Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa

We only stayed here for one night. The hotel has an interesting history associated with Nelson Mandela who stayed here after his release to write his memoirs. The hotel is beyond luxury with the excellent service which goes with it hand in hand. The drive to the hotel from the airport is interesting and I will say no more. It is only in relation to the difference between the townships and the unbelievable luxury next door. Having said that for luxury and service worth a visit.

The Saxon is a beautiful property but it was the service which set it apart. Switched on intelligent staff who were really focused on ensuring guests got what they wanted from their stay.

Top notch from the minute you arrive at the gate! The Saxon does not leave anything behind when attending to the needs of its guests. Spectacular grounds, lobby and especially the rooms are top-notch at this hotel. The Spa treatment I received was amazing, as well.

The pillows a re fluffy and my bed was perfect, the staff welcomed me and they were friendly. The entire hotel was clean and nicely organised. I loved the view and my car was parked at a reasonable distance. They had the nicest staff and they didn't complain about me being fussy.

What a fabulous hotel. My only regret was we were only staying one night. From the moment we arrived we were treated like special guests. Check in was seamless and professional. We booked through American Express and to our delight were upgraded to the Presidential Suite. It was beyond amazing, just beautiful. We were able to get an even later check-out than A/E offers, as our flight was late in the evening. We enjoyed exploring the property for the day and found it to be exceptional. We met one of the managers who told us the history of this home. Privately owned, which puts it above chain hotels in our opinion. The Coi pond was beautiful and the pool area so relaxing. We had a late lunch on the patio overlooking the pool area. It was just what we needed ahead of a couple of long flights to Tanzania. The staff was super nice and attentive, and or burgers were delicious. We are big fans of The Four Seasons, but are so happy they were closed for renovations or we would have missed this grand hotel. We highly recommend Saxon Hotel and would love to return for a longer visit.

It was a very good experience, I'm looking forward to going again. Their service is top notch and I'd recommend to friends and family. Also for business conferences as well, they facilities are out of this world. Definitely worth every penny.

A wonderful hotel in a magnificient garden. Staff, Food and accomodation are simply perfect. The very special thing is the immense swimming pool overlooking the garden: very peaceful and enjoyable .... The Qunu restaurant, where we had dinner twice, is a wonderful place with very high quality food and wonderful South African wines. A special thanks to the staff, who is always kind and helpful.

The hotel looks and feels very private behind huge walls, which is nicely balanced by some lush gardens. The rooms are very spacious and well maintained, and the food offered is of great quality. The service, however, is very hot and cold. I have had some of the worst front desk employees I have seen in a while - very confrontational and unwilling to admit the shortfalls on the service we were getting. We ended up cutting our stay short and moving elsewhere after all the chaos. I would give this hotel a hard pass next time I am in Johannesburg.

The Saxon is the best thing going in the greater Johannesburg area and you will want for nothing if you stay here. I had booked a two-night stay before heading home from Cape Town in February 2024. This was my third stay at the Saxon, and unfortunately, I arrived from Cape Town quite ill. The associate who checked me in, Phillip, was phenomenal, and made quick work of the check-in process and finding a doctor to come look at me in my suite. The doctor was quick to arrive and highly skilled, and left me with some medicines to hopefully help with my ailment. The next day I was quite a bit sicker, and had to call the front desk from my mobile phone as I couldn’t get up easily. An associate was quickly dispatched to my suite (and, per my request, let himself in as I was unable to get to the do), and phoned for the doctor who arrived in no time. Sadly, I was sent to the hospital where I spent the next five nights. This is where Team Saxon really stepped up. I called the Saxon from the hospital the day after arriving, and wonderful associate (Siobhan? I know I’m butchering her name, and I’m very sorry!) brought me my phone charger, along with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I’d ever seen! The next day, I asked for yet another phone accessory from the hotel to be delivered to me, and it was dispatched quickly by one of the extremely thoughtful concierge staff, Masood, who stayed awhile chatting with me, which was definitely a spirit lifter. As a quick aside, I’m nobody. I’m not Taylor Swift, I’m not a captain of industry, and I’m not a powerful politician. I’m just some guy. But the Saxon bent over backward to ensure that my best interests were accounted for and that I knew that I mattered to them. They asked me if I would like them to pack up my suite until I returned (so I wouldn’t be paying for an unoccupied space). They made it clear that if I needed literally anything, they were a phone call away. This was a real, and sincere, display of caring, and a genuine looking out for guests’ best interests. When I knew I would be ready to return to the Saxon, the woman with whom I spoke to set up the reservation, Lindo, helped me ensure that I was booking via the right channel (Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts) so I could benefit from that; when I returned to the Saxon the next day, I was able to meet the delightful Lindo in person, and it was she who showed me to my suite and helped me get situated. Then, at lunch, Masood stopped by and introduced me to Mr. George Cohen, the Managing Director of the property. Mr. Cohen and I had a lovely 15-minute chat, and it was interesting for me to hear how he had risen up the hospitality ladder over the years. A thoughtful, engaging, and warm MD who is visible to guests, and really sets the tone for the Saxon. He even made it a point to be in the lobby to bid me farewell when I checked out for my journey home the next morning. The last time I experienced that level of personal touch has been at a few of the