Luxurious Sanctuary in the City
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Style: Super-luxe boutique hotel with African decor
Budget: £££
When you enter through the grand gates of the Saxon Hotel, you’ll never want (or need) to leave! Tucked away in one of Johannesburg’s most affluent neighbourhoods this super-luxe boutique hotel offers guests the ultimate sanctuary from the bustling city. With three popular restaurants, a sumptuous spa and countless areas to relax in, you’ll soon discover why the Saxon Hotel has been named a Leading Hotel of the World, one of South Africa’s leading hotels and one of the best hotels in Johannesburg.
Staying at the Saxon Hotel
The Saxon is a hotel steeped in history, famous for being the place Nelson Mandela chose as a refuge in which to complete his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Wandering through the corridors towards your room you’ll be able to spot photographs of Mandela’s stay, and signed copies of his books. The African themed decor continues throughout the hotel with a number of wonderfully decorated lounges adorned with traditional artefacts.
With only 53 rooms, all of which are spacious suites, you can’t go wrong when picking which room to stay in at the Saxon. Choose from a suite within the main hotel, the former home of Nelson Mandela, or within one of the three new villas built within the sprawling gardens. The villas are perfect for those wanting the utmost privacy as they can be booked for exclusive use. They each have their own pool and facilities, and even a separate entrance from the car park! You won’t be surprised to hear that these luxurious abodes are where Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton have once stayed.
Once you arrive in your suite for the night, a chilled bottle of South African sparkling wine awaits, and if I hadn’t told you it wasn’t champagne you’d never have guessed. Top tip: The bubbles taste even better from a bubble bath!
Each of the super-luxe rooms are larger than most London flats, containing everything you could ever need, and more. The suites features an open plan bedroom/bathroom including a double sink, extra large bathtub and separate shower room, along with a small lounge area beside the TV to relax in. Every detail has been thought of including an extremely helpful row of international plug sockets, perfect for when you picked up an Indian adapter instead of a South African one, doh!
Service at the Saxon is spectacular, from the staff ready to welcome you when you pull up to the entrance of the hotel to assisting you with your every desire throughout your stay. As we had a long drive ahead of us, the staff at the Saxon Hotel kindly made us a bumper packed lunch for the journey, and it’s these little touches that really make the Saxon stand out.
Relaxing at the Saxon Hotel
Once you’ve settled into your room, don your pair of fluffy slippers and robe and meander down to the pool area. You can choose from a dip in the secluded heated pool or the more spectacular (and a touch colder) larger swimming pool overlooking the gardens. Order a drink, or drinks, from the Terrace Bar, sit back and relax!
For the ultimate relaxing stay, head to the Saxon’s spa for an afternoon of bliss. Amongst the facilities offered by Saxon Hotel spa are a bubbling jacuzzi, indoor plunge pool and floatation pool. As a guest you’re welcome to make use of the hydrotherapy facilities for free during your stay, although don’t blame us if you end up tempted into booking one of their signature treatments.
The range of treatments on offer includes facials, pedicures and body scrubs, but for the ultimate treat choose a hot stone massage. If you’ve not had one before you’re in for a treat as the heat from the stones helps release tension allowing your therapist to work all those knots out leaving you feeling like you’re floating on a cloud. Pair with a glass of bubbles and some of the healthy snacks on offer for the perfect afternoon.
Dining at the Saxon Hotel
You’re spoilt with the choice of three restaurants within the Saxon Hotel, Grei, the star of the show offering diners a six course tasting experience only served in the evenings, Qunu, serving up classic South African flavours for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the Terrace alongside the pool offering an all day menu of light meals.
Both Qunu and Grei are highly regarded restaurants within the Johannesburg culinary scene, although in our minds there’s only one choice for dinner – Grei!
Dinner at Grei
Having previously housed Luke Dale-Roberts x The Saxon and 500 at the Saxon, newly opened Grei definitely deserves the hype. Headed up by Candice Philip, Grei takes diners on a culinary journey of textures and flavours with an emphasis on natural ingredients and herbs. Even though the decor fits squarely with the name, the food certainly does not with dishes both colourful and full of flavour.
Serving only a six course tasting menu, Grei is the restaurant to opt for should you wish to make an evening out of your meal, and trust us, this won’t be an evening you’ll forget for a long time! There are vegetarian and pescaterian versions of the menu and the choice of a non-alcoholic or alcoholic drink pairing. The alcoholic drinks pairing focuses mainly on divine South African wines, with a few international grapes in the mix. For those opting to stay off the booze, the juices looked delicious, all created from fresh herbs and fruits from the Saxon’s gardens (although we’ll have to admit, we always go for the wine!)
