Balance modern comfort and and experience soaking in the rich history of Cape Town with a stay at Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge. Our hotel in Cape Town, South Africa sits right next to the city's fantastic V&A Waterfront, a minute from restaurants, shops and theatres. We're perfectly poised to give you a feel for the heart of the Waterfront area, just 25 km from Cape Town International Airport. Enjoy easy access to beaches, mountains and city hotspots from our accommodations, as well as convenience getting to Cape Town International Convention Center and Cape Town Stadium.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TGCSA - Tourism Grading Council of South Africa.
Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge
1,398 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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.
It is in a good location because less than ten minutes walk takes you to the Waterfront. The standard rooms are a little small, especially the bathroom with a tiny sink. The breakfast buffet is varied and plentiful but they absolutely don't know how to handle celiac customers: they don't have gluten free options other than bread but be careful because when I asked them they grilled it before my eyes on the normal bread grill! If you need advice on excursions, ask the concierge who was essential for us in organizing the visit to Table Mountain.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 hotel wins for its location, with an exit at the back that goes straight to the Waterfront aquarium and allows you to explore this region that is so enjoyable on foot! It is attached to a university, which makes access a bit confusing at times (for example, to get to the breakfast spot). Our room was very spacious, with an "anteroom" space, the bed and the bathroom, as well as some closets at the entrance. The view was straight to Table Mountain, which was also incredible. The breakfast buffet was good, it had a wide variety of hot dishes, fruits, breads, etc. If you are going to sit at the tables outside, someone must always be there so the birds don't get your food.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 December 21-27 and the service is 5 star; staff courteous and extremely helpful. I didn’t give 5 stars because the room layouts are not the best. It used to be a prison transformed to a high end hotel which is great and interesting but the bathroom walls are frosted glass so if one person is in the bathroom the light shines through to the bed area. There are only 1 place with an outlets to charge the phone at the desk/coffee tray. Our room was not ready at checkin time and they graciously upgraded us to a suite an hour later. However the suite had the glass bathroom walls that shines light into the sleeping area. Also the glass creates shadows of the person using the bathroom. There are no washcloths which is typical of many overseas hotels so we carry our own. The shower head is so high up and is difficult to adjust; the laundry wire is too high to reach for someone 5’6” or shorter. The sofa in the suite is very low and hard for elderly people to sit and stand from. Again, the staff is outstanding; the restaurant is excellent offering a wide menu and the breakfast buffet 5 star!
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 hotel is perfectly located, opposite the hop-on hop-off city bus stop and 5 minutes walk from the V&A waterfront with all its shops & restaurants. We had read about the lack of power sockets in the rooms so went prepared with a portable charger. We had also heard about the load shedding power cuts, these were mostly at night but other hotels have their own generators, this hotel does not. What we did not know is that the hotel shares its buildings with a college. As a result the breakfast service was chaotic with the dining room swarming with students and the staff unable to keep up. It was a little quieter at the weekend. We had a larger room but still with just a standard double bed and a chaise lounge which dominated the room. We also had a balcony but it was empty, absolutely no furniture provided. Having said all this, the room was clean, if a little dated and as mentioned above the location could not be better.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
I can’t believe this property meets the minimum standards for a Marriott. I used points to book a two bedroom accommodation. These were the tiniest rooms that I’ve seen since staying in an 8-hour transit hotel in Japan in the 90s. I. Mean. Small. You can’t put your bag at the foot of the bed and walk past.
The bathroom had a tweaked door that opened to the inside of an itty bitty bathroom. My in-laws wouldn’t be able to get into the bathroom because they wouldn’t be able to squeeze to the side and get to the toilet. I can’t imagine how half the cleaning staff could get in. Unbelievably, maintenance could have easily fixed the door. I popped the plastic seal strip off one side of the door, pulled the door to the outside where it should be, and put the moulding back on. Unfortunately, as soon as someone pushes the door inside again, it’s stuck.
