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 want 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 June 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 June 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 seven months. You’d think we’d have a good sense of things a couple of months before the planned opening, but it seems not. I’m curious what’s causing this delay, especially since it seems like work on the property is mostly done.
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.”
Below are some pictures of the Park Hyatt Johannesburg accommodations. As mentioned above, it appears that at least the rooms are ready to go, as these are pictures and not renderings.
Speaking of which, I’ve gotta say that the renderings that were released when this property was first announced looked quite a bit different… or is it just me? Did they have a change of heart when it comes to design, were there budget issues, or…?
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 June 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 glassed in bathroom looks disgusting, who is the moron who thinks customers want these "modern" designs. I hope they install curtains on the outside
I checked with Hyatt last week and their systems said “opening July 1st” So maybe moving to June 1st is positive.
I have a stay planned for July 1st. I booked back in August. The new room color scheme seems kitschy vs the renderings. I wouldn’t mind further delays and having them move me elsewhere on compensation.
Interesting callout on the finished product being quite a bit different from the initial renders. Renders looked like classic Yabu Pushelberg design for any hotel in Asia, but maybe they decided to make it more colorful to represent their location more accurately. In my opinion, Park Hyatt usually does a good job of having design reflective of it's locale.
Is this place really up to the Park Hyatt standard? It doesn't look all that impressive from those photos.
Honestly agree. Rooms make it look like one of the least impressive PHs I've seen. 31 rooms only though and I'd imagine (hope) the service will be great.
I don't see a 31-room hotel in a Second World country is going to be profitable. You would need a huge business in events, meetings and restaurants to offset the limited profit margin of 31 rooms.
You don't know Johannesburg.
Look to The Saxon for a prime example of how the Park Hyatt can work.
Maybe an independent hotel but a Park Hyatt will come with significant overhead: a management contract with Hyatt, 6-8% of revenue paid to Hyatt plus additional fees, etc.
Staff costs are lower in South Africa.
Johannesburg is a big city that's visited by lots of wealthy people doing business. It's often been called "the New York of Africa". I have a feeling the PH will have high occupancy most of the time, and with only 31 rooms it won't need hundreds of staff to keep it running. Time will tell.