The Houghton Hotel, Spa, Wellness & Golf

Upon our second day at the Houghton Hotel, we realized that we had never stayed at a 5-star hotel that broadcasts its 5-star rating so blatantly and often. It seemed more to affirm a vision and goal rather than just being one, as most 5-star hotels are. If only an “A” for effort is what makes a 5-star hotel, but alas it is not. Effective efficient execution is what makes the difference and the Houghton remains a work in progress in that regard starting with the front desk and guest services. They seemed confused and lost as shown by their need to confer via committee to resolve issues. However, there were notable bright spots. The hotel and grounds are beautiful (less the secondary unsanitary pool) and the VIP Coordinator & shuttle service sets the standard for what the rest of the hotel service needs to achieve regarding customer service. Another bright spot was the Nova Bistro, especially the breakfast staff. Kudos to the Porters as well. Although 2 pools were in excellent condition, the secondary pool was in very poor condition and the hotel just kept dumping chemicals daily when the pool obviously needed to be drained and cleaned. Not only would this not occur at an average 5-star hotel, a fine dining, reservations only, restaurant would not allow for reservation booking outside of the operating hours; not to mention putting the onus the hotel guests to know operating hours.

A real oasis in the heart of the city. We primarily looked for a place where we could sleep and relax before our intercontinental flight the following day and picked it solely on location. We were overwhelmed by the contemporary style, the huge rooms with peekaboo showers, the setting on the golf course and the great restaurants. Yummy! The service level was as expected at the very top. One of our children caught a cold and the staff immediately offered to go to a near by pharmacy to grab medicin. If there is anything to improve it must be the confusing and very illogical route to the swimmingpool, spa and gym. From the room you will have to walk to end of the corridor, take the lift down to the garage and walk through it to get to the pool. Clearly a design flaw and not a walk you would like to undertake in only your swimmers...

The food at such a high class expensive hotel is quit bad. Also the access to the golf course should be streamlined. I stayed at the hotel so I could golf but had to request for a drive and when getting back and to phone the hotel ahead to b picked up. As a guest one should have easy access using the room key to go through the gates.

I stayed at The Houghton during an epic, solo birthday trip that took me to Paris, Cartagena, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The Houghton was by far, without question, THE BEST place I stayed during my trip. Wonderful & attentive staff, great food, top tier cleanliness, a heated indoor pool, and more. I cannot complain. I look forward to returning again and again!

Very nice hotel with very good service. Spacious, clean, modern and well equipped room. Nice restaurant and bar. Big gym.

Transport booked from airport was 75mins late. Pre arranged late check out for £130 had been cancelled by the hotel. Booking for their golf course shambolic and I discovered that guests basically can’t play on the course. Too shambolic to be an Expedia hotel

The hotel was a joke. My wife got stick in the lift for 5 minutes because in load shedding the generator doesn't work for at least 5 minutes!!! My wife was screaming for help because with no power no lights and lift....and guess what the alarm in the lift didnt work either. We will never stay there agin!!!

The staff were very welcoming and helpful. The facilities were very beautiful and the dining was top notch. The room and bed were also very comfortable. We were very disappointed that the Steam Room was not functioning properly, the Sauna was closed for renovations and the Jacuzzi was simply unavailable. We chose the result largely for those facilities that were not available so very disappointing.

Hotel and staff are 5 star but pools were not clean enough to use it, sauna was not usable (very low temperature) no changing room there and nowhere near 5 star level. Indoor pool also was dirty. That is a shame considering that the rest of the hotel is good and everybody very friendly and helpful.

The property was really nice the only horrible thing about the property is that the lights kept a going out our entire stay. Literally like 10 times a day although not long but the fact that it kept doing it at peak momenets in the trip like at dinner and breakfast and plenty times when we were in the room

