Protea Hotel by Marriott Umfolozi River
Hotel · Near Mtubatuba, about 25 km from St Lucia · Marriott (Protea Hotels)
Mid-range
Outside the gate
Hotel group
A 68-room Protea Hotel by Marriott near Mtubatuba. There is no Protea in St Lucia town itself, despite what some itineraries say: this is the nearest, about 25 km from St Lucia. Marriott's page publishes no rand rate in our sources. Choose it if you collect hotel loyalty points or want a chain standard; otherwise St Lucia's guesthouses put you 25 km closer to everything. Every drive to the estuary, Cape Vidal or Charter's Creek starts with the R618 into town, about half an hour each way. It is outside the park, so no fee applies until you enter a gated section.
Pros and cons
Pros
- International chain standard
- 68 rooms
- Easy N2 access
Cons
- About 25 km from St Lucia
- No rand rate published
- Outside the park
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. iSimangaliso Wetland Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryR130 gate fee plus R7 conservation levy per international adult at Cape Vidal, the Western Shores or uMkhuze, R16.36 = US$1, 2024/25 tariff (the last confirmed).
- $8per person, per day
- VehicleR74 for a car of up to 5 seats at the Eastern Shores, Western Shores or uMkhuze gates; R30 at Sodwana, R40 at Kosi Bay.
- $5per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $63 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
These are the 2024/25 rates, which expired on 30 November 2025; no newer table has been published. Sodwana, the Coastal Forest and Kosi Bay charge about half (R71 per international adult). Lodges in St Lucia town are outside every gate.
The full fee schedule for iSimangaliso Wetland ParkRates at Protea Hotel by Marriott Umfolozi River
Rates on request. Marriott publishes no rand rate in our sources. iSimangaliso gate fees apply when you enter a gated section. Ask whether VAT is included.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates checked against the research dossier of 24 September 2026. State-camp prices come from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's 2023/24 tariff (1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024), the last official camp tariff that could be read; treat them as a floor, because iSimangaliso has published none since it took the camps over on 1 March 2026. Thonga Beach Lodge, Kosi Forest Lodge, Coral Divers, Mabibi Beach Camp and Umlilo Lodge are priced from their own sites. Every figure marked 'reseller rate' comes from SA-Venues, LekkeSlaap, Siyabona or a booking agent, uses that site's 'from' price, and usually prices a room for two; we halve it to give a per-person figure. Dollar figures use R16.36 to the dollar (24 September 2026) and are rounded. Gate fees are extra everywhere except in St Lucia town: R62 per South African adult and R130 per international adult at the dearest gates on the 2024/25 table, which expired on 30 November 2025 with no successor published.
Questions about Protea Hotel by Marriott Umfolozi River
Is there a Protea Hotel in St Lucia?
No. The nearest is Protea Hotel by Marriott Umfolozi River, near Mtubatuba, about 25 km from St Lucia.
What does it cost?
No rand rate was published in our sources. Check Marriott's site for your dates.
Is it good for families?
We found no published child policy.