, golfers and for tour companies too, of course.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Classic
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
Afrikaans
Location
6 George Road, Wilderness 6560 South Africa
The Wilderness Hotel
3.9 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Wilderness Hotel, nestled close to the beach and shops, is often commended for its prime location, making it a popular choice among guests. While the rooms are recognized for being tidy, some visitors suggest they could benefit from a deep clean and modernization, with noise levels being a concern for a few.
The staff receives accolades for their warm demeanor, although service can sometimes be hit or miss. Feedback on the hotel's value and amenities is mixed; guests enjoy the breakfast but note missing features and unexpected fees.
Location
Convenient
Rooms
Unkempt
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Underwhelming
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I liked the decor in the halls (photos) the bed was comfortable, the breakfast was great. This hotel is well situated near the sea. Everything worked and I loved the coffee/tea available with kettle in the room. Even the mini refrigerator is appreciated. The bedding was clean. The room's safe was nice and big. Everything on offer was good - like even some special om massages (although I did not actually use it all. There is parking available for travelers like myself. There is a great menu offered in the dining room but there are also some nice places around if you want to spend a bit less or just an alternative dining experience. If you don't mind the drive (in some cases less than 20 km) there are nice hiking trails and there is a big mall in George (Garden Route Mall) which is not too far.
The door to the room has such a big gap at the bottom that it was quite noisy whenever people talked loud in the passages. If the person in the room next door moved something in his / her closet it created quite a bit of noise. Even though the front desk staff was very friendly I cannot say the same of the staff who worked in the dining area. They were not specifically rude but they were not all very friendly either. As a guest this made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Some staff members were friendly, but I would say 2 out of 3 were friendly. The water pressure in the shower was rather low and the lighting in te room was not optimal. I understand that saving electricity might be the point, but when it is difficult to actually see into the closet where you are supposed to hang things or access the safe lighting is important. The head board of the bed was full of damage resembling scratches or looking like some exterior damage or exterior layers of materials peeling off and sadly such small details make a hotel room look average to below average no matter what the decor. The space between the shower and the wash basin was very dusty. I accidentally dropped a cloth in there and when I reached in there it was filthy with dust.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our family stay in this hotel would have been spectacular if it wasn't for the rotten attitude of the hotel manager named Galen. We appreciated everything about this establishment until we had to encounter her. After she sent her staff to go knocking around guets rooms after 22:30 to find out if any of us had ordered a certain meal that some guest did not pay for, so that they could cash up and go home. We were fast asleep when they knocked as we planned to sleep early for our early morning flight with a 6:00am departure. They knocked to wake us up to ask us something we had no clue about just to apologize after and leave, and none of us would sleep after until 01:00am. When confronted her to ask her why she sent people to wake us and to express our frustration she did not show any remorse or accountability for her decision and simply told us there is nothing she could have done, she needed to know. When asked for camomile tea she laughed in our faces and said they don't have any and there's nothing they can do to help us after having woken us up, and walked away leaving us standing there. We paid money to ensure peaceful and comfortable night sleep only to be woken up for something that had nothing to do with us and got a stinking attitude in return. Totally unacceptable! Moreover she had prior promised to make us breakfast packs and have them sent to our room for the next morning for our early departure and we never saw those. Very poor and disappointing management.
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Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Steer clear of needing anything from the hotel manager and make sure to hang your DND sign.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We spent a single night in Wilderness, which is a fantastic destination to visit. While the Wilderness Hotel boasts a great location and an impressive exterior, the rooms themselves have seen better days—they felt quite tired and in need of some updates. Noise was also an issue, as the doors open directly onto the hallway, making for a less peaceful stay.
