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Winning stays and cool revamps
Hotels loved by you, the centennial celebration of a Rosebank icon, and the changing face of hospitality.54 ON BATH VOTED JOBURG'S BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL
In the heart of busy Rosebank, 54 on Bath is a cool and elegant retreat ideal for those travelling for business or pleasure, or for residents in need of a city staycation. This hotel is known for its Level Four restaurant, excellent afternoon and high tea experiences, and Level 4 rooftop bar and the Terrace – both of which underwent a sparkling makeover in November 2024. We love this spot, and it turns out you do, too. 54 on Bath was voted the best boutique hotel in the Best of Joburg Awards for 2024. P.S. For those not keen to spend Christmas in the kitchen, book a festive lunch and dinner at 54 on Bath here.
TEA ROOM TO ICONIC HOTEL: 75 YEARS OF THE BALALAIKA
Sandton's oldest hotel, the Balalaika began its life in 1949 as a countryside tea room that was a popular stopover between Joburg and Pretoria. Hotel rooms were added and, decades later, as the skyscrapers of the flashy new Sandton business district began to grow around the original Balalaika, the hotel sought to retain its ‘human-scale’ and countryside feel. It's expanded to accommodate 330 rooms that are spread over two leafy low-rise courtyards, each with a swimming pool and gardens at their centre – a luxurious amount of outdoor space compared to many other newer Sandton hotels. Steeped in history, this iconic hotel celebrated its 75th birthday in October 2024.
HYDE HOTEL ROSEBANK GETS MUSICAL
Formerly known as voco The Bank hotel, the newly refreshed Hyde Hotel Rosebank is sexier and more youthful than its predecessor. The décor features more local art and design, but the real change is in the reimagining of what a hotel is and can be. Their new tagline says it all, "The freedom of a festival in a Johannesburg luxury hotel." Music and entertainment will be a big part of the update, with space for live performances that will make Hyde Hotel Rosebank an inviting destination for the public, as well as for hotel guests.
THE MASLOW SANDTON WINS AGODA'S CUSTOMER REVIEW AWARD
This four-star hotel, which gets its name from psychologist Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of human needs, caters largely to the business crowd with its amenities and its Sandton Central location. It's doing something right: thanks to feedback from the hotel's guests on the online travel site Agoda, The Maslow Sandton has won the customer review award for 2024.
THE MONARCH IS 100 YEARS OLD
Hidden in plain sight next to The Zone @ Rosebank, The Monarch Hotel was our lovely end-stop for tea and treats on the #JacarandaInYourPocket walking tour we hosted with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation. This former telephone exchange is now a beautiful boutique hotel, filled with furniture from bygone eras, contemporary printed wallpaper, and an exceptional art collection. The double-glazed windows shelter you from the bustling district outside, and the quiet courtyard restaurant is as recharging as a trip to the countryside. This is another spot to add to your Joburg staycation list, the added bonus being that it comes with a side of history, as the building celebrated its centenary in November 2024.
Flights of fancy
It's not just photographers who go sky-high in a helicopter to capture Joburg's jacarandas in bloom – from cricket players to grocery store chains and a bit of French elegance thrown in for good measure, here's a bit of fun aircraft-related news.SEEING PURPLE WITH BASTION AVIATION
Joburg has an estimated 70,000 jacaranda trees – and there are many densely populated streets and lookout points in the city from which to see them. For a different vantage point, we sent photographer Clare Appleyard on a jacaranda joyride on Fri, Nov 1, 2024, with Bastion Aviation pilot Carl Nicholl. "It’s hard to avoid cliches," says Appleyard, "but it was pretty jaw-dropping to see the jacarandas from that angle. It’s as if the city has been woven together with purple threads." See the purple profusion in photos here, from Lanseria to Melrose.
CHECKERS SIXTY60 HAS LIFT-OFF
The speedy delivery service famous for saving the day has us smiling with a South African grocery retail first. It's not just branded scooters zooming around the suburbs any more; Checkers Sixty60 now has a specially branded aeroplane in collaboration with LIFT airline. The teal Airbus A320 emblazoned with "Sixty60" embarked on its maiden flight between Joburg and Cape Town on Thu, Oct 24 and will continue to operate on regularly scheduled flights this summer. If you've already collected all the action figures and minis, this is how you take your Checkers love to the next level. You can track the special-edition aircraft online here.
DECADES OF CONNECTION
An exhibition at Alliance Française in Parkview chronicles the evolution of Air France's route between France and South Africa, first embarked upon in 1953. Decades of Connection is an ode to the glory days of travel and French elegance, with vintage photographs, advertisements, cabin crew uniforms, and other memorabilia on show. Through archived press articles, South African tourism statistics, and historical documents, this exhibition commemorates the cultural impact that this route has had on both countries. Showing until Fri, Nov 29.
Photo: Johannesburg In Your Pocket.
PROTEAS ABOARD FLYSAFAIR
Cricket fans, you might want to pick FlySafair for your local flights from now on if you fancy a seat next to your favourite Proteas player. A partnership between South Africa's national cricket team and the airline has been set in motion, making FlySafair the official domestic airline partner of the beloved Proteas team for the next three years. To celebrate this, FlySafair wants your help in designing a new Proteas plane. Enter here.
