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Where to Stay in Sandton, Johannesburg
The safe, connected base almost every visiting cricket fan uses — two real options for different lengths of stay
Sandton is where almost every visiting cricket fan bases themselves in Johannesburg, and for good reason — it's the safest, most walkable, and best-connected part of the city, with the Gautrain running straight through it and the Wanderers a short Uber ride away.
The Michelangelo Towers is the standout luxury option, an all-suite five-star property with direct access into Sandton City Mall and Nelson Mandela Square. Rooms come as full apartments with kitchens and separate living areas, which suits a longer stay covering multiple match days. There's a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an on-site restaurant, Parc Ferme, running breakfast through dinner. Being connected directly into the mall means you can walk to restaurants and shops without ever really stepping outside.
The Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel is the practical alternative, positioned right next to Sandton's Gautrain station. It leans business-hotel in character rather than resort-luxury, but the location is genuinely hard to beat if minimizing transit time to the airport, the CBD, or the Wanderers itself is your priority. It's a reliable, well-reviewed choice for a shorter, more matchday-focused stay.
Both hotels sit within Sandton's core, meaning you're a short walk or quick rideshare from Nelson Mandela Square's restaurants, the Sandton Gautrain station, and the wider retail district. Neither requires much thought about after-dark movement, since Sandton's central core is well-lit, busy, and one of the more consistently secure parts of Johannesburg.
Why it's special
The choice here isn't really about picking between two hugely different experiences, both hotels put you in the same safe, connected core of the city. It's more a question of how long you're staying and what kind of stay you want.
The Michelangelo Towers makes sense if you're in Johannesburg for several days and want the extra space an apartment-style suite gives you, plus the direct mall access if the weather turns. The Radisson Blu is the tighter, more efficient choice if you're focused on getting to the Wanderers and back with minimum friction. Neither is a wrong call.
Insider tips
- 1
The Michelangelo Towers' in-house restaurant, Parc Ferme, runs breakfast through dinner with al fresco seating — book ahead if you want a table on a match evening when the hotel is busier than usual.
- 2
Both hotels offer airport shuttles to OR Tambo, but at very different price points: Michelangelo Towers charges around R1,090 per person one-way, while the Radisson Blu's shuttle runs about R695 per vehicle (not per person) and reaches OR Tambo in roughly 25 minutes — for two or more people, the Radisson Blu shuttle is meaningfully cheaper, and either way the Gautrain is usually the faster, cheaper option for a solo traveller.
- 3
The Michelangelo Towers' spa (massages, body treatments, facials) is worth booking a day or two ahead rather than walking in — it's a genuine amenity, not just a hotel-brochure listing, and slots fill up around busy tour dates.
Practical info
- Hours
- Standard hotel check-in from 2pm, check-out by 11am at both properties — confirm directly for early check-in/late check-out during peak tour dates
- Cost
- Michelangelo Towers roughly R4,500-R20,000/night depending on suite category — genuinely wide range since every room is a full apartment-style suite; Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel roughly R1,400-R2,500/night — both rates are guides only and will move with September-October tour demand
- Access
- Book directly with each hotel or via Booking.com. Book ahead of the September-October tour window given the scale of a marquee Australia series.
What to avoid
Don't walk between your hotel and Nelson Mandela Square or nearby restaurants after dark, even though the distance looks trivial — Sandton's central business district empties out fast once the workday crowd leaves, and while the area is genuinely well-policed and well-lit, an Uber or Bolt for even a five-minute walk is the standard local advice after sunset, not overcaution. And don't assume both hotels' airport shuttles are priced the same way — the Michelangelo's is per person, the Radisson Blu's is per vehicle, and mixing that up when budgeting for a group can throw off your transport costs by a lot more than expected.