Great staff, very clean and attention to details

Upon our second day at the Houghton Hotel, we realized that we had never stayed at a 5-star hotel that broadcasts its 5-star rating so blatantly and often. It seemed more to affirm a vision and goal rather than just being one, as most 5-star hotels are. If only an “A” for effort is what makes a 5-star hotel, but alas it is not. Effective efficient execution is what makes the difference and the Houghton remains a work in progress in that regard starting with the front desk and guest services. They seemed confused and lost as shown by their need to confer via committee to resolve issues. However, there were notable bright spots. The hotel and grounds are beautiful (less the secondary unsanitary pool) and the VIP Coordinator & shuttle service sets the standard for what the rest of the hotel service needs to achieve regarding customer service. Another bright spot was the Nova Bistro, especially the breakfast staff. Kudos to the Porters as well. Although 2 pools were in excellent condition, the secondary pool was in very poor condition and the hotel just kept dumping chemicals daily when the pool obviously needed to be drained and cleaned. Not only would this not occur at an average 5-star hotel, a fine dining, reservations only, restaurant would not allow for reservation booking outside of the operating hours; not to mention putting the onus the hotel guests to know operating hours.

I really loved the look and feel of the hotel however there were two things that put me off in the room. One was - there was a cracked wall in top ceiling of bathroom which looked spa- like. This shld not have been missed as when you looked up you could see it. Then was the stain by the toilet that looked like smeared poop 💩 that wasn’t properly cleaned off. Other than these two items it was a pleasant stay.

Unser Zimmer (Familie mit 4j Kind) war sehr schön, groß und sauber (King suite). Die Außenanlagen ein Traum. Bei unserem Aufenthalt leider zu kalt zum schwimmen. Der Golfplatz und die Padel Anlage inkl. Kinderspielplatz sind toll und großzügig angelegt. Was uns nicht sonderlich zugesagt hat war das Personal an der Rezeption. Generell eher kühl und nicht sehr Kundenorientiert. Wir wollten Tipps für Aktivitäten mit Kind, da der Pool aufgrund des Wetters zu kalt war. Man hat uns dann vorgeschlagen kostenpflichtig zur Mall gefahren zu werden, man könne halt sonst mit Kindern nichts machen… vom tollen Spielbereich beim hoteleigenen Padelplatz wurde nichts erwähnt und auch nicht, dass man auch am Golfplatz mit Kindern Bälle abschlagen kann auch nicht. Sind dann auf eigene Initiative los. Andere Mitarbeiter wussten gar nichts von einem Padelplatz. Generell ist das Personal schlecht über die Hotel Räumlichkeiten informiert. Auch dass wir vor Check-In, während des Check-Ins und am abreisetag erwähnt haben, dass wir ein Flughafenshuttel benötigen, wusste eine Stunde vor Check-Out niemand. Der vorab beantrage Late Check-Out (bis 17uhr) wurde nicht hinterlegt sodass wir am Abreisetag 3x zur Rezeption gehen mussten um unsere Schlüsselkarten zu entsperren, da sonst nicht mal Lift funktioniert. Wir würden nicht wiederkommen, auch wenn das Restaurant sehr gut und das Personal dort sehr zuvorkommend waren. Auch die Reinigungskräfte haben tolle Arbeit geleistet und waren sehr freundlich.

Amazing stay as always and was upgraded as well which was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Friendly staff and clean hotel with attention to detail. Will totally recommend always.

The hotel was very clean and the staff was extremely friendly. The rooms are very nice and clean . I highly recommend this hotel.

I stayed at The Houghton during an epic, solo birthday trip that took me to Paris, Cartagena, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The Houghton was by far, without question, THE BEST place I stayed during my trip. Wonderful & attentive staff, great food, top tier cleanliness, a heated indoor pool, and more. I cannot complain. I look forward to returning again and again!

The shower was clogged. When you take a shower, the water would not drain which is unsanitary.I complained the next day, they promised to fix it but didn’t fix it . My AC was also not working .I do not recommend this place .The neighborhood is not safe to walk at night as well .

Beautiful hotel, spacious room, comfortable bed, quiet, great staff.

Beautiful rooms with great restaurant options.

Rymligt rum! Bra badrum! Trevlig och hjälpsam personal

Très très bel hôtel, design très réfléchi, chambres de qualité, particulièrement silencieuses et agréables, ainsi que spacieuses. La partie extérieure est un havre de paix et le personnel est au petit soin.

The service was amazing, very good customer service, room very spacious overall will stay anytime i come to Johannesburg and will always recommend.

Very nice hotel with very good service. Spacious, clean, modern and well equipped room. Nice restaurant and bar. Big gym.

