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4.5
#12 of 30 hotels in Knysna
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Finding an ideal luxury hotel in Knysna does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa, a nice option for travellers like you.
The rooms offer a flat screen TV, air conditioning, and a refrigerator, and getting online is possible, as free wifi is available, allowing you to rest and refresh with ease.
Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa features room service and a concierge. In addition, as a valued Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa guest, you can enjoy a pool and breakfast that are available on-site. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking.
Close to some of Knysna's most popular landmarks, such as St George's Anglican Church (2.2 mi) and Holy Trinity Church (2.4 mi), Simola Hotel is a great destination for tourists.
If you’re looking for a Mediterranean restaurant, consider a visit to 34 South, Cafe Mario, or Le MAQUIS, which are all conveniently located a short distance from Simola Hotel.
Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa puts the best of Knysna at your fingertips, making your stay both relaxing and enjoyable.
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.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Nestled on a scenic hilltop, Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa boasts a tranquil and romantic setting that guests find enchanting, complemented by friendly service. The spacious suites with breathtaking views are popular, though some guests have raised concerns about upkeep and cleanliness.
Praise is consistent for the hotel's luxurious amenities, such as the spa and golf course, but visitors should be mindful of additional charges that might affect the overall value. While service is generally lauded for its professionalism, there are occasional remarks about efficiency.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Tranquil
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Outstanding
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The hotel and guest suites need to be updated. The cleaning staff require additional training how to clean and so do the service staff need to be retrained. Other than that the experience was amazing from the top people the manager, reservations and all the staff are friendly and very helpful Jamie the pro at the pro shop and Allister were fantastic.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
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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.
Response from SimolaGM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 16 Feb 2020
Thank you for the valuable feedback and yes we are in the throws of engaging with certain upgrades and training is an ongoing exercise. Thank you for choosing to stay with us and we hope to see you return in the near future. Kind Regards
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My husband and I stayed two nights in one of the suites which was a great experience in spite of the rain. The apartment is very spacious and has a separate kitchen and dining room area which is nice. The bathroom is first class and invites you to take a nice bath on a cold day. Outside there are 3 plunge pools / jacuzzies - 2 with hot and one with cold water and the one in the front is sitting on a fantastic pool deck where you can also sit on lounge chairs and enjoy the view of the sea. There is direct access to the beach. The only downside is the location. In case you want to go to a restaurant or shopping you will not find anything close but will have to take the car to go to town.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2021
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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.
Response from Roxy Marais, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 18 May 2021
Dear rkuhn278264, Our warmest greetings from Simola Hotel, Country Club and Spa. Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review of our Hotel. It was our absolute pleasure having you as our guests, and we are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you back home to Simola very soon. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais and The Simola Team
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staff were exceptional. i forgot toothpaste and reception indicated there was none in the hotel. A bartender called a driver and gave him money to buy me a toothpaste when he went into town. Im sorry I forgot his name. These young men do a wonderful job to make all your guests feel comfortable and welcome.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
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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.
Response from Simola GM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 01 Mar 2020
Very happy to hear they assisted but troubled by the fact that we do actually keep emergency dental supplies at the front desk which could have easily remedied the issue, even though they went the very long way round to assist you. Kind Regards
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We stayed at Simola for a week while travelling and visiting the Garden Route and the service and quality of the amenities was 5/5.
From the time of making the booking with Tracey and arriving at the reception to checkin was met with friendly smiles.
The halaah breakfast options was great, plus the club house for lunch and dinner also provided halaal meals being prepared separately.
We stayed in the suite as we were a family of 4. The suite was cleaned daily and fresh towels and other bathroom items replaced daily.
The views from the balcony was breathtaking. The indoor and outdoor pool, gym and spa treatment was 5/5.
Overall a very nice experience for the whole family. Thank you to the Manager Roxanne and Team at Simola. See you again soon.
Ameen Stemmet and Family :-)
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip 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.
Response from Roxanne Marais, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 07 Jul 2022
Dear AmeenStemmet, Our warmest greetings from Simola Hotel, Country Club and Spa. Thank you for taking the time to send us such an amazing review on your stay with us. We are delighted to read that enjoyed your stay with us, and it was our absolute pleasure meeting you and your family. On behalf of our Simola Family, it was our absolute pleasure having you as our valued guest. We hope that you thoroughly enjoyed your 30th Wedding Anniversary Celebration! We sincerely look forward to welcoming you Home to Simola very soon. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais and The Simola Team
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Our four-night stay at Simola was wonderful. To start with the views are magnificent and having breakfast with those views a treat. Added to this, the wonderful mountain biking trails start right next door and kayaking on the river was beautiful. However, note that we brought our own kayak because the river club facilities (which usually has kayaks) was closed. The two bedroom unit suited our family and it had the added convenience of cooking facilities as well. A minor criticism is that the TVs are dated, with low resolution. However, with excellent wifi this was not a major issue. Note that for our stay the value was outstanding because we took advantage of a special offer, however the price would be higher in peak season, hence my 4-star rating. All in all, it was a very memorable stay.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2020
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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.
