After a long winter hiatus while we waited for the third wave to subside and our team to get fully vaccinated, in October 2021 the In Your Pocket roaming office got back on the road, working from a different Joburg hotel every Monday.
We launched the roaming office in February 2021 and we’ve now visited 21 Joburg hotels, ranging from small boutique venues to countryside retreats and the city’s finest luxury destinations. An opportunity to reconnect in person and share creative ideas face-to-face (our team now works remotely), the roaming office also allows us to get an in-depth look at what’s new at Joburg hotels after lockdown.
To kickstart your next #OfficeDay inspiration or give you some ideas about where to host your next social get-together, here’s a look at where we’ve been working from during the past month.
Hallmark House Hotel, City Centre
Oct 4, 2021 Like many establishments, Hallmark Hotel, a cool boutique destination near Maboneng, closed several times during last year’s lockdowns. In September 2021 the hotel reopened with a colourful makeover that has brought in new neon-bright statement decor pieces and bold murals commissioned by top local designers and artists, as well as a new ground-floor restaurant and concept store. The jewel in the crown at this unique hotel is its spectacular rooftop bar, one of the finest to be found anywhere in this city, while the basement jazz club and restaurant Marabi Club is another major drawcard.
The meeting space: We met for the day at the hotel’s new Thorn restaurant on the ground floor, switching it up between one of the distinctive round benches and tables by award-winning furniture designers Houtlander and Thorn’s discrete and convenient co-working cubicles.
What’s for lunch: The new restaurant offers easy classics like steaks, messy burgers and our favourite – the spicy braised beef pizza (not for the delicate eater). Of course we also kept ourselves energised with caffeine through the day with great cappuccinos from the coffee bar.
What we liked about working at Hallmark House: That rooftop view! Whether you’re just riding the lift up to take copious photos of the incredible downtown skyline view, or are staying on for an afternoon of drinks, time spent at the Hallmark rooftop is always a treat.
Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch
Oct 7, 2021 If you judge a hotel by the volume of its lobby then you’ll feel comforted by the scale of Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, one of Joburg’s newest hotels. It opened in 2020 in the month of the first lockdown. The hotel’s stylish and comfortable ‘Great Room’ as they are known at Marriott is a lavish space suited to both business and leisure. The 306-room hotel is built around a lush secluded garden and outdoor swimming pool (accessible by guests only) with its own pool bar and lots of sun loungers, while the many lifestyle attractions of the Melrose Arch precinct are on the doorstep.
The meeting space: Behind the grand lobby hangs a stupendous chandelier suspended above the conference rooms one floor below the mezzanine level. We spent the day working from one of their smaller meeting rooms in this state-of-the-art new conferencing venue.
What’s for lunch: what wasn’t?! We got fed and fed and fed. A steady procession of breakfast, mid-morning and late afternoon snacks were paraded to our room for the day. Then for lunch we headed up to the hotel’s Keystone Bistro to feast on a huge butter chicken curry with all the trimmings.
What we liked about working at Marriot Hotel Melrose Arch: Seeing business tourism finally coming back to life was very encouraging. This hotel has really bounced back in a way that some other Joburg business hotels have yet to. We also came to work at the hotel on a Thursday, which meant that after the working day was done we could pop into the adjoining Archer Bar for cocktails and live music.
Ten Bompas Hotel, Dunkeld
Oct 11, 2021 Ten Bompas Hotel in Dunkeld is a small and intimate boutique hotel with excellent conferencing facilities that open out onto peaceful mature gardens filled with birdlife (we even spotted an owl in the trees!). Formerly a private home that has been considerably extended and modified, each of the hotel’s large suites come with balconies or terraces opening directly onto the gardens. The hotel also boasts an excellent restaurant, Winehouse, known for its regular wine pairing evenings and weekend garden picnic events.
The meeting space: We started our day in the hotel’s large meeting room which comes with its own spacious roof terrace overlooking the gardens. After lunch we hotdesked over to one of the conferencing rooms in the hotel’s purpose-built conferencing venue Space, where the patio doors can be opened completely to connect you to the beautiful greenery of the hotel gardens.
