With all the creature comforts that you’d expect from the quality Intercontinental chain, plus a fantastic location smack bang next to Sandton City – Johannesburg’s biggest and best shopping mall – this hotel certainly delivers. Sure, it’s not Jozi’s most soulful hotel, but the rooms are of excellent quality and there’s every facility you could ask for.

The large lobby sets the scene; luxurious sofas and helpful staff, including smartly-dressed porters who are polite and considerate. Most of the rooms are up high in the tower, affording interesting views of the city skyline and the green fields beyond. There’s a pleasant deck pool with plenty of sun loungers to go around, and a poolside bar. The restaurant offers a la carte options plus a good selection of room service dishes; our club sandwich was very good.

We appreciated the attention to detail in the standard double rooms, including strategically placed glass bottles of water in the bathrooms, as well as in the main bedrooms. The bathtubs are ergonomically designed, and there’s plenty of space to unpack or store extra luggage. The desks are spacious, and there are a number of lighting options to suit your mood. And with large, spotless windows, we caught a nice sunset but were glad of the blackout curtains (and soundproofing) at bedtime.

There’s a fully-equipped gym, a good business center, and to reach Sandton City mall, you need only head to the 10th floor and follow the walkway across. From the airport, allow a 40 minute drive. To the hip restaurants and bars of Melville and Rosebank, it’s about a 20 minute taxi journey.