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Kicking down everybody's sandcastle in the Sandton Central business district is Hotel Sky (opened in late 2020), a brash and flashy hotel that promises a five-star location at three-star rates. On a mission to disrupt the local business tourism market, this is also a very tech-focused hotel, with smart TVs, custom hotel apps, a self-playing piano, and even a robot waiting to greet you in the lobby.
The first thing you notice when you walk in is that Hotel Sky makes its own rules when it comes to décor. Gone are the neutral creams and blues found in most business hotels, instead replaced with wacky animal prints, rainforest wallpaper and blinging gold glitter tiles. Walking into the soaring lobby is like walking into an extravagant jungle-themed party hosted by Liberace. The ceiling is plastered in zebra print, multistorey chandeliers dangle above the reception desk, and tall palm trees flank the door. It's not to everybody's taste, of course, but we have to admit it is and fun and certainly brightens up the area. Why does everything in Sandton have to be so serious anyway?!
Smart technology is one of the fastest-growing trends in the hotel industry and Hotel Sky has fully embraced the use of tech to enhance the hotel experience. It all begins with the Hotel Sky app (available on Google Play and the App Store), which gives you full control of your booking, including checking in and checking out. The app also acts as your door key, and you can use it to order room service and can connect it to the smart TV in your room.
One of the other fun and distinctive features of the hotel's tech offering is Lexi, the hotel robot. Much was written about this robot in local media ahead of the launch of the hotel. She even made it on to the national news. Having spent the day here, we can confirm that you need not fear that human jobs are being replaced by humourless robots. Lexi is more of a gimmick who hangs out in the lobby and answers questions. The kids will like her.
This is a large hotel with 450 rooms spread across six wings. The rooms are not huge, but they were more spacious than we were expecting for the price. This building was once an office block and has very solid walls, meaning your room is also well insulated from the usual ambient hotel sounds. Of course, uncapped high-speed wifi is standard and for your caffeine needs, every corridor has a coffee machine.
Overnight guests get the pleasure of accessing perhaps one of Hotel Sky's most compelling features, the swimming pool. This is said to be the largest hotel pool in Sandton – and, better yet, it is also heated. Adjoining the pool is a guests-only bar and sun deck.
The hotel has no fewer than three restaurants. Breakfast and casual meals are served at the Equinox restaurant on the first floor. It is fitted with a live cooking station and has a large terrace with couches and even hookah pipes. Weekends belong to the Eclipse restaurant and bar. Built specifically with entertainment in mind, Eclipse hosts acrobat performances, comedy nights, concerts, and the like paired with an à la carte menu. For drinks, there's also the Galileo Lounge on the second floor. A major standout feature of this triple-volume lounge is its distinctive spiral staircase, huge LED screens, and a self-playing Yamaha piano.
Meetings and conferences
Hotel Sky Sandton is amply equipped for conferencing, especially hybrid conferencing. The conference halls are fully Teams and Zoom connected (with cameras and microphones installed for the presenter) and complemented by six boardrooms. Boardrooms come with Samsung flip charts, the handy tool we never thought we needed until we used it ourselves. This nifty smart whiteboard is perfect for presentations or strategy sessions and taking notes with the "smart pen".On the top floor, the Infinity Auditorium takes conferencing to another level. This 190-seater purpose-built auditorium can be split into two rooms with two "follow-me" cameras (pre-set to avoid delays) and built-in microphones in the ceiling, meaning there's no need for those roaming microphones and ensuring every question is heard. We'll also admit we'd never thought of having USB and plug charging points actually integrated into the chairs – it's a great idea that we'd like to see installed elsewhere.
From the totally bonkers décor to the seriously smart tech and those superlow prices, this is not your average Sandton business hotel.
Save on a family holiday at Hotel Sky Sandton
Looking for a holiday breakaway that won't break the bank? Take advantage of Hotel Sky's seasonal special inclusive of dinner, bed, and breakfast for two adults and two kids (children younger than 14 eat free), and a R500 fuel voucher. The deal costs R9,700 for five days and R13,500 for seven days, available from Thu, Dec 12, 2024 – Mon, Jan 20, 2025.Book directly via hotelsky.co.za using the promo code AlEF5 for a five-day booking and AlEF7 for a seven-day booking. Alternatively, email reservations.sandton@hotelsky.co.za or call 010 880 4449 to reserve your spot. Ts&Cs apply.
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