Good, large property with plenty parking and in a quiet neighborhood. Dining options are few and there’s no shopping onsite, but you can drive to different areas easily. Rooms are modern and well built.

Very nice big rooms that are very comfortable.

The penthouse was incredible. The staff was also extremely nice and attentive.

The room was huge. I didn’t expect the penthouse to be so big. It looked like an apartment. I just loved it!

The Staff goes above and beyond to be helpful! This is our 2nd weeklong visit to the Houghton, and we intend to keep coming back. The amenities are wonderful, very well maintained.

Unser Zimmer (Familie mit 4j Kind) war sehr schön, groß und sauber (King suite). Die Außenanlagen ein Traum. Bei unserem Aufenthalt leider zu kalt zum schwimmen. Der Golfplatz und die Padel Anlage inkl. Kinderspielplatz sind toll und großzügig angelegt. Was uns nicht sonderlich zugesagt hat war das Personal an der Rezeption. Generell eher kühl und nicht sehr Kundenorientiert. Wir wollten Tipps für Aktivitäten mit Kind, da der Pool aufgrund des Wetters zu kalt war. Man hat uns dann vorgeschlagen kostenpflichtig zur Mall gefahren zu werden, man könne halt sonst mit Kindern nichts machen… vom tollen Spielbereich beim hoteleigenen Padelplatz wurde nichts erwähnt und auch nicht, dass man auch am Golfplatz mit Kindern Bälle abschlagen kann auch nicht. Sind dann auf eigene Initiative los. Andere Mitarbeiter wussten gar nichts von einem Padelplatz. Generell ist das Personal schlecht über die Hotel Räumlichkeiten informiert. Auch dass wir vor Check-In, während des Check-Ins und am abreisetag erwähnt haben, dass wir ein Flughafenshuttel benötigen, wusste eine Stunde vor Check-Out niemand. Der vorab beantrage Late Check-Out (bis 17uhr) wurde nicht hinterlegt sodass wir am Abreisetag 3x zur Rezeption gehen mussten um unsere Schlüsselkarten zu entsperren, da sonst nicht mal Lift funktioniert. Wir würden nicht wiederkommen, auch wenn das Restaurant sehr gut und das Personal dort sehr zuvorkommend waren. Auch die Reinigungskräfte haben tolle Arbeit geleistet und waren sehr freundlich.

I did not feel like a five star hotel, lacking informations. Restaurant staff was not professional.

Incredible staff, very friendly, always smiling and extremely reliable

I stayed at The Houghton during an epic, solo birthday trip that took me to Paris, Cartagena, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The Houghton was by far, without question, THE BEST place I stayed during my trip. Wonderful & attentive staff, great food, top tier cleanliness, a heated indoor pool, and more. I cannot complain. I look forward to returning again and again!

Thankyou to all the staff for your excellent service and world class hospitality. Everyone went out of their way to make our stay very memorable. Your rooms are super nice and comfortable. Would definitely recommend this to any travellers and we will be back in the near future.

Transport booked from airport was 75mins late. Pre arranged late check out for £130 had been cancelled by the hotel. Booking for their golf course shambolic and I discovered that guests basically can’t play on the course. Too shambolic to be an Expedia hotel

Our stay at The Houghton Hotel exceeded our expectations, from the service, to the room, to the food and spa. A special shout out to Kamo and Blessing in the lobby, and Lovett, Roy, Melissa, Joyce and kitchen staff at Nova Bistro, and the Spa staff who made our 4 day stay extraordinary. Best hotel stay ever!

Não tenho o que falar das comodidades do Hotel, mas tenho que relatar o que aconteceu conosco na saída do Hotel. Primeiro já achei estranho o café da manhã estar incluso na diária que eu paguei mas ele te obrigam a assinar um recibo após o café e nele consta um “TIP” em letras garrafais… Oi????? Com certeza é uma maneira que “coagir” o hóspede a sentir se obrigado a dar uma gorjeta (num café da manhã já INCLUSO!). Segundo e o mais grave, fizemos check out em torno das 08:30h para visitarmos o museu do Apartheid e deixamos as malas no Hotel. Qdo voltamos para pegar as malas a segurança do Hotel veio falar que tínhamos pego uma toalha, revistaram as malas e CLARO não foi achado nenhuma toalha. Nunca na minha vida passei por isso!!!!!!!

