Protea Hotel Hunters Rest: a perfect getaway

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Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to go to the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest in Rustenburg. We were tired and needed to get out of the city a bit to re-energize before tackling our busy city existence again.

Rustenburg is about two hours per car from Johannesburg. Rustenburg is a mining town in the Northwest Province of South Africa. Another well-known landmark in the area is Sun City, a popular resort which is part of the Sun International Group. Sun City is a lovely resort with lots to do. It is, however, also incredibly busy most of the time. We needed to “just get away from it all.” Therefore Sun City was not the best option for our weekend getaway.

Getting to the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

We left Johannesburg after my daughter finished school the Friday. We had some snacks in the car as we were planning on having an early supper once we arrived in Rustenburg. It was a hot summer’s day, but the drive there was pleasant.

The road from Johannesburg to Rustenburg is in a reasonable condition. It appears to be a busy road, which could explain its condition.

Arriving at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

We reached the hotel after a two-hour long drive. Finding the hotel was easy as it is next to one of the main roads in Rustenburg.

There was security at the gate, and all cars have to sign in or show a pass if staying at the hotel.

The first thing we noticed was that the hotel had a golf course on its grounds. I imagined my golf-playing colleagues would have loved staying there! The grounds were lush and green. It was also clean and nicely maintained.

We drove between the golf greens for a distance of about one kilometre before reaching the reception building of the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest. Along the way, we also noticed a mini-golf area, which we definitely would have to try. After parking, we went to the reception desk to check-in.

Checking in at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

The reception area was quite busy – not only with people checking in but also booking spa treatments and making supper arrangements.

Click here to Book the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

The staff was friendly, and after initially struggling to find our booking, we were sorted out and given directions to our unit.

Our unit at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

Of course, we completely got lost on the way to our unit. I am ashamed to admit this, but our unit was so close to the reception area, we could have just left our car parked there. Nevertheless, we found parking almost in front of our unit, which did make offloading and taking our luggage inside a tad easier.

Our unit consisted of two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with a bunk bed. The unit also had a bathroom with a bath and also a separate bathroom with a toilet and shower. It was a bit strange that the toilet was in one bathroom and the basin to wash hands in the other bathroom. The living room was spacious and featured plenty of cupboard space and a flat-screen television.

I found the living room a bit dark even when the curtains were open, but it is probably due to the many trees around the units.

Just outside the front door was a little patio set if you wanted to sit outside.

The only thing missing was a kitchen, which would have made it a perfect self-catering destination. There was a kettle with coffee and tea essentials in the living room next to the television. I would have loved to have a bar fridge to store milk and extra drinks.

The inside of the unit could be updated a bit, but what it offered was sufficient for our needs for just a weekend getaway.

Things to do at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

During our two days at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest, we spend our days doing the following:

• We woke up the Saturday morning and noticed movement outside our unit. Many monkeys were playing outside on the grass and climbing the trees. They were cute, and we spent more than an hour watching the babies, and their mommies run around and play with each other.
• The flat screen television was nice, and the hotel also provided a few satellite channels, enough for us to find plenty to watch.
• Wi-fi was provided but was quite limited at only a small amount of data (I think 250mb) per room per night. When we complained about this at reception, they gave us double the amount, but it still did not last the three of us long. We were not there to surf the internet, but checking emails, doing research about restaurants and things to do in the area and downloading e-books finished the data quickly.
• The pools at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest were lovely and big. There is also a bar next to the pools for ordering drinks while lazying around. The monkeys also run around the pool throughout the day – they are entertaining. Just mind your stuff as they tend to have long fingers if you have any food items with you.
• As a family, we love to play putt-putt or mini-golf. We found the mini-golf course at the hotel quite challenging as it did not have the easiest layout. It was also a bit difficult to play as the course was not very clean and had leaves and stones lying around. Considering that one has to pay a small fee to play, the upkeep could have been better. Even so, it was still a good way to spend a few hours.
• We had plenty of time just to relax and read books. We did not want an exciting weekend filled with lots of activities, so this was perfect.

Things we did not do at the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

The hotel also has a spa, but we never tried it out. There is also a restaurant on-site, but once we saw the prices for supper and breakfast, we decided to explore the restaurants in the area around the hotel. We also did not play golf.

Our opinion of the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest

The ultimate test of a hotel is always whether one would consider going back or not. Would we? I think so.

It is not as luxurious as the Sun City Resort hotels, but it also does not come with their price tag either. If you need a quiet, relaxing weekend away, the Protea Hotel Hunters Rest is worth considering!

Do you ever go away for a weekend just to get away from it all? Where is your favorite place to do this?