That said, the staff were incredibly friendly, and the buffet breakfast was excellent, offering a wide variety of options to start the day. While the hotel wasn’t the highlight of our trip, we truly appreciated the hospitality and the prime location. With a bit of refurbishment, it could be a much more enjoyable stay.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were so looking forward to spending our 5 night booking with our children & newly born grandson @ what seemed to be a beautiful 4* hotel.🙈🙈😂 The hotel is grubby ,hallways not swept properly,gardens littered with cigarette butts & papers. Our room floor not swept twice in the first of our three days spent here. There is no in house safe or bar refrigerator as advertised and then one is even more concerned when reading the security notice on bedroom door.We eventually got a fridge which was delivered later in afternoon only because I complained because my wife being a diabetic need her medication cooled.My son and their new born baby are still waiting for a refrigerator required for babies milk & other needs.Again no in-house safe ,no patio.as advertised. Their room is supposed to be a Delux King,but were given twin beds and a room two flights up which could “” not be be exchanged”” for a ground floor considering baby pram etc.We are unfortunately still booked in due to no other available accommodation in nearby area. This is understandably an old establishment but then keep it clean & maintain the property,don’t mislead clients.The staff generally are not courteous or helpful., The breakfast is also greasy & not very appealing. Lastly the Gym is something to be desired & can hardly be called one with almost no equipment & on top of that at a fee of R45 per session .I’ve never stayed at a hotel and expected to pay for this type of amenity .Misleading advertising. One cannot be expected to pay premium prices for a hotel that does not offer what it claims to have. PLEASE consider the above when booking.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely horrible experience that will be memories for a lifetime. Our family stay in this hotel would have been spectacular if it wasn't for the rotten attitude of the hotel manager named Galen. We appreciated everything about this establishment until we had to encounter her. After she sent her staff to go knocking around guets rooms after 22:30 to find out if any of us had ordered a certain meal that some guest did not pay for, so that they could cash up and go home. We were fast asleep when they knocked as we planned to sleep early for our early morning flight with a 6:00am departure. They knocked to wake us up to ask us something we had no clue about just to apologize after and leave, and none of us would sleep after until 01:00am. When confronted her to ask her why she sent people to wake us and to express our frustration she did not show any remorse or accountability for her decision and simply told us there is nothing she could have done, she needed to know. When asked for camomile tea she laughed in our faces and said they don't have any and there's nothing they can do to help us after having woken us up, and walked away leaving us standing there. We paid money to ensure peaceful and comfortable night sleep only to be woken up for something that had nothing to do with us and got a stinking attitude in return. Totally unacceptable! Moreover she had prior promised to make us breakfast packs and have them sent to our room for the next morning for our early departure and we never saw those. Very poor and disappointing management.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Wilderness hotel is well positioned with an awesome view of the lagoon, short walk to the beach, with all the amenities that are just perfect for a resort and family holiday. I just wish the owners would put some well deserved investment into this beautiful property. Firstly, it really needs some serious maintenance and TLC. Secondly, staff and management need proper hotel management and hospitality training. Most staff members were pleasant but some were very rude and it appeared that only regulars get to be respected and treated well. We stayed for 5 nights over the new year period. When we checked in at reception we were not provided with all information about the resort or what was available. I had to ask about New Year’s Eve dinner. Seems like only the regulars new about the offerings. We were misinformed of things on numerous occasions as not all staff are trained adequately. There is no consistency e.g. the note in the room said room service is closed New Year’s Eve and normal operating hours will resume New Year’s Day, however this was not the case. I also confirmed that room service would be available on New Year’s Day with Prudence at reception before actually retiring for the night and still the restaurant said they were closed for room service. I even spoke to Jaylene ( restaurant manager) who was still arguing with me that it was stated in the ‘letter provided in the room’ . Staff were also not able to answer queries regarding, for example braai facilities. I was told to ask reception again. Nevertheless all this information should be provided on check in or more detail provided in the room at least and not just stating braai facilities are available. Give more information- cost and what’s included for example. Your rooms are also not maintained adequately. The bath leaks and because the water seeps under the laminate flooring;every time you step on the floor, a puddle of water would form and stay till the next day when it is tidied again. We permanently used towels on the floor to keep it dry. Everything in the resort just needs to be repaired/maintained and CLEANED. The building and facilities are just generally dilapidated. It is like the bare minimum is done and only regulars are treated with respect. When I went to the pool bar, the manager at the pool bar addressed me like this - ‘Yes!’… Not ‘hello’ or ‘how May I help?’ …But spoke so pleasantly to his buddies next to us - the regulars. On the plus side, the food was delicious. Breakfast and every meal we ordered as well as the potjie evening was really good. Chef William’s calamari potjie was the highlight of my stay! We would love to return to this icon of a hotel resort but not as it is now. Let us know when it’s been revamped,cleaned, maintained and ALL staff AND management, especially, have been trained adequately, we will be sure to return to your beautiful spot.