Response from Simola GM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 17 Dec 2020
Dear jrusco424369, Thank you for your wonderful review of Simola Hotel, Country Club and Spa. We are thrilled to read your wonderful feedback on our your stay. We delighted that you enjoyed the views from your suite and our breakfast offering. Our River Club is truly our little piece of paradise on the lagoon at Simola, and we are so glad that you utilised this beautiful spot. Our Kayaks are available for use during the Summer months. We look forward to welcoming you home to Simola Hotel when there are less restrictions in place - hopefully very soon. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais
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Simola Hotel & Country Club is a great location for golf in the Knysna area. The hotel suites are spacious, well-equipped and comfortable with fantastic views over The Heads. The restaurant offers good value meals, with excellent service, and the golf course is a good challenge for golfers of all abilities.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: February 2020
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.
Response from SimolaGM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 16 Feb 2020
Thank you Andrew for the "straight to the point" overview on your experience, which is gratefully appreciated and a critical component to our feedback that we give to the entire team and we are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the very challenging golf experience ..... Kind Regards
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I stayed at Simola Hotel with my husband and three young kids for a few days, just short of a week. We thoroughly enjoyed it! We had a beautiful, comfortable and big apartment with all the perks of a 5-star hotel. We normally stay in family hotel suites, I wouldnt bother trying that again as our kids get tired of having only a room to roam around and not much more. And let's face it, staying in a serviced apartment outside of a hotel isnt much fun! Here our kids were relaxed, loved having a big kitchen and lounge area, as well as their own 'seperate quarters', a large veranda with an easy to operate undercover gas braai/grill (making braaiing marshmallows effortless), stunning views and room service!!! Service is fast, the staff very helpful and instantly attends to any need. They do not waste any time.. Breakfast was great since we are halaal and the hotel makes every effort to accommodate. The selection is perfect. Once again, the glorious views right over Knysna to the Knysna heads were magical every morning. I would rate the hotel 5 stars based on our stay, but comparatively to international standards, i would say that the hotel should be rated a 4-star hotel as its by now much older than your typical 5 star hotels. We will most certainly return here! It was a perfect stay!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
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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.
Response from SimolaGM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 21 Jan 2020
Dear Kauthar_Allie Thank you for the comprehensive feedback and commentary on your stay with us at Simola, all of which are most appreciated and will be shared with the team and department heads. We are very happy to hear that your Halaal needs were met and exceeded as this sometimes does come with challenges. We are in the planning stages of implementing certain upgrade protocols but as with all hotel's timing is of the essence and we will keep the market and our clients informed of the progress once we begin in the near future. Kindest Regards
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My wife and I visited Simola mid week at the end of April on the 2 night package that includes a round of golf (incl halfway house) and stayed in a Luxury Villa. As you arrive the views are amazing and the reception staff makes you feel very welcome. When walking into our Villa, again the views over Knysna lagoon takes your breath away. The only downside I had was that the overhead fan cover over the outside gas braai was so dirty that once I turned on the heat, the old fat started dripping from the cover, and I had to clean it before I could braai. There was also no gas bottle connected to the gasbraai, but that was sorted out immediately after I phoned reception. But other than that I have nothing negative to say about our experience. The rooms are beautiful and nice beds. The breakfast is great with a wide variety. The golf course is still one of my favorite courses in South Africa, and in great condition. One suggestion would be to have Nespresso machines in the rooms, as I don't think instant coffee sachets fits with the rest of the wonderful and luxurious experience. Thank you Simola for a lovely 2 days, and hopefully we will see you again soon.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2021
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Rooms
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Cleanliness
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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.
Response from Roxy Marais, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 14 May 2021
Dear moosthuizen, Our warmest greetings from Simola Hotel, Country Club and Spa. Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review of our Hotel. It was our absolute pleasure having you as our guests, and we are delighted that you enjoyed your stay with us. Our apologies for your experience with your braai and gas, however very happy that it could be resolved so quickly. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you back home to Simola very soon. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais and The Simola Team
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I am greatly disappointed and utterly disgusted at the terrible service I received from one of your male employees at the Pro Shop at 16:30 on Saturday 3 October 2020.
