Hotel Sky Sandton: A Staycation Review
Hotel Sky in Sandton is an awesome staycation option for those of us in Joburg or a perfe getaway for visitors. For just R950 a night, the hotel packs a punch in a fun and vibrant setting. With jungle and gold themes throughout, the hotel oozes fun opulence (without the price tag). My favorites? I loved the funky vibe, the jungle wallpaper in my room, and (of course) the pool.
Thank you to Hotel Sky for the invitation to stay over.
The Basics
- Rooms from R950
- Two restaurants on site
- Pool and gym available
- Check-in at 2pm and check-out at 10am
- The location is great for visiting Sandton City Mall, Alto 234 (Africa’s highest urban bar), and Sandton’s popular restaurants
The Executive King Room
I stayed in the “Executive Room King Bed Non-Smoking” and found it very comfortable. The room goes for around R2170, including breakfast, for 2 people. However, you can book without breakfast included. The bed and lounge spaces are separated by a small wall that makes the room seem bigger.
The room included two TVs, though I didn’t have time to watch anything because I could see the pool from my window… I immediately canceled a work call and went down.I really liked the automatic blinder function which meant I could open or close the blinds from the bed!
Need to work from Hotel Sky? No problem. There is a comfortable desk located in the room which you can use for any pesky calls you can’t cancel and the Wi-Fi was strong enough for me to connect to work’s remote server easily.
I loved the bold, Jungle-themed wallpaper in the room.
Rooms are accommodated with a hot water kettle and coffee machine. There was also a coffee station on our floor.
Besides the room I stayed in, there is a Standard Queen room (R950) and a Suite King room (R2950). Book your stay here and look out for Hotel Sky’s specials here.
Amenities at Hotel Sky in Sandton
The pool lies in the (not literal) shadow of Hotel Sky and The Leonardo Hotel, which is the highest building in Joburg! Although the pool isn’t heated, the heat of the day makes it refreshing. There is a poolside bar where you can order drinks and food. I ordered a fun rum drink and lounged until I built up the courage to enter the pool. Everyone else was braver than me and almost immediately jumped into the pool when they arrived.
Wilhelm went to the gym on Saturday morning and liked how new the machines were! There is a good selection of basic machines like the treadmill, elliptical, and exercise bike.
Where to Eat at Hotel Sky?
There are two restaurants located inside the hotel. The first is Equinox, which is Hotel Sky’s regular restaurant for all-day dining.
- Breakfast is available 6:30 am to 10:30 am
- Lunch is available 12:00 pm to 4:00pm
- And dinner is available 6:00 pm to 11:00 Ppm Note that the kitchen closes at 10:30pm
If you book a room with breakfast (as you can book with or without), you’ll fill up quickly. Breakfast at Equinox is a continental spread of eggs, meats, cereals, fruits, bread and more. There is an omelet station as well. We sat outside on the balcony and enjoyed the space.
However, if you’re at Hotel Sky in Sandton then you should not miss out on Eclipse Restaurant on the 5th floor. It’s open Monday to Thursday for lunch and dinner. I highly recommend a Friday night dinner at Eclipse Restaurant to help you set the tone for the weekend. Make a reservation in advance. Read my review of what a magical night at Eclipse Restaurant looks like.
Who Should Stay at Hotel Sky?
If you want access to a pool, want to explore Sandton for the weekend, or want a cool hotel you can use as a base as you go to meetings in Sandton, this is the right choice. Hotel Sky had a local feel and was funky with all the gold accents and jungle wallpaper. In all, it created a proper getaway vibe (even if you’re on a work trip).
If you are visiting Eclipse Restaurant for dinner, it would be fun to add on a night at Hotel Sky (as we did) so you can thoroughly enjoy the evening and not worry about getting home. By 11pm we were grateful to walk from the restaurant (almost) straight into bed.
A glittering photo opp everytime you turn around. And just LOOK at those chandeliers.
What to do in Sandton while at Hotel Sky
The first thing to do is to walk around Sandton City Mall. We were able to cross the street and enter the mall easily. As we don’t usually venture into Sandton, this was a good opportunity for us to check out the mall and visit some of my favorite shops like The Space and Young Designers Emporium.
There are also several shops inside the mall that are great for gift/souvenir shopping like Out of Africa, Presidential Shirt Store, and Made in SA. Nelson Mandela Square is also a must while you’re in Sandton. Don’t get discouraged if you get lost inside the mall—it happens to the best of us.
Popular restaurants Zioux and Saint are both a quick walk from Hotel Sky. I prefer Zioux and would recommend it for lunch or dinner (make a reservation). Nearby, I’ve also enjoyed Wok n Roll, which has an all-you-can-eat sushi option (that I highly recommend wearing stretchy pants for).
Lunch at Zioux
Just around the corner from Hotel Sky is The Leonardo Hotel, which hosts the highest urban bar in Africa. It’s worth the R330 ticket if you wanna say you’ve done this. Check out my review of Alto 234.
There is also a Hotel Sky in Cape Town. Visit Hotel Sky’s website for more information here.
Got any questions about Hotel Sky in Sandton? Let me know in the comments!