http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-12T23:56:54Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/1/19/194531/075 <![CDATA[<p> <img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/westcliffhotel_readerreview.jpg" class="top"><p> <i>Every so often we feature a hotel review from our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">Send it in</a>. <p>This time, a reader sends in a quick dispatch from the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Westcliff/local/4789"><b>Westcliff Hotel</b></a> in Johannesburg.</i><p> <p>What a lovely hotel, it's built like a small village on a hillside overlooking the city. Sunday brunch at La Belle Terrasse is a very nice way to while away the day, sitting outside on the terrace above the infinity pool, watching elephants and giraffes juliana 2011-01-27T12:01:14-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/6/2/95332/24632 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/usworldcup_irenelodge.jpg" class="top"><p> While <a href="http://www.jaunted.com"><b>Jaunted</b></a> takes you on a tour of the <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/tag/2010 world cup">2010 World Cup Stadiums</a> in South Africa, we're interested in where the football players are spending their nights. And for the U.S. team, it's the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/IRENE+COUNTRY+LODGE/local/1755"><b>Irene Country Lodge</b></a>, just north of Johannesburg in the village of Irene. <p>The lodge has only 74 rooms (25 of which are new) and the decor is "English Country Manor." Rates start around $170 USD a night and rooms are equipped with wireless internet (for a fee), minibars, 24-hour room service and DSTV satellite television, although we did spy some chunky box TVs in armoires in one of the <a href="http://www.irenecountrylodge.co.za/accommodation/">room photos.</a> <p>But perhaps the players won't need juliana 2010-06-02T11:30:46-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/4/20/8843/00400 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/Radisson_Blu_Johannesburg.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>Complete with the sassy new <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/4/1201/07199/hotels/Adventures_in_Rebranding_Radisson_SAS_is_Now_Radisson_Blu">Radisson Blu</a> branding, the former <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/radisson sas">Radisson SAS</a></b> chain has a new hotel in South Africa. The <b>Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton</b> has just opened in Johannesburg and it sounds cool enough to go with the "Blu" title.<p>Big flat-screen LCD TVs for all, <b>complimentary</b> WiFi for all, and a big wine bar and lounge, this hotel sounds great except for one not-so-cool (well, to us) feature. As part of its ONEwellness Spa and fitness center, it's got this:<blockquote><p>an indoor/outdoor jogging course that snakes in and out of the hotel&#146;s public areas.</blockquote><p>So they want us to jog, sweaty and puffy, through <em>public</em> areas of the hotel? The hotel designers obviously have a amandak 2009-04-20T09:11:41-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/8/5/63739/57469 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3873/The_Peech_Hotel_Johannesburg.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Peech+Hotel/local/1298"><b>The Peech Hotel</b></a> in Johannesburg seems to be going for all the angles. It's a boutique hotel, it's proudly eco-friendly, and it's a loud, proud member of all the biggest social networking sites. How much cooler could you get?<p>For a start, they've got their own <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Johannesburg-South-Africa/The-Peech-Hotel/26604424438">Facebook page</a> and for once, it doesn't look like the only fans are staff, because they've got (a few) fans from across the world. It's early days but they're doing all the normal Facebook stuff like adding photos and events; someone's started a discussion but we're hoping to see more.<p>The Peech also started <a href="http://twitter.com/ThePeechHotel">Twittering</a> a few weeks ago, giving a few updates on events and advertising links to special amandak 2008-08-05T08:58:31-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/19/114229/830 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/saxon_egoli.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>The <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Saxon+Boutique+Hotel+And+Spa/ian/193320"><b>Saxon Hotel</b></a> in Johannesburg takes the meaning of 'surreal' to a new level. It's an over-the-top opulent boutique hotel inside what looks and feels like a high-security prison. <p> <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/Johannesburg%20Hotel%20Reviews">Johannesburg</a>, the largest city in South Africa, has a reputation for being dangerous--or at least, it's dangerous to be rich. And the Saxon Hotel is where the Really Rich stay. It's a 24-room boutique extravaganza of a hotel, but for security reasons it's set behind a 10-ft. stone wall topped with barbed wire and lined with armed guards. <p> The entrance roads are a kind of maze, with various gates opening at various unpredictable times to throw would-be robbers off the scent--you have to wait for femmefatale 2008-05-20T12:33:55-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/