The Maslow is open again. Here’s what you can expect

“This is the first time in six months that we’ve had to put on longs,” jokes Herman Swart, general manager of The Maslow hotel in Sandton.

They’ve also had the problem of getting the ducks to relocate from the pool deck after they settled in comfortably over the past few months while the hotel has been shut. With no guests around, the green lawns and crystal water seemed all too enticing.

And I get it. Who wouldn’t want to lounge around the beautiful pool on a deck chair and soak in the greenery, fresh spring air and warm sun rays – right in the middle of Sandton? It feels like a little oasis in the concrete jungle springing up around the hotel’s windows and balconies.

Welcoming us for a pre-opening before the hotel officially opened on October 1, it is the first time in just more than six months that the entire Maslow team has been together – and they’re ready to welcome back guests.

With masks and Covid-19 safety protocols in place – from doing a health screening before even setting foot in the hotel using a QR code that you scan using your own phone, to having your temperature taken and observing clear social distancing measures – they’ve done what they can to make your stay as safe as possible.

As most of the hotel’s business comes from corporate clients, they waited longer than many other hotels to open. “The biggest issue for us is international travel. We’re a big host for international corporate travel and bookings are extremely slow,” says Swart. The same goes for local corporates. Potential customers looking for a swanky lunch spot are still working from home, business travel all but relegated to the history books for now.

“It’s going to be an interesting journey for us. We’re going to have to go through some pains here in restructuring our business to stay afloat,” Swart adds.

Part of this restructuring means rethinking their conferencing facilities. While they still have their physical conferencing spaces, which are open again on a scaled-down capacity, they have made a shift to live conferencing that integrates a sense of a live event – such as a live panel and a small live audience if you so desire – with online streaming across a variety of platforms.

Their meeting rooms are also open again for groups needing a meeting space or change of scenery – from the creative space that’s the Incubator room to all-day private meeting rooms with on-site kitchen, break spaces and state-of-the-art technology.

But as someone still working from home it’s really the other stuff I’m interested in. Whether you visit for business or pleasure, there’s one stop you’ll be well-advised to include during your visit – the Maslow’s Africology spa. Complete with yoga area next to the hotel’s herb garden and outside deck garden where you can while away the time in between aroma-steam therapy treatments or a Rasul session, it will make you yearn for a spa treatment.  

Buffets are still a go, but where possible everything is prepackaged, sealed and on display for you to take what you like. For meals that require dishing, chefs wearing face shields and gloves will serve the guests who will be asked to keep their distance when not being served.

During quiet services – as with the night that we spent at the hotel – food will be served a la carte. In our case, this meant a delectable five-course dinner, complete with a wine pairing. Despite all the Covid protocols we’ve come to expect I felt I could once again kick back and savour a lovely meal in an elegant setting among good company.

Once you’ve entered that relaxation mode, you, like me, might almost forget that masks still need to be worn when leaving the dining table or exiting your room. But if you do, you’re bound to run into the masked face of a friendly staff member that will serve as a stark reminder that we’re not out of the woods – just yet.