Seasonal saves
Hotel deals we've got our eye on this holiday season.FAMILY HOLIDAY AT HOTEL SKY SANDTON
The ceiling is plastered in zebra print, multistorey chandeliers dangle above the reception desk and tall palm trees flank the door at Hotel Sky, a brash, flashy, and tech-focused hotel in Sandton. This may seem like an unusual location for a vacation with kids, but there's ample fun to be had with smart TVs, a self-playing piano, and even the hotel's robot, Lexi, waiting to greet you in the lobby. The pool is one of Hotel Sky's most compelling features, adjoining a guests-only bar and sun deck. Plus, the hotel has no fewer than three restaurants to its name.
For a family getaway that won't break the bank, take advantage of Hotel Sky's seasonal offer inclusive of dinner, bed, and breakfast for two adults and two kids (children younger than 14 eat free) and a R500 fuel voucher. The cost is 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.
GET 10% OFF AT ANY CURIOCITY STAY AND EXPERIENCE
Whether you're backpacking or prefer a penthouse, Curiocity has you covered when it comes to hybrid hotels and unique travel experiences in Joburg and Cape Town. Their youthful spot in Maboneng gives you a taste of Joburg's City Centre, while the new Kloof Street property is a perfect base from which to explore the Mother City. Save 10% on your accommodation or any of Curiocity's guided experiences using the promo code JHBINYOURPOCKET when you book online here.
30% OFF AT COURTYARD HOTEL WATERFALL CITY
One street from the landmark Mall of Africa, the Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City is an upmarket, ecofriendly business and leisure hotel that stands out for its chic, contemporary interiors and inviting spaces. The Highline Restaurant on the ninth floor of the hotel boasts panoramic views stretching as far as the Magaliesburg mountains in one direction and to the distant Sandton skyline in another. If you book your stay online or directly at the hotel with City Lodge's summer special, you can save up to 30% off the best available rate. The promotion is bookable from Thu, Oct 31, 2024 – Wed, Jan 8, 2025, and is valid for stays between Fri, Dec 13, 2024 – Sun, Jan 12, 2025. Find out more.
Summer at South Africa's national botanical gardens
Discover what's happening at some of the country's most beautiful public parks and gardens over the holiday season with our choice of activities from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).Sat, Nov 30 – Movie night at Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.
Thu, Dec 19 – Carols by candlelight at the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden.
Tue, Dec 24 – Movie night at the Free State National Botanical Garden.
Every Sunday from Sun, Dec 8 – Sun, Dec 29 – Summer sunset concert series at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
Tue, Dec 3 – Fri, Dec 27 – Galileo open-air cinema at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
What's cooking in Cape Town
A CROSS-COUNTRY COLLABHailed as one of KwaZulu-Natal's best dining destinations, Chef Johannes Richter of The LivingRoom in Pinetown makes his way to Paternoster to join Chef Kobus van der Merwe at his restaurant, Wolfgat. On Sat, Nov 23 (lunch and dinner) and Sun, Nov 24 (lunch) the duo will cook together, celebrating the contrasting landscapes of the west coast and its rugged shoreline to the lush, subtropical KZN terrain, and the diverse ingredients found in these two regions. Book your spot online via wolfgat.co.za or Dineplan.
Travel inspiration
Plan your next trip with a little help from Joburg's creatives and tastemakers. Photographer Ryan Enslin (@my_lime_boots) has been sharing dispatches from the Kruger National Park to the Breede River Valley, while Shér and Aziza Khan (@the.sher.khan) traverse the sandstone cliffs of the eastern Free State to the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. And for those who can't resist a good padstal, Duduzile Zulu (@umazululoves) stopped by the Karoo Padstal on her Cape sojourns. Just off the N1 near Richmond, it's one of our favourites, too.
Upcoming reviews...
We recently spent some time exploring the Garden Route. The stretch of coastline running from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape is renowned for its natural beauty and abundance of scenic areas like Mossel Bay, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, and the Tsitsikamma National Park. More than that, though, are the stops along the way that offer not just a place to rest your head but also a spot of pampering, food to indulge in, and a night's stay worth making the trip on its own. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for our reviews of The Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa and The Plettenberg Hotel. We can tell you now that these are two stops worth adding to your local must-do travel list.Back on home turf, we're looking forward to our stay in one of the luxury serviced apartment suites at the new Steyn City Hotel by Saxon in Midrand. Watch this space.
WIN! Thule's Compression Packing Cubes
If you can't pack light, try packing smart instead. Suitcase organisers like Thule's Compression Packing Cubes are a game-changer when it comes to packing for a trip in a way that's space-saving and easy to handle. You can divide items up by days or into categories, with different cubes for clean clothes and dirty laundry. The options are endless. Ahead of the holiday season, we're giving away a set of durable Thule small and medium packing cubes that expand, worth R1,000. Enter the competition on Instagram here.
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