If you are looking for somewhere beautiful to stay in Johannesburg, here is A Review of The Northcliff Boutique Hotel.
Set at the top of Northcliff Hill, on the second-highest natural point in the city, sits The Northcliff Boutique Hotel, overlooking what seems to be the whole of the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
The hotel, which is about 8km away from our home in Fairland, has been getting a lot of attention from the community since opening up a few months ago.
The new luxury boutique hotel, events venue and restaurant is surrounded by natural beauty and amazing views.
A Review of The Northcliff Boutique Hotel – Drone Footage
We were lucky enough to be invited to spend a night over at The Northcliff, which included dinner and breakfast at their signature restaurant, Kranz.
A Review of The Northcliff Boutique Hotel
As we arrived, we were welcomed by one of the managers Jaco Minnaar. During our stay at The Northcliff, Jaco chatted to us about why the developers decided to create a small three-bedroom boutique hotel instead of a larger hotel.
Jaco said that while most hotels can have hundreds of rooms and the staff to accommodate them, at times the most intimate, at-home vibe hotels come in the form a boutique hotel experience.
Our room was clean, spacious and modern and looked out onto the whole expanse of northern Johannesburg.
The room had a business desk, complimentary Wi-Fi, international multi plugs, iPod docking station, a stunning Smart TV, king size extra length bed dressed in the best linen, opulent robes, and lavender-scented white towels.
The bathroom was huge, with a freestanding bath, large shower and basin. It is also equipped with warming and ventilation options.
“We did not want The Northcliff to have a ‘corporate hotel’ feel, we wanted it rather feel like a home away from home for our guests. Even when we started to look for staff to employ, we decided that we would hire people that we had worked with before, some of which, at the time were unemployed. Our ethos was about keeping it local and supporting our community and this can also be seen in the furniture around the hotel, which we sourced from small local producers,” says Jaco.
One of the most remarkable moments for us while staying at the Northcliff was the feeling of serenity and relaxation, the hum and craziness of the city just felt so far away and considering it’s so centrally located, really made the visit more special.
I think it is something everyone needs to experience.
A Review of The Northcliff Boutique Hotel: Kranz Restaurant
The hotel’s restaurant, which has 180-degree views of Joburg, is the cherry on top of an unforgettable dining experience. At night, it looks as though a million little stars are twinkling at you as you eat your dinner.
Even if you just decide to go for sundowners, from the floor to ceiling windows in the intimate restaurant, you will take in the view that stretches from Northcliff to Magaliesberg.
The food is simple, seasonal and has bold, clean flavours. Jaco says the restaurant is an innovative interpretation of classic, uncomplicated dining; combining locally sourced produce and seasonal ingredients, for a menu that constantly changes throughout the year all paired with limited edition vintages from boutique South African vineyards.
My favourite two courses from the menu were the Potato Gnocchi Starter, luxurious pillows of soft potato that just melted away in my mouth, as well as the Malva Pudding with Tonka Bean Ice Cream and Rooibos glaze. Shaun’s was definitely the Prawn starter.
In the morning, we were treated to a very lavish breakfast, of fresh fruit and granola, as well as an eggs benedict type brekkie too.
We were told that we would also be able to enjoy flapjacks and scones but we declined as we were stuffed!
We left this mini staycation feeling super well fed and rested, so thank you to The Northcliff for such a magical evening dining on the hill.
All you need to know:
- The Northcliff is open from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch
- Breakfast is available exclusively for in-house guests
- Kranz also offers a lighter menu for the lounge, pool deck and garden from 11 am to 6 pm
- Standard Room from R1 350, Superior Room from R1 750
DISCLAIMER: We were hosted in exchange for A Review of The Northcliff Boutique Hotel, but my opinions are my own as always.
