With hotel spas becoming something of a staple fixture, properties are jockeying to outdo each other with new-fangled, and at times gimmicky, attractions.
Thankfully the newly relaunched spa in Johannesburg’s Saxon hotel, offers the best of spa culture, without the unnecessary bells and whistles. An equal reverence to science and human awareness is evident in the collaboration of modern therapies with ancient techniques for an experience that is a celebration of simplicity. Here, eight treatment rooms guide guests through a holistic journey that also includes access to a series of thermal spaces, including a steam room, heated hydro pool, hammam centre, plunge pool, a Himalayan salt sauna and outdoor treatment zone.
Yet it never feels overwhelming. A thoughtful continuity of design features, such as the use of locally handcrafted Himalayan salt, purported to ionise surrounding spaces, brings cohesion to the two-floor spa. Recycled glass chandeliers too, make a frequent appearance; the minerals used are said to purify the air, stimulate circulation and increase energy levels. And throughout the space, interior designer Stephen Falcke has brought together dark wood, copper, linen and water for an aesthetic that is warm and rustic. The result is a soothing space that feels a world away from the clatter of the city and truly in touch with the holistic disciplines of a traditional spa.
ADDRESS
36 Saxon Road
-
Meet Malak Mattar, the Palestinian artist behind the 'Together for Palestine' concert at London's Wembley ArenaThe London-based artist curates a landmark concert of music and art in support of Gaza, alongside Brian Eno, James Blake, Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and more
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasureThe Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways
-
A carbon-emission-busting house, yeast-biomass building, and more ‘Designs for a Cooler Planet’‘Designs for a Cooler Planet’ returns to Aalto University in Finland as part of the annual Helsinki design and architecture week, highlighting buildings, materials and solutions towards a better future
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Few & Far Luvhondo: an intimate South African eco-lodgeWith just six cliffside suites, Few & Far Luvhondo offers front-row seats to the untamed wilderness of South Africa’s Limpopo
-
The world’s best new hotels to love without reservationExplore the best new openings in the world, from Rosewood’s all-suite grandeur in London to a laid-back Catalan countryside retreat
-
Singita Ebony Lodge celebrates 30 years of wild beautySingita Ebony Lodge in Hazyview, South Africa, begins a new chapter with a refresh by Cécile & Boyd
-
A refreshed Cape Grace hotel embraces the best of South African heritageCape Town’s Cape Grace hotel reopens its doors following an extensive and playful renovation by international interior design studio, 1508 London
-
Cape Town: 8 things to do and see for the design-minded travellerCape Town is a capital of art, design, food and wellness; local resident Sean O’Toole on the best things to do and see, from a Bree Street meander to a Constantia wine route
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
