Knysna Hollow Country Estate is a garden hotel on the western edge of Knysna, with fifty-odd suites arranged in low blocks across landscaped grounds, two swimming pools and a main building that houses the restaurant and bar. It is the most straightforwardly family-friendly hotel in town.
Best for
Families who want ground-floor rooms opening onto lawn; travellers who want hotel service and space without a resort price; conference and wedding groups.
It is not on the lagoon and it has no sea view. What it has instead is room to spread out, which in Knysna is rarer than a view.
Location
The estate is in a shallow valley off Welbedacht Lane, a few minutes from the centre of Knysna and from the N2, on the Wilderness side of town. It is set back from the road in its own grounds, so it is quiet, but it is close enough that the Waterfront, Thesen Islands and the town’s restaurants are a five to ten minute drive.
The lagoon, the Heads and the Knysna forests are all within a short drive as well. Our Knysna destination guide sets out how the town, the lagoon and the forests fit together.
Rooms and style at Knysna Hollow
The core of the property is forty-four contemporary Garden Suites set among the gardens, with air-conditioning, satellite television, a Nespresso station, a mini-bar fridge, a laptop safe and USB charging. Bathrooms have dual vanities, heated towel rails and walk-in rain showers.
Beyond those there are four family suites made from interleading rooms, which take larger groups without anyone sleeping in a lounge, and eight rooms fitted with sleeper couches for up to two children under twelve. The style is modern, pale and pitched-roofed rather than country-cottage, and the rooms are noticeably larger than the Knysna average.
Facilities at Knysna Hollow
There are two swimming pools in the gardens, a restaurant and a bar in the main building, conference rooms, a wedding venue and secure parking, with complimentary wireless internet, daily servicing and same-day laundry. Children under twelve stay free on a bed-and-breakfast basis when sharing with parents, which is the single most useful thing to know about this hotel.
There is no spa building and no golf course. The estate is a comfortable garden hotel rather than a resort, and it prices accordingly.
Who should consider Knysna Hollow
Consider it if you are travelling as a family, if you want a base for three or four nights of exploring rather than a one-night stop, or if you are attending a wedding or conference on the estate.
Couples looking for a lagoon view and a fine-dining room will do better on Leisure Isle or at the Waterfront. Our Garden Route accommodation guide compares the options town by town.
Trade-offs, honestly
Four things to weigh:
- There is no water view. The estate is inland in a garden valley, and the lagoon is a drive rather than a walk.
- It takes weddings and conferences, so a function weekend and a quiet midweek stay are different experiences.
- The property is spread out across gardens, which is lovely in fine weather and a wet walk to breakfast when it is raining.
- Rooms are non-smoking throughout and are grouped by category rather than sold by view, so there is less to choose between them than at a hotel on the water.
Ask about function bookings for your dates, particularly in December and over long weekends.
Explore the area
Knysna sits on a lagoon that opens to the sea between two sandstone cliffs called the Heads. The standard outing is the ferry to the Featherbed Nature Reserve on the western Head, which has no public road; the eastern Head has a viewpoint and a short coastal walk. Thesen Islands and the Waterfront hold most of the restaurants and the oyster bars.
Inland are the Knysna forests, the largest indigenous woodland in the country. The Diepwalle and Goudveld sections of the Garden Route National Park have marked walks and picnic sites, and the drive over Phantom Pass and along the Rheenendal road makes a good half day. Brenton-on-Sea and Buffalo Bay are the nearest ocean beaches.
Getting there and getting around
George Airport is about an hour west by road, with direct flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Knysna is roughly 490 kilometres from Cape Town on the N2, about six hours of driving, and around 260 kilometres from Port Elizabeth.
A car is necessary. Plettenberg Bay is thirty minutes east, Wilderness forty-five minutes west, and Oudtshoorn about an hour and a half north over the passes. Our seven-day Garden Route itinerary shows how many nights Knysna deserves.
How Knysna Hollow compares
Against the small lagoon-facing hotels you lose the view and gain space, gardens and a much easier stay with children. Against the golf estate above the town, Knysna Hollow is closer to the centre, cheaper and less formal, with no course. Against self-catering in the town, you gain a restaurant, a bar and daily servicing.
Practical notes for a stay at Knysna Hollow
Knysna is at its busiest from mid-December to mid-January, over Easter and during the winter oyster festival, when the town fills and rates rise sharply. March, April, October and November give the best combination of weather, price and space, and southern right whales are off this coast from roughly June to November.
The estate is a genuine garden property, so the grounds are at their best in spring and early summer. It also rains here in every season, which is why the Garden Route is green; a light waterproof is worth packing whatever the month.
Before you book Knysna Hollow
Be specific about the group. A garden suite, an interleading family suite and a room with a sleeper couch are three different products, and the free-for-under-twelves policy has conditions worth confirming. Check whether breakfast is included in the rate quoted, whether a wedding or conference is booked over your dates, and what the cancellation window is at checkout. More options across the province are in our Western Cape accommodation guide.
Current rates and availability
We do not publish rates for Knysna Hollow, because they move constantly with season and demand. Use the availability button on this page to see what the property currently costs on your dates, what is included and what the cancellation terms are. The booking provider is the merchant of record; Cape Town Travel Guide does not set prices, hold inventory or take payment.