Courses range from the inventive and mysterious, to those too pretty eat and those in between which were just downright delicious! Making use of South African local produce and perfectly seasoned with home grown herbs we had a difficult job picking out the highlights of our meal.
The Inventive
Starting off the meal with a showcase of three bitesize inventions the highlight had to be the mushroom meringue. Light and fluffy yet rich and earthy, we could’ve eaten a whole plate of these dessert-like creations.
When you turn to the cheese course, the idea of a cold fondue is one we’ve never seen on a menu before. Bridging the divide between a traditional cheese course and a dessert, the liquid camembert is served with popped raisins to add a touch of sweetness and provides a dish unlike any you’ll have tasted before.
Looking like it belonged in Heston’s laboratory instead of on our table, the palate cleansers following on from the duck were pure genius. Arriving in a cloud of liquid nitrogen, these puffs of black nitro honeycomb left you breathing out ‘smoke’!
The Pretty
Dinner in South Africa would not be complete without a taste of one of the country’s wonderful game meats. Grei chose an ostrich tartare, immaculately presented with red cabbage and a charcoal crisp, creating the perfect balance alongside the rich game flavours.
One of the dessert options is presented so beautifully it looks like a carefully constructed tower of flower petals. Layers of wafer thin crisps and mousses of guava, beetroot and hibiscus complement each other in both flavour and texture to create a fruity and delicious dessert.
The Delicious
Whilst still undeniably striking on the plate, the langoustine and sweetcorn dish was all about the flavour. From the salty popcorn crumb to the sweet corn soup and the tender langoustine meat this delicate dish was a fresh example of amazing shellfish.
The tasting menu climaxes with a sensational dry aged duck. Grei’s classic celebration of flavour pairings of apricot, thyme and a chicken liver parfait with a perfectly pink duck breast provided a burst of rich and succulent flavours.
Breakfast at the Saxon Hotel
Breakfast is served from 6:30am downstairs in Qunu, or should you wish to enjoy breakfast in bed simply fill out the breakfast card left behind during turndown service and hang outside your room before you turn in for the night.
Enjoy a magnificent spread of homemade pastries and fresh fruit, alongside a number of hot dishes including a full ‘South African’ breakfast (with the unique option of crispy or soft bacon!) to fill you up for the rest of the day. Hot drinks, fruit juices and of course a glass of bubbly are all on the menu to complement your meal.
Key Information about the Saxon Hotel
What are the Saxon Hotel rates?
Luxury suites within the main hotel start from ZAR 8,962 (c. £500) per night, with ultra-luxe Presidential suite coming in at ZAR 16,462 (c. £900). All rooms include a complimentary minibar (restocked regularly!), butler service and use of the Saxon spa facilities (treatments available at an additional cost).
What is the best way to get to the Saxon Hotel?
The Saxon is tucked away in the Sandhurst suburb of Johannesburg, a 30-35 minute drive from OR Tambo airport. Still close enough to the centre of the city, but once you enter through the Saxon’s gates, you’ll forget you’re in Johannesburg altogether!
If you’re interested in exploring more of the area, I would suggest hiring a car from Johannesburg airport and driving out to the Saxon Hotel. The hotel itself is located in a lovely quiet neighbourhood therefore if you wish to venture outside of this hidden oasis the easiest way to do so is by car. The Saxon Hotel is a short ten or so minute drive from Sandton, the nearest town with several shops and restaurants to explore.
Should you not fancy driving, the Saxon can arrange transfers from the airport. Concierge can also assist in arranging tours of the culturally and historically significant areas of Johannesburg, tailor-made to your interests should you fancy a visit to the Nelson Mandela museum or Wonderboom Nature Reserve.
Our final thoughts on... the Saxon Hotel
We were welcomed at the Saxon Hotel with open arms and a warm embrace following our long flight to Johannesburg. The service, the room, the spa and the food were all world class. Our meal at Grei was simply delicious, squeezing its way into one of the top five meals we’ve ever eaten, no mean feat when Osteria Francescana is in there! All the dishes were perfectly portioned and well presented, with some interesting and tasty wine pairings. For the ultimate escape from bustling city life I don’t know why you would go anywhere else.
Find Out More…
Saxon Hotel – http://www.saxon.co.za
Explore more from Johannesburg and South Africa.
Many thanks to the Saxon for hosting us during our time in South Africa. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