What’s for lunch: we enjoyed lunch at the hotel’s celebrated Winehouse restaurant in the company of Head Chef Ross Birkin who talked us through his food philosophy that is underpinned by a serious dedication to sourcing the finest and freshest local seasonal ingredients.
What we liked about working at Ten Bompas: The peaceful gardens just starting to blossom were a great setting to start the week and we think that Winehouse’s take on crème Anglaise is one of the best desserts in town. Discrete, intimate and serenely quiet this is a great venue for starting the week in a cool and calm state of mind.
Thaba Eco Hotel, Klipriviersberg
Nov 2, 2021 Set in expansive grounds amid the exquisite Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve in south Joburg, Thaba Eco Hotel is a real retreat from the city, just 18km from the centre of town. Once you drive through the gates you get the sense of being at a resort rather than a hotel. There are golf carts to transport you up and down the hills from the spa to the restaurant, pool and the bar hidden amid bushveld trees. Unsurprisingly this is a very popular venue for weddings and romantic getaways.
The meeting space: our meeting room for the day was a cleverly designed rondavel fully kitted out for small meetings. We couldn’t resist setting our whiteboard brainstorming session outside on the terrace for the afternoon. The countryside fresh air worked wonders for the grey cells.
What’s for lunch: For lunch we stretched our legs on a walk up through the trees to the Kraal restaurant. Sitting on the terrace overlooking the surrounding hills of the reserve it was very easy to imagine ourselves out on safari rather than on the fringes of Joburg. Dishes are lavishly presented and generous in proportions and if you have a sweet tooth they have some excellent pastries.
What we liked about working at Thaba Eco Hotel: If you want to get out of the city but really don’t want to travel far, this is the perfect place. From the opportunity to take time out and hike the grounds, to the interesting wildlife (look out for the colourful lizards sunbathing) and the charming staff, this hotel is a wonderful escape from the city. The mountain fresh air did us a world of good.
The Catalyst, Sandton
Nov 8, 2021 The newest member of the Newmark hotels group officially opened its doors in Sandton in winter 2021. The 206-bedroom hotel mixes hotel rooms and apartment suites located just down the hill from the bustle of the Sandton Central business district. Amenities include a contemporary restaurant called Kashew, the Sanctuary Spa and a gym as well as spacious fully equipped meeting rooms.
The meeting space: we spent the day working from one of the hotel’s large meeting rooms just off the hotel lobby, equipped with a suitably supersized whiteboard and smart TV. The room doesn’t have much of a view to speak of, although we hardly noticed as it rained throughout the day.
What’s for lunch: We enjoyed breakfast, snacks and gallons of juice in our meeting room (the fresh crispy pastries were excellent!) and for lunch headed to the hotel restaurant Kashew. If you don’t like plates you are in luck as salads, steaks and classic fish and chips all come served across huge slates and butcher boards. The food was great, if quite rich, although the killjoys among us would still have preferred a plate!
What we liked about working at The Catalyst: We truly cannot rate the pastries high enough, our compliments to the creator of those cinnamon rolls. Our humongous conference table also came in very handy for hosting an appropriately socially distanced morning meeting on the rainiest of days.
Catch up on where we’ve been so far
Where we worked in February: Clico Boutique Hotel (Rosebank), The Leonardo (Sandton Central), The Peech boutique hotel (Melrose), Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff (Westcliff)
Where we worked in March: Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa (Morningside), The Maslow Hotel (Sandton Central), Riboville Boutique Hotel (Waterfall), Pablo House (Melville)
Where we worked in April: Home Suite Hotel Rosebank, Protea Hotel Balalaika (Sandton Central), Protea Hotel Wanderers (Illovo)
Where we worked in May: Hotel Sky (Sandton Central), Northcliff Boutique Hotel (Northcliff), The Indaba Hotel, Conference Centre & Spa (Fourways), Southern Sun Hotel Rosebank, The Forum | White Light (Lanseria)
ABOUT THE ROAMING OFFICE: As with all our content, opinions are our own and our reviews are independently written by In Your Pocket’s team of writers. If you would like to invite the Johannesburg In Your Pocket team to visit your hotel and review your offerings as part of the Roaming Office, contact us at melusi.hlatshwayo@inyourpocket.com.