In June 2022, we learned how the Park Hyatt brand would be returning to South Africa, with the conversion of an existing property in the city. At the time, the plan was for the Park Hyatt to open in early 2023.
I wanted to provide an update on this, as the opening date of this property keeps getting pushed back further, and it’s now supposed to open in April 2025. Let’s go over the details.
In this post:
The Winston Hotel becoming Park Hyatt Johannesburg
The Winston Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, will be joining Hyatt’s portfolio. The hotel is in the process of undergoing an extensive renovation, and once that’s completed, it will be branded as the Park Hyatt Johannesburg. While the renovation is taking longer than planned, the hotel is accepting reservations for stays as of April 1, 2025.
New hotel opening delays are common, but this property’s delayed opening is particularly bad. As of mid-August 2024, the hotel was supposed to open as of October 15, 2024. We’ve now seen an additional delay of well over five months. You’d think we’d have a good sense of things a couple of months before the planned opening, but it seems not.
It’s interesting how the Park Hyatt brand has come full circle in Johannesburg. Back in the day, there was the Park Hyatt Johannesburg, but then in 2007 it was rebranded as the Hyatt Regency Johannesburg. Now a new property will carry the Park Hyatt branding, though it’ll be much more boutique.
The refurbishment of the hotel is being overseen by Yabu Pushelberg, a design firm that previously worked on properties like the Park Hyatt New York, Park Hyatt Shenzhen, and Park Hyatt Bangkok. As it’s described, the redesign will “revitalise the hotel while celebrating the heritage and craftsmanship of its locale.”
Personally I consider those properties to have pretty generic decor, so it’s interesting that this firm was chosen if the goal was to have a bit more personality in the property. However, the renderings of the Park Hyatt Johannesburg do look very nice — I like the details with the floor, ceiling, etc.
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg will have only 31 rooms. All 31 rooms at the property will feature king beds and workstations. There will only be two categories of guest rooms (with the difference being the views), plus four categories of suites.
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg will also have a restaurant with a dining room and outdoor terrace. Then there will be a bar, as well as an event space for conferences and meetings, which can accommodate up to 60 guests. With just 31 rooms, this will be the world’s smallest Park Hyatt in terms of the number of keys.
Park Hyatt Johannesburg rates & points requirements
With the Park Hyatt Johannesburg accepting reservations, what are rates like?
For those redeeming points, this will be a Category 5 World of Hyatt property, meaning a free night redemption in a standard room costs 17,000-23,000 points per night. Meanwhile a free night redemption in a standard suite costs 29,000-35,000 points per night.
Cash rates at the Park Hyatt Johannesburg are on the steep side, but that’s not surprising when you consider how small and high-end this property will be. Rates seem to start at somewhere around $500 per night, give or take. I imagine those rates could get a bit more attractive as the opening date approaches, but we’ll see.
If you are looking to book a cash stay here, I’d recommend doing so through the Hyatt Privé program, which offers extra perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and a hotel credit.
My take on the Park Hyatt Johannesburg
First of all, I can’t believe there was a hotel named The Winston and I didn’t even know about it (Winston is also my dog’s name!). And I’m extremely disappointed that this will simply be rebranded as the Park Hyatt Johannesburg, rather than as The Winston Johannesburg, a Park Hyatt Hotel. Right, Winston? 😉 Hey, at least one of the suite categories at the property is “The Winston Suite,” so I know what room I hope to stay in when I visit!
One thing that I love about the concept of this hotel is how boutique it is, with just 31 rooms. I love a smaller hotel that has some character, while still letting you take advantage of the ability to earn and redeem points, etc. That sounds much better to me than so many of the other 200+ room Park Hyatt properties. When I next visit Johannesburg, I’ll definitely be staying here.
Clearly this hotel is undergoing a major overhaul, given what the property previously looked like (you can see the pictures below).
This looks like it’ll probably be among Johannesburg’s best hotels when it opens. Otherwise, the Saxon Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg are probably the city’s best properties.
Bottom line
The new Park Hyatt Johannesburg is accepting reservations for stays as of April 2025. Specifically, The Winston is an existing hotel in Johannesburg, which is undergoing a full renovation, before reopening as a Park Hyatt. With just 31 rooms, this will be the world’s smallest Park Hyatt. Based on the renderings, this is a hotel to look forward to.
Now the question is just when the property will actually open, given the ongoing delays.
What do you make of the new Park Hyatt Johannesburg?
The Saxon is the place to stay. No question.
I had hoped that the Hyatt Regency, which is also located Rosebank, gets reopened. It was such a nice property, both in terms of architecture and services provided, but went into foreclosure during the pandemic. And has never reopened since, neither as a Hyatt, nor under the different name.
Taste is obviously personal and what I find beautiful can look meh to someone else, but calling this stunning seems over the top. It seems very beige and plastic. Definitely doesn’t give any stunning vibes
Rosebank in the sixties was wonderful. Tree lined boulevards which they destroyed. had nothing to do with apartheid. Geography is geography just wanted to sell more office space and build more hotels. Upsets me going there now.
My English Springer Spaniel’s name is “Sir Winston”! And he is a food genius!
Remind me, what kind of dog (breed) is Winston?
Looks like a nice property - JNB not a place to walk around and feel safe in
Ben, totally unrelated but now that you bring up Winston how is he and Miles getting along? Does Winston play with him, protect him, ignore him?
I would not revisit Africa after the fallout from Cairo airport.
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Johannesburg is at the bottom end of Africa and Cairo is at the top - and they have rather different governments
You mean Africa is not a country? /s
How is a 31-room hotel profitable?
By taking in more revenue than they pay out in expenses.