My friend and I went to the Pro Shop during that time to check whether we could embark on some exploration via golfcart, seeing as there is no driving range facilities in sight. As I enquired, the male employee at your Pro Shop responded by saying that the practise facility is "only for when you are playing the course". I then asked whether it would be possible to give us a golfcart to quickly drive down to simply view the course. He then went on to explain in an abrupt arrogant attitude that he cannot give us a cart because he "needs to charge all the carts for tomorrow's golf day", which I fully understand (even with his lack of customer service).
The cherry on the cake had been when he went on to say in a sarcastic attitude: "If you want to go down you can walk". This abnoxious comment being said sarcastically with failure to consider how steep the slopes when "walking" down to the bottom.
After receiving such disgusting service, we then decided to rather putt close to the pro shop for 45min.
The ironic part had been that as we finished up at 17:25 we saw numerous individuals with golfcarts standing and driving around on the golf course, along with a parkinglot between 10 to 15 golfcarts standing around - ALL CLEARLY UNCHARGED.
This is my third time at Simola as a guest and golf player, but my first time receiving such rude and disgusting customer service from a Simola Pro Shop employee. There was absolutely no conscious consideration from the male employee at the Pro Shop, even after the female employee had indicated to me yesterday (2 October 2020 after 4pm) that I could get one cart to go view the golf course today.
As a five star hotel, this is something I hope you do not take lightly and should be far from proud of.
Please do indicate what the way forward is from here.
From all the negative reviews the Simola Pro Shop has received online regarding the Pro Shop employees disgusting unprofessional customer service, there is clearly a pattern that needs attending to.
Looking forward to hearing your professional response.
Kind Regards,
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip 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.
Response from Simola GM, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 11 Nov 2020
Dear Andre9172, Our warmest greetings from Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa. Thank you for your review of our Pro Shop. Your feedback has not been taken lightly, and we assure you that we have taken great measures to ensure that our Guests feel welcomed at all times throughout our facilities. Please accept our sincerest apologies for this unfortunate experience you had with us on this visit, and we hope that we have the pleasure of redeeming ourselves during your next stay with us. Please do not hesitate to send me a private email at gm@simola.co.za so that I may arrange to meet with during your next visit to our Hotel. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you Home to Simola in the very near future. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais
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We were given a room up the stairs and the space was brilliant and the view over the golf course towards Knysna & The Heads absolutely stunning. We were welcomed in the most friendly and efficient way and given all the necessary information about our stay. We also enjoyed a meal in the Clubhouse which was good value and the service could not be faulted. Overall we found the satff extremely friendly and helpful.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2022
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.
Response from Roxanne Marais, General Manager at Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa
Responded 05 Dec 2022
Dear ThaboCapeStFrancis, Our warmest greetings from Simola Hotel, Country Club and Spa. Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful review of your stay. We are delighted to read that you enjoyed your holiday with us. Our Guest experience is of utmost importance, and we are thrilled to read that we exceeded your expectations. On behalf of our Simola Family, it was our absolute pleasure having you as our valued guest. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you Home to Simola very soon. Kindest regards, Roxanne Marais and The Simola Team
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Good afternoon Mr Myers
Thank you for your message.
We will ensure that there is an Iron and Ironing board place in your room for your convenience.
Our Restaurant is open daily. The Kitchen closes at 22h00
I will ensure that a dinner reservation is made.
Safe travels
Regards
Linda
Good morning Mrs Myers
Thank you or your message. We indeed to have a reservation for you. It is in the B - block, upstairs with a lagoon facing view.
We look forward in welcoming you back at Simola.
Kind regards
Linda
Good afternoon Sir,
A Luxury suit consists of 2 bedrooms, with on-suit bathroom, lounge and kitchen. It can comfortably sleep 4 pax.
Knysna has a lot to offer, A Beautiful Spa & Gym, Heated swimming pool for in house guests. Golf, sailing, a trip on the Knysna odyssey out to sea. Monkey land, Elephant sanctuary etc.
Please could you contact our reservation office, reservations, Tracey will gladly forward you more information on the are.
We most certainly can cater for your Vegetarian needs.
We look forward in welcoming you to Simola Hotel & Golf Estate.
Regards
There are more places to choose from in the Knysna area.
PRICE RANGE
R 3,298 - R 3,472 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
simola hotel and spa, simola hotel knysna
LOCATION
South AfricaWestern CapeKnysna
NUMBER OF ROOMS
40
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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