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For the urban traveller who means business, Johannesburg's smart new Melrose Arch Hotel has a gritty, clued-in appeal well-suited to the city's work-hard/play-hard spirit. Do a deal over lunch or dinner, then down a Scotch before heading out, on foot,
to one of the nightclubs on the hotel's doorstep. Melrose Arch is Johannesburg's
newest neighbourhood, a gated urban community purpose-built to ensure safety on the streets. Popular and busy, it is the place to gauge what's new and happening in the city.
Like its location, the Melrose Arch Hotel is uncompromisingly modern, with opaque, underlit glass floors and concrete, steel and leather surfaces throughout
the public areas. A clubby soundtrack swirls through the double-volume entrance lobby day and night. This is where smart, black Johannesburg
plays, moving from the lobby to the bar to the lounge in serious suits and
Africa-meets-Vogue jewellery. Breakfasts in the restaurant are generally high-visibility meetings (you don't come here for poached eggs on toast and a quiet read), and dinners are taken at a long communal table. The dining experience can be brusque, so eat up and look forward to sleeping on possibly the most comfortable
mattresses in Africa.
WHEN TO GO
May: the weather is still balmy, and you can visit Africa's best decor show, 'Rooms on View', from the 27th to the 30th.
ROOM TO BOOK
The penthouse suite has fantastic views at an equally fantastic price.
CONTACT
Melrose Arch Hotel, 1 Melrose Place, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, South Africa (00 27 11 214 6666; fax: 214 6600; www.africanpridehotels.com). Doubles from R2,146 (about £175); penthouse suite about £1,230
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