in South Africa
The Saxon Boutique Hotel & Spa
The Saxon wins all the prizes, located in the tranquil suburb of Sandhurst, close to Sandton, which is Johannesburg’s upmarket business area. It espouses a simple enough cliché – small but perfectly formed – and makes of it something fresh, with 24 individually-designed, Africa-inspired contemporary suites amidst six acres of undulating landscape gardens. All have open-plan bedrooms and bathrooms with lounge and in-room dining areas, large TV screens, VCR and DVD players and surround sound music systems. In addition, there are three Presidential Suites featuring separate lounge and dining areas. The Saxon Spa & Studio has eight treatment rooms with hydro facilities. Dining options include a fine dining restaurant, the Pool Terrace, Piano Lounge, Cigar Library and Spa Café.
Rooms: 24 suites
There’s only one suite to book: the two-bedroom Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite with its own Jacuzzi and steam. It’s where he edited his bestselling autobiography
A Long Walk To Freedom. No surprise, then, that past guests have included world leaders, statesmen and rock stars.