If I could rate this hotel ten stars I would. Luxury and top notch service from check in to check out. Staff are insanely excellent. Do yourself a favour and stay here. We'll be back. Thank you!

Great location. Super friendly staff.

The Houghton is a safe, extremely comfortable place. The staff were amazing and the food was excellent. It was a wonderful stay and a great place to be after 36 hours of travel.

A real oasis in the heart of the city. We primarily looked for a place where we could sleep and relax before our intercontinental flight the following day and picked it solely on location. We were overwhelmed by the contemporary style, the huge rooms with peekaboo showers, the setting on the golf course and the great restaurants. Yummy! The service level was as expected at the very top. One of our children caught a cold and the staff immediately offered to go to a near by pharmacy to grab medicin. If there is anything to improve it must be the confusing and very illogical route to the swimmingpool, spa and gym. From the room you will have to walk to end of the corridor, take the lift down to the garage and walk through it to get to the pool. Clearly a design flaw and not a walk you would like to undertake in only your swimmers...

The property location, friendliness of the staff, transportation, and restaurant. It was an amazing hotel.quiet at nights!

Good, large property with plenty parking and in a quiet neighborhood. Dining options are few and there’s no shopping onsite, but you can drive to different areas easily. Rooms are modern and well built.

Honestly, one of the best hotels in Johannesburg. Gorgeous location. The rooms and facilities world class!

Beautiful rooms with great restaurant options.

Spent my honeymoon at the Houghton Hotel and from being greeted with a rose and complimentary glass of wine, we knew it would be a pleasant experience. From the front desk staff to the restaurant we were well taken good care of! Our room was beautiful and spacious. Delicious food and most friendly staff, we loved Sisa! Will absolutely come again and recommend!

A real oasis in the heart of the city. We primarily looked for a place where we could sleep and relax before our intercontinental flight the following day and picked it solely on location. We were overwhelmed by the contemporary style, the huge rooms with peekaboo showers, the setting on the golf course and the great restaurants. Yummy! The service level was as expected at the very top. One of our children caught a cold and the staff immediately offered to go to a near by pharmacy to grab medicin. If there is anything to improve it must be the confusing and very illogical route to the swimmingpool, spa and gym. From the room you will have to walk to end of the corridor, take the lift down to the garage and walk through it to get to the pool. Clearly a design flaw and not a walk you would like to undertake in only your swimmers...

The food at such a high class expensive hotel is quit bad. Also the access to the golf course should be streamlined. I stayed at the hotel so I could golf but had to request for a drive and when getting back and to phone the hotel ahead to b picked up. As a guest one should have easy access using the room key to go through the gates.

A la carte breakfast with eggs Benedict (always a plus) and good coffe

I did not feel like a five star hotel, lacking informations. Restaurant staff was not professional.

I stayed at The Houghton during an epic, solo birthday trip that took me to Paris, Cartagena, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. The Houghton was by far, without question, THE BEST place I stayed during my trip. Wonderful & attentive staff, great food, top tier cleanliness, a heated indoor pool, and more. I cannot complain. I look forward to returning again and again!

Our stay at The Houghton Hotel exceeded our expectations, from the service, to the room, to the food and spa. A special shout out to Kamo and Blessing in the lobby, and Lovett, Roy, Melissa, Joyce and kitchen staff at Nova Bistro, and the Spa staff who made our 4 day stay extraordinary. Best hotel stay ever!

The staff were very welcoming and helpful. The facilities were very beautiful and the dining was top notch. The room and bed were also very comfortable. We were very disappointed that the Steam Room was not functioning properly, the Sauna was closed for renovations and the Jacuzzi was simply unavailable. We chose the result largely for those facilities that were not available so very disappointing.

I haven’t been to all parts of South Africa but, I think this is the most beautiful hotel in this country. Everything was perfect. Oh, and I got upgraded from executive suite to the Penthouse. Everything about this hotel is wonderful. The staff, the breakfast, the drinks. Everything was amazing. This would be my hotel anytime I am in Johannesburg. I hope there are more branches in every city.