The Turbine Hotel & Spa

Highlights

• Five-star boutique hotel housed in Knysna's restored 1940s power station, with original turbines as centrepieces
• Waterside setting on Thesen Islands with views over the Knysna Lagoon and the Heads
• Two on-site restaurants: the Island Café and the Gastro Pub
• Full-service Turbine Spa with treatments and gift vouchers
• Sustainability credentials, including 96 solar panels and rainwater harvesting from the historic storage tanks

You Should Know

• Children aged 2-12 are charged at 50 per cent of the per-adult sharing Luxury room rate
• Only four Luxury rooms can accommodate one child on a three-quarter sleeper couch, plus one cot for an infant 0-2 years, free of charge
• Minimum two-night stay during the Oyster Festival and from 20 December to 28 February
• A 1 per cent tourism levy on the accommodation charge is not included in the rate

The Details

The Turbine Hotel & Spa sits on Thesen Islands, a residential marina development reached by a short causeway from the centre of Knysna. The building itself was Knysna's power station from 1939 until it ceased generating in the mid-1970s, with final operations in 2001. The conversion preserved the turbines, generators and industrial fittings as sculptural features running through the lobby, restaurants and corridors.

Knysna is the midpoint of South Africa's Garden Route, roughly four hours' drive east of Cape Town and two hours west of Port Elizabeth. The lagoon, the Heads, the surrounding indigenous forests, and the annual Oyster Festival in July are the main draws. The hotel is within walking distance of the Thesen Islands waterfront restaurants and shops.

Accommodation

The hotel has 26 rooms across three categories: 17 Standard Rooms, six Luxury Rooms and three Suites, the latter comprising a Honeymoon Suite, a Lagoon Suite and a Canal Suite. Three interleading family configurations pair a Luxury room with an adjoining Standard room. Rooms are filled with natural light and incorporate salvaged industrial artefacts from the original power station alongside contemporary furnishings.

Dining

Two restaurants operate on site. The Island Café serves breakfast and all-day dining in a relaxed setting amid the turbines, while the Gastro Pub offers a more casual menu and bar. Both venues face onto the canals of Thesen Islands.

Spa

The Turbine Spa offers a full menu of treatments and sells gift vouchers. It is open to hotel guests and day visitors.

Activities

Knysna and the surrounding Garden Route deliver lagoon cruises, kayaking, forest hikes in the Knysna and Tsitsikamma forests, golf at neighbouring estates and day trips to Plettenberg Bay, Wilderness and the Robberg peninsula. The hotel also hosts weddings and conferences.

Price Includes

• Accommodation
• Breakfast daily
• VAT
• Tourism levy of 1 per cent on the accommodation charge is excluded
• All extras and items of a personal nature are excluded