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The St. James of Knysna – reviews, photos

5.0 of 5
The Point, Eastford, Knysna, 6570 | P.O. Box 1242, Knysna 6570, South Africa
Hotel amenities
The St. James of Knysna
The St. James of Knysna
The St. James of Knysna
The St. James of Knysna
The St. James of Knysna
The St. James of Knysna
Ranked #7 of 28 hotels in Knysna
4.5 of 5 stars 83 Reviews
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83 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    60
    16
    3
    2
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Date Rating
Uckfield, United Kingdom
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“lovely hotel - shame about the trainee waitress!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Lovely hotel (we were in the main house), with large well appointed room, colonial style main hall, library, dining room, bar etc, all in a beautiful setting on the bank of the Knysna lagoon.
Greeted well, and looked forward to a good dinner. The food was indeed superb, but unfortunately we had a waitress who was HOPELESS! (eg; q - what is the soup of the day? a - soup), got our food order wrong, our drinks order wrong and was generally sullen - there did not appear to be any real management presence although another waitress told us that our's was a trainee. Nearly spolit the meal and certainly ensured that we did not eat at the hotel on our second night. Also, the next morning housekeeping went into our room despite the "do not disturb" sign. To be fair when we expressed our concerns to the duty manager she was very apologetic and professional, and thereafter the staff did their best ot make amends with complimentary drinks and regular checks to ensure we had all we needed as we lounged by their (lovely) pool. Also noticed that on the day we left that our car had been cleaned - nice touch. I would definitely recommend this hotel for its setting, food, value for money and quality of rooms, and hopefully the management will ensure that any future trainee staff are adequately supported and supervised.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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London, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“The most amazing place I have ever stayed”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This truly is a five star country lodge. When we first heard the term "Country lodge" we were a bit worried, but the rooms and service were amazing. It was the small things that also made this place great, like the staff washing your car in the early morning, the receptionists helping you find things to do and booking and contacting to plan for your day. I wanted to do water skiing and sure enough by the end of breakfast I had a few names given to me and the rates. The food was fantastic, and coming from London, I have never had an english breakfast like the one served at ST James. The staff were friendly and I believe that because it was smaller than a hotel, it made it much more personal.

I reccomend this hotel to everyone I meet and will definately be going back.

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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Knysna, South Africa
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Excellent Dinner in a Beautiful Setting”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We did not stay at the St James but went there for dinner. Unfortunately we were the only people in the restaurant, so there was not exactly a party vibe. Nevertheless, we had a great evening. The restaurant is quite formal and colonial in style, but very comfortable. The view over the lagoon is outstanding. The service was prompt, friendly and unobtrusive. The wine list was good and the food excellent. The menu is fairly traditional, but the dishes are contemporary interpretations of traditional themes. The portions are adequate and the food beautifully presented. The desert menu is limited, but the créme brûlée was really good. Definitely a place to back to,

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Seal Beach, California
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
25 helpful votes 25 helpful votes
“Deluxe "Country Inn" on the shore”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Friendly staff, great dinner and a comfortable room makes this a recommended stop. All the ambience of a fine country inn. Upon check-in we were upgraded to a junior suite, a spacious room with pool view, because there was a problem with our original less-expensive room choice. Beds were comfortable enough, by South African standards. The view over the bay during breakfast was delightful. Free WiFi.
Ask for directions; the highway turn-off on the west side of town is not well marked.

Tip: Casual lunch at the Dry Dock, downtown on the waterfront, was a delight as we watched the sail boats and a water polo team practicing.

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Cape Town, South Africa
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“A very disappointing meal!”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 October 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We didn't stay at the St James but saw the 'special' Sunday lunch advertised...it was by far our worst meal in Knysna!Really tasteless food served by staff that were less than enthusiastic.

  • Stayed October 2011
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Additional Information about The St. James of Knysna

  • The St James Knysna
  • St James Knysna
Address: The Point, Eastford, Knysna, 6570 | P.O. Box 1242, Knysna 6570, South Africa
Price range (per night):* INR5,002 - 16,396

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