posted 13 Nov 2007 in Volume 10 Issue 6

Review

Michelangelo Hotel, Johannesburg

THE MICHELANGELO is a member of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’, a badge they can wear with pride, and is the flagship of the Legacy Hotel and Resort portfolio of top hotels in South Africa.
Opened in 1996, it is the mastermind of renowned South African architect Francois Pienaar, who also has the enviable reputation of having designed Nelson Mandela Square. It offers the perfect antidote to the bland, unwelcoming corporate hotel one finds in most cities. Inspired by the Venetian Plateau it is very much in the classic Renaissance style with its striking columns, arches, marble and moulded plaster. This has been inspirationally set off by glass elevators looking down onto a waterfall cascading from the upper levels to the entrance below. It manages to combine being über-chic with lots of pizzazz but without losing its personal touch.
The 242 rooms include 20 deluxe and two presidential suites. Most of the rooms are on two levels, made possible by a massive 4m floor-to-ceiling space. The living and dining areas are on the lower level, while the large comfortable beds and spacious marble bathrooms are on the raised floor.
While the hotel has a well-equipped business centre also offering secretarial services, I liked the alternative of having computers for guest use in an informal lounge on the first floor.
The hotel offers an indoor swimming pool and gym, neither particularly large but both more than adequate. I spoke to one guest who ran around the attached Mall every morning. Being inside, he explained that it was weather proof, had the benefit of security guards and gave him ample exercise as it was so huge. An enterprising approach to exercise!
Having built up an appetite you have on your doorstep the cosmopolitan piazza of Mandela Square offering a wide selection of restaurants to choose from. However, I firmly recommend you stay put and sample Michelangelo’s Piccolo Mondo restaurant. A comprehensive Mediterranean-style menu makes it an obvious and popular choice for lunch or dinner. The wine list is particularly good with some fantastic local wines. If you don’t want a full-blown meal then try the elegant Il Ritrovo bar and lounge next to the Piccolo. With its comfy sofas and great ambiance, this buzzes with locals and residents and has a good selection of bar food.
A hotel, however luxurious, is nothing without good staff. At the Michelangelo, I found the staff delightful, helpful and efficient. They help ensure that this is a hotel of excellent quality that rightly deserves its top worldwide reputation.