Don’t even get me started on the service in the restaurant at breakfast. For one, there aren’t sufficient staff to clean and set tables. Also, the staff aren’t in any hurry to do their jobs. I went in at breakfast opening and there still weren’t tables set. Additionally, when I requested coffee from the barista, I was testily told that the wait staff would need to request my coffee. That’s great, but I never had a waiter during two of the four mornings I was there.
I hate to mention this, but there seemed to be a lot of anger and attitude from about half of the restaurant staff. Very, very poor attitudes. For example, when I walked in 1/2 hour before breakfast closed, there weren’t any tables cleared. The hostess started pushing two four-person tables together for the four of us. I kindly mentioned that we would be fine at one table, and she directed me to stand outside until she called for me. She said this quite rudely.
Do yourself a favor and stay someplace else.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Don’t stay here
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.
Being in the travel industry I have had the opportunity to stay at many Marriott properties worldwide and I must commend this superb 3 star Breakwater Lodge on being one of the friendliest , most welcoming hotels that I have been fortunate enough to stay at over the years. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff at this wonderful hotel and its location in the heart of the V&A Waterfront is unbeatable value for money. I highly recommend for those who want the best location without having to pay the high 5 star premiums - this property is a staircase away from the Cape Town City Sightseeing Bus - so could not be more central in the vibrant Cape Town Waterfront. The rooms are neat and clean and simply all that you need as you head out to see all the amazing sights Cape Town has to offer.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:We were on second floor - quieter location to ground floor reception level
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 is very well situated next to the V&A Waterfront so very good for tourists and people with business in the CBD.
The rooms are very comfortable and well looked after. The staff are very friendly. There is easy access to Greenpoint and to the V&A on foot or by taxi.
I saw criticism of the wifi in other reviews -- l had no complaints.
The breakfasts are large and quality OK. I really rely on a good coffee in the morning and this was my small disappointment. But there are great coffee shops 5 minutes walk away so for the last 4 days of my trip I did that.
Regarding price and value for money, the costs vary according to when you book. I was fortunate on a conference rate which was excellent but I know the price went up significantly for people who stayed on afterwards
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Date of stay: November 2022
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
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.
Stayed for a few nights for Cape Town visit. The location is excellent central to V&A area so short walks to waterfront, bars, restaurants, markets, tourist attractions, HOHO bus etc. The hotel is fairly typical modern corporate style - all as expected with room having all expected facilities, nice size & clean & comfortable ….. I’m not a fan of frosted glass bathroom walls but I suppose it’s current trend ! Buffet breakfast is nice with good spread of choices, but wasn’t too impressed with dinner buffet the one night we tried it ….. but TBH there are so many great dinner options within a short walk so I’d give it a miss ! Overall we enjoyed our stay and loved the location - we’d happily stay there again.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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 had a very nice stay at the Protea. Location was perfect for walking to dinner, going for a walk or run along the water, and walking or taking an uber to cape town’s many attractions. Our room was comfortable and clean, Best of all was a very well priced and excellent massage at Relax Spa in the hotel. Don’t skip a massage if you can fit it in. Yvonne was great. Best to tip in cash, if possible.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get a massage
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 stay here was wonderful. The staff were polite and helpful. The rooms were clean and comfortable without being extravagant. The shower and toilet were always kept clean.
The hotel's location literally down the road from the waterfront made it really accessible. The presence of a large Muslim prayer room (salaah khana) on the first floor equipped with ablution facilities was a bonus and a welcome surprise.
The Wi-Fi did require us to sign into it a few times and the bar fridge inside the cupboard did cause the drawer above to heat up a little, but those were minor inconveniences.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:The main building contains the spa, gym and Muslim prayer room.
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.
There are more places to choose from in the Cape Town Central area.
PRICE RANGE
R 2,446 - R 5,204 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
protea hotel breakwater cape town central, breakwater hotel cape town, the breakwater hotel
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeCape TownCape Town Central
NUMBER OF ROOMS
188
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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