It's a natural high at The Leonardo hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Before spending the night in the hotel, I'd enjoyed a few meals at Aurum, the swanky, high-ceilinged, plushly decorated restaurant at The Leonardo and I'd been to a few spectacular parties at Alto234, the highest urban bar in Africa. On the rooftop of the building and with 360-degree views across Joburg, it makes for amazing, gold-tinged highveld sundowners.

The Leonardo makes its presence felt on the Sandton skyline long before you get there. At 234m, it's the second-tallest building in Africa (after the 393.8m Iconic Tower in Egypt), with 55 floors.

Apart from the hotel, restaurant and rooftop bar, it has 200 apartments and 11 floors of commercial office space. First impressions are of a ritzy, high-end, corporate palace with friendly service, excellent eating and drinking spots and comfortable, classy rooms to rest your head or play in.

Hotel guests have access to a state-of-the-art gym, outdoor lap pool and deck and two-storey Legacy Balance Spa. The hotel has nine state-of-the-art, all-purpose conferencing venues and meeting rooms with food prepared by the team at Aurum. Conference rooms Isabella I-IV can open to create one space with a capacity of up to 330 people.

WHAT ARE THE GUESTS LIKE? 

A mix of Sandton elites coming for a delicious dinner or to marvel at the views from the Alto234 bar while they sip on Moët & Chandon from the branded bar — and international business people, affluent tourists to the City of Gold or transit game enthusiasts on their way through Joburg to the Kruger National Park and surrounds. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROOM?

DETAILS MATTER. DID ANY STAND OUT?

Adorning the grandeur and marble is an incredible art collection of more than 800 pieces inspired by the four elements — earth, wind, fire and water. The collection is a curation of commissioned original works by emerging and established visual artists.

DID THE FOOD DO THE TRICK?

Dining options include  on-the-go convenience meals from Leo’s Lounge & Deli, fine dining at contemporary European restaurant and wine library, AURUM, wood-fired pizza at Octo Bar and bar tapas and snacks at the rooftop bar, Alto234.

A sucker for a little spoil, I love the Moët Mini-Matic, a vending machine at Alto234 that uses special tokens to dispense perfectly chilled 200ml bottles of Moët & Chandon. Bar staff are on hand to give you a little golden spout to screw into the top of your Champagne mini once you've extravagantly popped the cork. It's a sophisticated way to swig from the bottle.

I have to offer a serious warning to those who choose to dine at Aurum: be prepared to over-eat. The menu, though not intimidating, is full of wonderful temptations which makes it impossible to forgo starters and dessert.

Start with Saldanha Bay Oysters with smoky rice vinegar dressing  and Mignonette granita and then move on to the prawn risotto, which is light and exceptional. They also do a great Frutti di Mare linguine.

The mains menu offers a delectable choice of meat, duck and fish dishes. Don't skimp on dessert and order two for a couple instead of sharing. The Hibiscus berry panna cotta is delicious, as is their crème brûlée.

If you prefer a romantic sunset meal, Alto234 serves fabulous tapas that include mini poke bowls, Wagyu beef sliders and west coast oysters.

RATES

From R4,390 for a one-bedroom luxury suite (single). To book or for more information, visit the website.