What an enjoyable three nights we have recently experienced at St James of Knysna. We are holidaying in SA. We first stayed at this hotel on holiday in 2018. Whilst we enjoyed that first visit, we both thought that the large suite we had was looking very tired. Fast forward five years, after reading of the recent upgrades, we decided to revisit St James. What a great decision it was. Everything about this hotel was positive. First and foremost, the staff at this hotel are absolutely outstanding. Particular mention to Norman, Athunasi (sp), Elija and Sandy. A quiet location overlooking the estuary, but only a five minute drive into Knysna. Room was spacious, with a large lounge area. Breakfast was a very enjoyable experience, either inside the garden room or on the terrace. The waiters/waitresses were warm and welcoming. Sincere apologies for not remembering names. We had a meal from the bar on our first nice, which was very reasonable and enjoyable. The refurb has really modernised this hotel!! The complimentary boat trip (90 mins) around the lagoon was excellent. Thankyou “Captain” Alex!

The warm welcome on arrival was continued during our 3 night stay. The staff are professional, friendly, welcoming and seem to be really happy to cater to one's needs. Lovely breakfasts beautifully prepared and presented. Fabulous room with a great view of the vlei. Large, comfortable bed. It was winter and the underfloor heating in the bathroom was a treat.

The noisy air conditioning units attached to both sides of our room. They rumbled and hummed continuously throughout our stay. What could have been a superlative, quiet visit was made noisy and the sound disturbed our sleep. The hotel was not at all full so we should have been allocated a quiet room. A pity.

This small hotel was an absolute joy from start to finish! From the incredible staff, to the beauty of the location, to the beautiful large room, to the huge full bathroom (with views!) to the incredible breakfast. I cannot rate this hotel highly enough. Too many properties have lost that personal touch but NOT the St James. The entire experience was incredible!

Absolutely nothing! Everything was perfection.

Thank you to the staff for the warm welcome, excellent service and for making our stay amazing and memorable. Breakfast was exquisite. The bed was very comfortable, room and bathroom huge with all the necessary amenities. I could luxuriate in the bath or enjoy sundowners on the patio. The complimentary boat cruise on the lake was amazing. I would highly recommend St. James of Knysna, as it is neat as a pin, beautifully decorated and central to many tourist attractions and a relaxing getaway in a tranquil setting. Thank you once again for such an amazing stay!

Nothing not to like

It is beautifully situated on the lagoon, tranquil and peaceful and great for just relaxing and enjoying the view. The staff were amazing, always concerned that we were comfortable and had everything we needed and lots of suggestions about things to do in the area. Our room was spacious with a balcony and view of the lagoon. The complimentary boat ride around the lagoon was a lovely surprise and the picnic organised for us was scrumptious. Alex and Unathi made sure we were safe with lots of interesting anecdotes about the area. We had a wonderful time and would love to visit again.

Beautiful property from outside. Spacious room (suite). Lovely garden & inviting garden pool. Morning views into the lagoon spectacular. Great free lagoon trip with own boat. Very attentive & friendly service. Booking a lagoon view room is a must.

Needs some minor refurbishments. The suite was functional but lacked a bit of „love“ & ambiance / color. Cleaning the terrace table from bird excrements & taking the chair pillows in should be a must (I did it myself every single day).

Very nice, large room with a view of the water and a private balcony. Excellent breakfast and helpful personnel. Easy to get into town (we had our own rental car), and easy to park. We prefer this area to staying up on the hill overlooking the ocean (which is dramatic), because it is somewhat wind protected, whereas the coast can get windy. Sometimes you can hear the cars on the street nearby, but it was not a problem at all to sleep well. Very comfortable bed!

Extremely comfortable hotel in a beautiful location by the lagoon. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and although there was no formal dining in the evening the food you could order from room service was very good. The trip around the lagoon on the the hotels boat was a lovely leisurely experience with Alex as our guide. I would definitely stay here again.

Nothing. Although the hotel was just off the main garden route road this did not interfere with the enjoyment of the stay.

We arrived after dark and were greeted by Elijah, who couldn't have been more friendly and welcoming and set the tone for our stay. After a great night's sleep, we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast, taking in the incredible view and then a boat trip around the lagoon! Our only regret is that we didn't book to stay longer. Fabulous, we couldn't recommend more highly.

Just WOW! We loved it right from the first moment. This hotel gave us a truly great experience of feeling like a proper hotel guest, Sandy and her staff did a great job with welcoming approach and taking care of you! It was our best hotel in South Africa out of 6 we stayed at. Firstly, they truly want to make your stay comfortable and memorable. Secondly, rooms are spacious, beds are comfy and view around is fantastic. Thirdly, breakfast was really good, a couple of a'la carte options and a nice buffet, not so boring as in other hotels. We didn't have time for a boat tour they organize for you but it looked great, as the lake is just in front of you. Thank you everyone for such a nice time in your hotel! We will visit again for sure and stay longer!

We loved absolutely everything. The only thing I didn't like was that we couldn't stay longer in this place!