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You can find just about every type of lodging in Johannesburg, from the stately and classic Saxon to the fun and funky Ten Bompas or the Peech. Although these varied options are all worthy places to lay your head, the truth is that most travelers stop here only for an overnight or two before they head out to their safari destination. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of places that are easy to get to from the airport and are in well-secured areas so that you will feel safe and comfortable.
Most, if not all, of the good hotels are in the northern suburbs. Many of them are linked to nearby malls and are well policed. Boutique hotels have sprung up everywhere, as have bed-and-breakfasts from Melville to Soweto. Hotels are quieter in December and January, when many locals take their annual vacations and rates are often cheaper. But beware: if there's a major conference, some of the smaller hotels can be booked months in advance.
All the hotels we list offer no-smoking rooms, and many have no-smoking floors.
These pretty, well-appointed, self-catering cottages can sleep four or six people and have stoves, refrigerators, TVs, and a good selection of culinary appliances. In an attractive garden around a pool and adjacent to a cane-furniture factory and shop, they offer excellent value for the money. Breakfast and lunch are served in a tea garden.
Occupying a former office building, this chic-industrial style hotel commemorates Jo'burg's early beginnings as a gold-mining town with touches like a big black-and-white photo of a gold mine over the headboard in each well-appointed room. Elevate, the open-air rooftop bar on the 16th floor, offers spectacular 360-degree views of the old business district, and there's a hot tub (sadly it's not heated) that is accessible to all guests on the sun deck on the third floor. A shuttle service is available for transport to local sites for a fee (free less than 5 km [3 miles]).
You can find this delightful little restaurant and hotel, the creation of sculptor Charles Gotthard, amid trees next to a river. It's made up like a fantasy fairy world, with three stories of little rooms, winding passageways, and stairs leading to colorful private alcoves and balconies. The restaurant has tasty, creative cuisine, such as South African sushi (made with springbok carpaccio), Thai chicken salad, and lime-marinated chicken breasts. A set menu ($$$) is offered on Sunday and holidays; menus change with the seasons. The restaurant is open from Wednesday to Sunday, and bookings are essential. A small shop sells dream catchers, small fairy statues, and the like, and the Gobble D'Gook coffee shop serves homemade cakes on weekends and holidays. There are three B&B units in a restored vintage train car.
