Enjoy rooms with a view at the Radisson Blu Sandton, Johannesburg

HOW ARE THE ROOMS?

The hotel was designed to have all the rooms, the spa, the gym and the roof pool capitalise on the view. Our corner bedroom (hint: ask for one of these) had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking most of Sandton and a good chunk of the Johannesburg skyline. The rooms are clean and comfortable but need a few small facelifts to get the amenities to first-class standards, such as USB ports by the bedside and updates to some of the furniture and artwork. 

FOOD AND DRINK

I know I’m carrying on about the views but the eighth-floor swimming pool with a sun deck and bar is also an “aah” moment. The bartenders and staff are friendly and the cocktails solid. Spend some time here on the loungers to take in the sunset.

On the 13th floor, Vivace Restaurant is where they serve breakfast, lunch and supper. The décor is a bit dated but the breakfast is a decent continental and the food is good. I had the lamb shank for dinner, which was tasty but not what I would consider five-star quality. The prices are reasonable for what you get.

MOST MEMORABLE

The biggest drawcard is The View, as the spa is named — and it's world class. I love the first sniff of a five-star spa, not the cloying incense you find in lesser establishments but a fresh, luxurious smell of bergamot, lemon verbena and other lovely scents. On the 10th floor, it has 10 treatment rooms, a heated Roman bath (make sure you allocate enough time to relax here with a glass of bubbles or a cup of green tea), sauna and steam rooms, Vichy showers (a sensory experience in which jets of water massaged my back; I’ve never felt so clean and special) and a therapeutic salt room, where you can enjoy a detox session. I recommend a day for the spa. Make sure you book.