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Actually, Johan was right about the speed of service sometimes in Quills, but it never really bothers me to be honest. Nice glass of red and they are such a nice bunch working in there usually that the time it takes to get the old 'springy' out passes fast enough. Its the relish that comes with it as well....top notch. ANyway, the only issue I have had with that hotel of late is the sheer cost. It is quite pricey and were it not for an early start the next morning we would probably stay in Rosebank or around Sandton - where high class hotels are cheaper.
- if money is no object (or your employer takes a pre-crisis view of travel expenses), the IC is the closest option, just across the street from the terminals. Has a decent restaurant too.
- There is a considerable number of much cheaper hotels a 10-15 minute transfer ride away.
You want to go shopping
East Rand Mall is not as fancy as Sandton, but much closer.
You want to be entertained
The Emperors Palace complex 10 minutes away. Has a halfway decent food court as well.
You want to go sightseeing or visit museums
Johannesburg is not a European capital, but there are a few options. Township tours can be arranged, but Soweto is (fortunately) not the place it used to be (my last Soweto township tour was in 1990). If you want to see a real township, try Diepsloot. If you dare.
You want rest and recreation
The Birchwood is inexpensive, has extensive gardens, a pool, restaurants etc, and is right nextdoor to the East Rand Mall.
You need to spend the night at or near the airport
- if cost is immaterial, drag yourself and your luggage across the street to the IC, and then drag everything to domestic or international departures (quite a distance) next morning.
- book a room at one of the four hotels at the Emperors Palace complex + a limo (only R 150). The chauffeur will meet you in arrivals, carry your bags to the car waiting kerbside, and whisk you off to your hotel, whilst you refresh yourself with mineral water and wet towels. Total cost a fraction of the IC, and at Emperors Palace you will find not only a casino, but also a food court and such practical things as ATMs in a secure complex.
Net morning you will be dropped off at the departure hall of your choice.
For those arriving on the late KL and KQ flights from AMS and NBO respectively, the choice should be a no-brainer, in my humble opinion.
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Last time I went to Emperors Palace ( a few months ago admittedly) there was a lot of contruction going on around the faux shopping food area - maybe thats done now?
I did the Soweto tour last December and its still pretty interesing. Well worth it IMHO.
Last time I went to Emperors Palace ( a few months ago admittedly) there was a lot of contruction going on around the faux shopping food area - maybe that's done now?
I walked through it early one morning a few weeks ago, and one or two outlets still looked like empty shells.
The Emperors Palace... Now that must be the most ridiculous place I have ever seen! That totally failed imitation of The Venecian... There are often parties or functions there which can cause a lot of noise. Not my cup of tea but fun on some level.
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We arrived JNB 5 hours early and found that Delta did not open until 2.5 hours before flight time so we could not get to where lounges were. Went over to nearby hotel for a bite and found it had lounges for several airlines, not Delta. My Priority Pass got me lounge access and they looked the other way and allowed my wife in with charging. Lounge was nice. We got back to airport around 3 hours early and cleared security with about 2 hours to go. There was so much to see in the airport we never did make the lounge there - it was a looong way from the gate anyway.
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The Emperors Palace... Now that must be the most ridiculous place I have ever seen!
It is the epitome of kitsch, but I find the casino really dispiriting. I walked through it out of curiosity round 8 a.m. one Saturday morning, and found a mixture of hardcore gamblers and very sad people in wheelchairs or just down on their luck who figured that winning at the tables was the only chance of brightening their future.
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I also thought it was a sad kinda place and have no great urge to revisit it. The other classic faux Venetian kinda place in Johannesburg is better but still slightly deranged. Montecasino was it? Can't remember.
What about those with a long evening layover? I land around 5pm and fly out just after midnight. I expect it's not worth getting a hotel by the time immigration and check-in times are taken into account. Any suggestions about what to do for the evening? Or would I be better off just hanging around the airport? I'm female, and travelling solo, so safety is a concern if I were to venture out.
Pop over to the IC, have a drink at the bar, and then dinner in the Quills restaurant. Pretty good food at decent prices.
Johan
Softening up Mr Rebel?
I, for one, love reading your (re)views on hotels and air travel in general so please don't ever stop
Regarding Oliver Tambo airport; last time I was there it was called the Jan Smuts International Airport and it was back in the mid 80's. A very cold and almost Stalinist look over the place and SAA/SAL was not allowed to fly over Africa so flight to Europe easily became a 15 hour trip on 747SP's via Cape Verde for refuelling on certain routes...
Not really, but there is just no denying Quills is the only quality dining venue at or near ORTIA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cupart
Regarding Oliver Tambo airport; last time I was there it was called the Jan Smuts International Airport and it was back in the mid 80's. A very cold and almost Stalinist look over the place and SAA/SAL was not allowed to fly over Africa so flight to Europe easily became a 15 hour trip on 747SP's via Cape Verde for refuelling on certain routes...
Yep, remember those long flights (the alternative was KL with a stop in NBO in the middle of the night), as well as Jan Smuts, where international departures consisted of Hall A and Hall B. The term "hall" was very apt!
Yep, remember those long flights (the alternative was KL with a stop in NBO in the middle of the night), as well as Jan Smuts, where international departures consisted of Hall A and Hall B. The term "hall" was very apt!
Johan
Did the KLM flight as well (CPH-AMS-NBO-JNB) before jumping on a local air company called "United Air" for Gabs; Was taken to the far end of the airport in a bus where a DC3 was awaiting our arrival. Sat in row 2, saw oil (or a brown/black liquid) leaking from the wing, no table as this had either been stolen or fallen off, was served green, red or yellow squash and that was it :-)
But nothing beats the trip when SAS used DC-10's, also via NBO, and where we had to disembark for one reason or the other :-) C class was very different in those days compared to what you get today
