What an interesting location this place is. After spending some time in Johannesburg, Riverside Sun is the perfect spot to get your water fix and relax for al ong weekend. At first glance,the hotel looks like a clean cut ordinary hotel from outside, but once you walk inside and see the lobby, restaurant, and view of the gardens, you know you’re in for a real treat.

The lobby is rather spacious, clean and modern, with an indoor fireplace in the middle of the room and cozy chairs scattered around it. If you arrive early for check in, pull up here or the bar for a fruity cocktail to start the weekend right. There’s also an outside balcony with about six tables for hanging out while taking in the fantastic view of the gardens and river. Fortunately, we arrived on time and our check-in was swift and exceptionally courteous.

When we checked in our room, we were pleased to see how large it was and enjoyed the backfacing view of the river, which is preferable to front facing rooms. The bed was super comfy with an extra fluffy comforter and modern decor. The hotel keeps everything clean to match the idyllic spot on the river with flawless white sheets, light carpets, and plenty of natural sunlight in all of the rooms, most of which have been recently remodeled in 2015.

Outside, there is a playground and a shallow pool so you definitely knew this was a family-oriented place. However, the manager explained that Riverside is mostly for families on the weekends, but during weekday, it becomes a retreat for business people. Several people were also fishing and having picnics on the lawn, and to the right,a large wedding ceremony was taking place as well. It definitely seemed like the right place to be at the time, and the general vibe at the hotel is like this pretty much every weekend.

Shortly after we checked into our room, we walked outside to the river where a pontoon boat and a guide was waiting for us. We had prearranged a private cruise and sailed along the river to look at beautiful trees, nature and mind you, mega-rich houses known as “Millionaire’s Row.”. We also had a complimentary cooler full of drinks like champagne, cider, beer, Appletizers, and more. Accompanying the drinks were a plate full of biltong, nuts, olives and sweets for us to help ourselves. The extra perks made the cruise a more fun and relaxing experience. It was on a Saturday, so we could’ve sworn every other house was hosting a braai (thats barbecue for you non-African folks). You can also arrange to go on a larger cruise boat known as the Liquid Lounge, which can accommodate well over 50 people.

Meals at the restaurant occur on the lobby level where there is an upscale bar and a buffet restaurant, decorated with a “farm chic” interior and always stocked with a giant spread of food. For example, for breakfast there were plenty of meats, fresh fruits, a waffle bar, two omelette bars, and all kinds of side dishes. At dinner, there is a steak station where you can select your cut and have it cooked fresh on the grill in front of you. There was also an Indian food selection while we were there, and the samosas, curry and basmati rice were all of the highest quality — worthy of upscale standalone Indian restaurants. The chef and staff came to our table several times to check on us and make sure we were satisfied with our meals, which we were. If you still have room for dessert, the dessert bar is stocked with both sinfully sweet and healthy options.

While the Riverside Sun isn’t the most luxurious hotel in Tsogo Sun’s extensive offerings, it certainly makes up for it with over the top friendly service, a charming location, and an overall fantastic vibe from top to bottom. It’s a guaranteed fun spot to bring kids for watersports or fishing, and there are plenty of amenities available for everybody else as well.