The Park Hyatt brand will be returning to South Africa, with the conversion of an existing property in the city.
In this post:
The Winston Hotel becoming Park Hyatt Johannesburg
The Winston Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, will be joining Hyatt’s portfolio. In the coming weeks the hotel will be available on Hyatt’s booking channels under its current branding. The hotel will then be undergoing an extensive refurbishment, and upon the conclusion of that in early 2023, it will be branded as the Park Hyatt Johannesburg.
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.
The refurbishment of the hotel will be 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, and the renderings make me believe the same may be true here.
The Park Hyatt Johannesburg will have only 30 rooms. All 30 rooms at the property will feature king beds and workstations. The hotel 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.
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. 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? 😉
One thing that I love about the concept of this hotel is how boutique it is, with just 30 rooms. I love a smaller hotel that has some character, while still letting you take advantage of the ability to earn & 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.
It looks to me like this hotel will be undergoing a serious overhaul. Above you can see the rendering of what the property will look like as a Park Hyatt, while below you can see what the property currently looks like. That’s quite a difference.
Bottom line
Hyatt has picked up a new property in Johannesburg, which will eventually become a Park Hyatt. The Winston will be bookable through Hyatt shortly, initially as an independent brand. The hotel will then undergo a significant renovation, and in early 2023 should rebrand as a Park Hyatt. This is an exciting development, especially since the property has just 30 rooms.
What do you make of the new Park Hyatt Johannesburg?
You don't have to go as Jo'burg to stay at "The Winston" there is on in California - they even take pets! https://www.thewinstonsolvang.com/
With only 30 rooms, I doubt that points stays or upgrades will be much of a thing. Or cash deals, for that matter.
I’d love to see a new hotel try to make a go of it in Central Jo’burg or near Wits, but I highly doubt that’s in the cards. The Protea there is surrounded by a high fence….despite that, I undertook my own afternoon-long downtown walking tour from the property and survived.
The Park Hyatt New York has such bland decor.
The renderings of the new Park Hyatt look like what you'd find in a new JW Marriott. It could be a hotel in Hong Kong, Singapore, New York - you name it.
Agree with Ben that (as a Yabu Pushelberg fan) their decor is just their brand, with no local nods. As such, it's a shame because I really like the feel of The Winston. Too bad they can't incorporate that into the new design.
Also, surprised they wouldn't choose Cape Town as the first location for a Park Hyatt.
I really like Yabu Pushelberg, but I'm surprised they were chosen, considering their very sleek and modern aesthetic.
It's cool that PH is opening such a small property. There are lots of markets around the world that couldn't sustain 200 room five star properties, but definitely could support 30 rooms.
As Ben noted, several other Park Hyatts have been designed by Yabu Pushelberg. Seems the powers that be at Hyatt quite like them
When the current Hyatt Regency in Rosebank was a PH it was mis-branded. It NEVER reflected PH standards or the brand.
The new PH will be in an interesting location - residential, like the other two Hyatt properties. We’ll see how it compares to the FS or the Saxon.
Sounds cool. A quick note that Yabu Pushelberg is not a designer, rather a company and design team - George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg.
I would happily have a blog post of all of Ben's pictures of Winston from over the years.
Great addition to the portfolio. Especially considering that the Hyatt Regency you mentioned is "closed until further notice" (and has been so since 2020 - doubt it will reopen).
Ben, are you projecting using your dog now?
What does this even mean?
"Projection is the process of displacing one's feelings onto a different person, animal, or object."
In this case, projecting the feelings of disliking the new branding onto Winston
Winston wants to speak with your manager, too.
Winston probably likes being walked from a hotel upon check-in