A few months ago, I told you about terrific Marriott award stays at Protea hotels in South Africa.
But now that Starwood and Marriott have announced their annual category changes, it’s time for an update. Some of the deals will be even better!
These include luxury 5-star hotels, a location on a game reserve, and a waterfront hotel in Cape Town!
There are 20 Protea hotels in South Africa that are changing categories, including 9 we wrote about. I’ll show you which of them are going to cost more and which are getting cheaper.
Stretch Your Marriott Points at Protea Hotels in South Africa
Link: Marriott Merger Loopholes: Penguins, Safaris, & More in South Africa!
Link: Marriott and Starwood Announce 2017 Hotel Category Changes
1. These Protea Hotels Will Cost MORE Marriott Points!
Three of the Protea hotels in South Africa mentioned in our previous post are going up in category.
African Pride 15 On Orange Hotel is a luxurious, Marriott category 4 hotel. It’s located in Gardens, which is the prime area of Cape Town, and costs 20,000 Marriott points per night.But starting March 7, 2017, it’s jumping to a category 5, which costs 25,000 Marriott points per night.
Here are all South African Protea hotels that will move up in category after March 7, 2017.
If you’re interested in booking these hotels, do it before March 7, 2017. You can always cancel your reservation for free if your travel plans change (but check the individual hotel for their cancellation policy).
2. Protea Hotels We’re Happy to See Get Cheaper!
Fortunately, more Protea hotels are going down in category than the ones that are going up. If you’re interested in these locations, wait until after March 7, 2017, to book them!
African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel is a 5-star, category 4 hotel in Melrose, one of the most desirable areas of Johannesburg. It’s moving to category 3, or from 20,000 Marriott points to 15,000 Marriott points per night. Protea Hotel Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge is a category 3 V&A Waterfront hotel, housed in a historic 19th century building. It will drop to category 2, or from 15,000 Marriott points to 10,000 Marriott points per night.
These hotels are moving down from category 2 to category 1, or from 10,000 Marriott points to 7,500 Marriott points per night:
- Protea Hotel Cape Town Mowbray, located in a historic manor in the Southern Suburbs, dates back to the 19th century and is close to Tale Mountain, Clifton Beaches, V&A Waterfront, and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
- Protea Hotel Hluhluwe & Safaris is set in Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve on the Elephant Coast, the oldest Game Reserve of South Africa.
- Protea Hotel Durban Edward is a beachfront hotel in the Durban golden triangle with sea views from most rooms.
Here are all the South African Protea hotels that will move down in category after March 7, 2017.
Bottom Line
On March 7, 2017, some Marriott and Starwood hotel categories will change. So the price of an award night at certain hotels will go up, while others will go down.
Changes for Protea hotels in South Africa, including locations we highlighted in our previous post, are mostly positive, with ~75% of the hotels moving down in category.
Folks who have already booked a hotel that’s going down in price can cancel it and re-book after March 7, 2017, at the lower price.
But if you’re considering a hotel that will have a higher category, you might want to hurry and book! You can always cancel the reservation if your plans change (but check with the hotel for their cancellation policy).