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:If you don’t mind rundown building/facilities and sub standard treatment from staff and...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Much larger Hotel than what you would expect, would have been nice if they offered to carry my luggage to my room, as it was far from reception and up several stairs. Al in all not to bad, for a last minute booking. Reception lady were very nice, but excluded to mention that they had a bar, and the room service menu did not provide much options, the only alternative was to eat the buffet in the hotels restuarant at over R300pp.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed there twice recently as stopovers. First time receptionist noticed my husband had leg injury and immediately changed our room to one closer to reception and pointed out the lift to the restaurant and bar area. We had a family room that had a renovated bathroom with a shower over the bath but still needed some painting of bedroom cupboards but it was fine for a one night stop. This room had a lovely view of the lake and a table & chairs on a balcony type of thing. Breakfast was included and we enjoyed a hot and cold buffet with a good selection. On our return trip we stayed in a classic room towards the back of the hotel as we had asked for a room with a walk-in shower and this room was more modern and refurbished but had no view. The sitting area outside this room needs to be tidied up and appears to be used as a storage area. Beds were comfortable and towels & linen were spotless. It would appear that renovations are being done on an ongoing basis and it must be difficult after the effects of Covid. This hotel has a lot of facilites that we didn't use and it would be great for families. All the staff were friendly and helpful, we would not hesitate to book there again. Good value for money. Lots of restaurants within walking distance.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hotel has a great location, walking distance of the beach and shops. No parking within the hotel, but there is on street parking. the Hotel has been upgraded since the last time we have been there, but the wooden windows and doors seem very aged and contribute to a huge amount of dust and dirt in the room. The rooms are clean but the furniture might need a deep clean. Other than that above, it is not dirty or unpleasant to stay at. The staff try to assist wherever they can, Prudence at the front desk sorted out room issues on check in. the pool is outdoor, and seems to be well maintain. The put put, fusball table and table tennis kit needs some upgrading. Ample options for breakfast, staff on hand to assist. Our dietary requirements were adequately catered for. If you are aged or frail make sure you get a ground floor room or something close to reception as the hotel is fairly large and widely spready. Having said that, the breakfast area is on the first floor.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:One outdoor pool and then a separate pool at the spa
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
this was our 2nd visit to this hotel.We only stayed 1 night as a stopover en route to the Eatern Cape. The hotel is in a fab location just minutes walk away from numerous restaurants, shops and the beach.We booked on the hotels site on the backpackers special rate which was amazing value-room only but the room still had wifi, a fridge and kettle (bring your own coffee) and a balcony. Buffet breakfast is good value too. All in all a great stay and would be happy to stay again
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Western Cape, South Africa8 contributions1 helpful vote
Good day - thank you for your enquiry. The Spa and Fitness centre is rented out to a private company which is in the process of renovating the fitness centre. I believe in about 2 months time it will consist of at least 8 'circuit machines', bicycle, treadmill and loose weights - I hope this helps.
There are more places to choose from in the Wilderness area.
PRICE RANGE
R 1,125 - R 1,542 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
wilderness hotel wilderness, protea resort, protea hotel wilderness, protea wilderness hotel
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeWilderness
NUMBER OF ROOMS
155
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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