Da Vinci Hotel & Suites - Johannesburg
After hearing mixed reports about peoples expereinces in Johannesburg, I can happily say that my experience was amazing. I was lucky to stay at the Da Vinci Hotel & Suites which is a fantastic hotel in a great location in the upmarket area of Sandton. Beautiful big rooms and contemporary styling. Massive bathroom with separate shower and free standing bath. Breakfast is great with buffet and cooked to order options. The hotel is attached to a high end Mall which wraps around Mandela Square. The square is home to lots of amazing restaurants and has a nice relaxed feel to it. Not at any time did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable during my time in Jo’burg. Your experience in Jo’burg will depend greatly on where you stay and how well you are looked after, so if you want to stay in the city, anywhere in this area should be suitable, but this hotel would be a particularly good choice.
If you would like to get out and explore a little, the Maboneng precinct is a great spot with lots of cool little restaurants and bars. We had lunch at The Living Room which is a cool little spot on the rooftop of one of the buildings with great views. Arts on Main is also home to lots of little eclectic shops and bars, and is apparently the place to be on a Sunday so see if you can work it that you stay over a weekend for some great nightlife and atmosphere.
Another tip if you have time, is to pay a visit to The Apartheid Museum. It is a fantastic and interesting museum and had a great exhibit all about Mandela, really interesting for those who aren’t familiar with the history as it was very in depth. There are 22 individual exhibition areas which take you through a pretty emotional story of a system based on racial discrimination and a struggle of the majority to overthrow the tyranny. It is a beautifully designed museum that locals now see as a symbol of hope and a way of showing the world that they are coming to terms with their oppressive past and working towards a bright future.
If you have any questions about anything I've written here, or anything else to do with Jo'burg, feel free to get in touch with me!