Saxon – The Ultimate Escape For Your Senses

Saxon Boutique Hotel & Villas is the true definition of luxury and a peaceful retreat from all the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg.  Every detail is mindfully thought out and every amenity specifically chosen to invigorate all 5 of your senses.

SMELL: Dried lavender in your bath and throughout your suite to keep you relaxed

TASTE: All the restaurants are designed to delight the palate with only organic and seasonal ingredients

TOUCH: For that personalized attention to detail, all the pools are slightly heated for the exact perfect temperature for a dip

SIGHT: The extensive African art collection throughout the hotel will have you exploring for hours

SOUND: At the spa, Tibetan sound therapy, unique only to the Saxon, will have you feeling rejuvenated 

If you can believe it, the hotel was originally a residence, built by owner, insurance mogul & billionaire Douw Steyn who actually came up with the concept of telemarketing (Yeah, thanks Douw Steyn).  The Saxon was also famously home to Nelson Mandela while finishing his book “A long walk to freedom” in the 1990’s.  Now this exceptional hotel sleeps everyone from couples making a pit stop in JOBURG before jetting off to safari, to Oprah, Bill Clinton, and while I was there Sir Richard Branson.

My first stop was the spa, of course!  I opted for the Tibetan sound therapy, as it is the only spa in Africa that offers this one of a kind service. I decided I needed a cleanse from the inside out, as I was having a changeling week with a sore, but bine, cyst on my ovary and was also bitten by a spider earlier in the week, and still recovering from the toxins in my body.

I arrived early (2 hours) and took full advantage of what the spa had to offer. I soaked in the hot tub, steam room, out door pool & finally the salt bath that was in the shape of a hammam and had tiny stars adorned on the ceiling. I was properly relaxed and ready for my treatment by the time therapist came to fetch me.

To be honest I was slightly skeptical of this charka aligning treatment. But after experiencing it for myself and talking to the therapist afterwards, I am now a believer!  I swear the next day; I was and still am, full of energy and my cyst was GONE and without the usual excruciating pain.

The special room used only for the sound therapy is covered in singing bowls, cymbals & gongs, and in the center of the room a heated waterbed with colored lights for an added light therapy bonus, to rebalance your energy (She choose blue for me, which means health). 

What you do is lay on the waterbed, then the therapist places a few bowls on top of your body, she then starts playing the bowls on top of you and around the room, while the vibrations of sound, balances and restores the body’s natural energy. The treatment only lasts about 45 minutes, but you wake up so refreshed and relaxed, it seems like hours have passed.  There is a reason treatments like these (yoga included) have been around for thousands of years, they really work. We discussed the Japanese Scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto, who is now proving this theory using water, that sound vibration can be healing and he is finding amazing results.

After my relaxing afternoon I was starving and ready to eat!  I had actually dined in the hotel’s private wine cellar earlier that week with the South African Tourism tour, which is reserved exclusively for private parties, so knew I was in for a real treat! Along with the wine cellar, there is Qunu Grill, their “casual” restaurant, which is still fine dining, and Five Hundred, which is a tasting menu with one seating per evening. Since I hadn’t made a reservation for the tasting menu earlier in the month (make your reservation in advance), I went to Qunu.

In Qunu, named after the village Mandela grew up in, you have the choice to sit inside with live music or outside overlooking the pool & gardens.  As it was a beautiful evening I decided to eat by the pool, less formal, as I was traveling alone.  Qunu has an innovative menu, which takes your taste buds on the ultimate African experience, only using the finest South African ingredients, some of them grown on site on their 10 acre gardens. I started with a rich mussel soup and as my main; I indulged with smoked kudu with an avocado mousse. Both incredibly delicious!

All the rooms at Saxon are actually suites unless you choose the presidential or Mandela suites or private villas accompanied with your own private pool. The décor is an eclectic fusion of colonial style pieces peppered in with traditional African accents & art. As mentioned before, every detail is carefully premeditated, from loofas in the shower, mood lighting next to the bed, a laptop to carry around including complementary wifi, dried lavender sprinkled around for a tranquil aroma & hand crafted chocolates left of your pillow to name a few.

After a peaceful nights sleep I wondered around the property to check the largest private collection of African art in Africa. What seems like every inch, floor to ceiling, is covered is intricate African artifacts, and it’s all for sale!  When you walk into the main entrance, the foyer is decorated with ancient fertility dolls, so be careful, but the perfect vibe for any honeymoon or baby making trip!  The celebrated collection houses everything from handmade baskets, masks, statues, line drawing, to portraits of famous clientele! I swear you think you are in the Brooklyn Museum ( BK Museum has a large African collection)!

After getting lost for about an hour, I decided it was time for breakfast and a swim! I knew the Saxon was famous for their Sunday Brunch, which you do not have to be a guest of the hotel to make a reservation, but since breakfast was included I headed to the buffet.  Wow! Most amazing, freshest, breakfast buffet E-V-E-R, and you can go up as many times as you want!  I must have had, no joke, ½ a dozen oysters! It was so enjoyable I had to take a picture with it!

There are 3 main swimming pools. 2 next to the terrace of Qunu and one in the back of the hotel near the Koi pond.  The pools are heated ever so slightly, so it is the exact perfect temperature for a swim.  It isn’t to warm like bath water nor to cold where you have to inch your way in, just right!

If you are traveling to South Africa, I really urge you to splurge and experience the award-winning hotel for yourself! If you really can’t swing the cost ($500 - $3,400 per night), do yourself a favor and make a reservation for Sunday Brunch and the spa, which has repeatedly been voted best spa in the world. The Saxon is undeniably in a class of its own with all their intimate touches that arouse all of your senses.

If you want any more information about the Saxon or would like to book a trip to South Africa, email: JetawayGuru@gmail.com or visit www.JetawayGuru.com