Sandton is known as Africa’s richest square mile; it consists of beautiful towering glass facade skyscrapers. High-end luxury shops at the Sandton City’s shopping parade, this spectacle is connected to the culinary extravaganza of restaurants in the famous Mandela square, named as such because here stands the late President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s 6m(18ft) statue. This place exudes a certain buzz and energy, you could bet you are somewhere else on the globe, but the welcoming sense reminds you that this is still Africa. As I admire my view before I dip into the parking, I am reminded that “Progress is not possible without change, those who cannot change their mind, cannot change anything”. This quote is profound noting, the not so glorious tale, of the founders of these lands, who refused any major future road planning over their land believing that it would remain farmlands forever, I find myself giggling, as I think how far we have come.

The parking in The Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel is optimised, so everything is exactly where it needs to be, the lift is a few trots away from where we are parked. The hotel reception has an urban chic design, reflecting its surrounding as it is located across from our pride and joy the Gautrain rapid rail service. Gautrain is Africa’s first high-speed train, a marvel in transit technology advancement. Check-in at the hotel is quite seamless; it was very quick and efficient. The uber modern chic designs can be intimidating, but this lobby is super welcoming with a comfortable lounging area that is highlighted by the mural tapestry artwork. Across the respective ends of the lobby sit the Central One Restaurant and the Central One Bar, which peer over the pool and the pulse of Sandton, Rivonia Road

Before we get excited let us continue with checking in, the concierge signals us in the direction of the lift well, there are two ornate artwork on the wall. The lift well is moody with a textured feature wall, and the indirect lighting has an understated hue of blue, paying homage to the brand. Our suite is on the tenth floor, as we exit the lift the well-illuminated fitness centre is in front of us. The concierge is still in charge pointing to the right we trot along, we are staying in suite no. 1004, nothing prepares you for this. Entering our suite, I am awe-struck, I have never seen Sandton from this vantage. The views are breathtaking and spectacular at the same time.

The bedroom door gives you a glimpse of the view through a well-framed window, that captures the essence of this city, but I am intrigued, at how high this is. The bedroom is very contemporary, and everything is allotted in its place. There is a shower and bathtub and an additional guest bathroom. Did I mention that this particular suite has a balcony, with a table for sitting and enjoying the sunset or appreciating the advancing light of the rising sun over the city?

There is a separate area for in-room dining, a circular designer table with four polished steel frame leather chairs is highlighted by a modern smoked glass front server and two modern abstract art pieces complete the area. The use of space is intriguing, the massive building’s column that would otherwise have created dead spaces serves to create a cantilever desk making the most inviting workspace I have ever seen. The structural element also subdivides the area, beyond the desk, there is a modern designer couch and a steel frame lounger, and the flat screen tv completes the room. The suite boasts a modern coffee machine with a variety of coffee pods, below the coffee station is a mini bar fridge, and a complimentary bottle of water. The intoxicating late noon light from the lounge is enthralling, revealing a lounge area that has an unending glass wall that gives you uninterrupted views of Sandton. Just when I thought I have seen it all, sunset comes through and delivers an astounding view that paints a sensational set of shades of orange and pink in the sky. These views just keep on delivering, as city lights, switch on, a luxurious dreamy night mood is assured. I could sit here and watch the sunset, the city by night come alive, and even let it retire, every day from this suite if they let me.

We try to order a snack before dinner, but the hotel staff informs us that it’s Fire Friday which means the hotel is having a braai/barbecue.

Reluctantly we relinquish our vantage point, first stop, drinks outside by the pool deck before we have dinner. The service is prompt. The food is prepared on request which means everything is fresh when it lands on your table, this is my kind of braai/BBQ. The platter comes with a variety of goodies, there is a burger, wors, chicken, and a chop accompanied by a salad, garlic bread, pap, and sweet corn. The meat is delectable and fresh, I really like how juicy and flavorful the burger and chicken are. The food portion size is very generous. The DJ is playing cool music we danced the night away, it’s a thrilling vibe that warms the cool autumn night as winter announces its advances. What a beautiful day, I can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds.

This year, I’m planning to incorporate a bit of workout during my travels, so the next morning, we tried the gym. The Radisson has a fully equipped and well laid-out gym that takes advantage of the city views. After working an appetite at the gym, we showered and got ready for breakfast. Breakfast is served buffet-style at Central One restaurant. There is so much variety, you can have whatever your heart desires. The rest of the day we spent by the pool; it is a beautiful, chilled day. We had lunch by the pool. The staff is warm and welcoming and made sure we had everything that we needed. From the hotel, you have walking access to Sandton City to shop and Mandela Square to dine, but our suite is calling so haul our drinks back to the suite. We spent the late afternoon having drinks on the balcony and watching the sunset

As the adjacent buildings turn golden as the lights go up and the chill sets in, we decide to get ready for dinner. Dinner is served ala-carte style at Central One restaurant. I had an amazing Cape Malay curry, compliments to the chef, best curry I have ever had. We had a great night, just because we could not get enough of our suite, we settled for dessert to be delivered to our suite, there is something mesmerizing about sweet treats and golden city lights.

Easy like Sunday morning or Selfcare Sunday are my motto. What would a Sunday morning be without a decent cup of coffee, it’s time to put the coffee machine through its paces. The air is crisp and fresh in the morning, and the sky is moody. We ordered breakfast in our suite, which was convenient because the weather was a little gloomy. This turns out to be the best decision of all time because the enormous glass wall allows for the coolest breakfast with views ever.

Staycations are super cool because you can be spontaneous and book a place and you also don’t need to travel far; I recommend a staycation in the City at The Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel.

For more details or booking please visit The Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel

The Radisson Blu Gautrain Experience