RUN OFF TO THE RIVER
LOCATION
Vanderbijlpark is about an hour from Johannesburg, and the hotel is nicely placed on the banks of the Vaal River. It shares waterfront property with people who enjoy boating, judging from the launch facilities attached to their homes, and waterslides that go straight into the river from the front lawn.
ROOMS
RIVERSIDE SUN, VANDERBILJPARK The hotel has about 150 rooms, including a few suites. For a three-star, it is a plush stay. Riverside has the hotel comforts, and on a rainy day with good movie selection, our kids were happy to play with the tea set for a few hours in the double room without getting claustrophobic.
STYLE
The river and old trees come into the rooms on pillow prints, wall art and throws. Those with good eyesight should just ignore Sasolburg’s smoking towers in the far distance and focus on the rose garden and grassy grounds. This is a bit of a country oasis in an unexpected part of Gauteng before it becomes the Free State.
SERVICE
Good service. Apart from key cards going offline at the exact check-out time, leaving a queue at the front desk at 11am, we were well taken care of.
THE EATING
We had dinner in the lovely wine cellar which showed off their good tapas offerings. It was a social treat to nibble on lamb ribs, basil pesto and flat breads, calamari and salads with a group that kept the barmen busy. The cellar is a specialoccasion option. The kids were entertained with a group movie and popcorn night, on special request.
The rest of our stay was buffet breakfasts and dinner which will keep most people satisfied. The home-style oxtail got the thumbs up, as did roasts and a hearty curry on a cold night.
THE ‘DO’ LIST
You might encounter business groups, and families away for the weekend.
Both are catered for. We enjoyed the giant chess in the garden, a water slide, jumping castle and shallow pool. Archery and paintball were arranged for the long weekend.
But the highlight of our stay was a breakfast cruise on the Liquid Lounge, usually a party boat, which woke up early on a Saturday morning for a two-hour meander that was just enough to get the day going with a hot breakfast.
RATES
From around R1 400 per room per night. Kids under 18 stay and eat breakfast free.
CONTACT
Call 016 982 7300 or see tsogosun.com. Naidoo was a guest of Tsogo Sun.