Property

Five-star hotel in South Africa’s richest city gets R18 million makeover

Kirsten Minnaar • 8 October 2026

A five-star hotel in Sandton has completed an R18 million refurbishment covering all 61 of its rooms and villa suites.

SEVEN Hotel, Villas & Spa, part of The Capital Hotels Group, has revamped its accommodation from the Grand Luxe rooms to the Presidential Villa Suite.

The hotel is located on Helen Road in Strathavon, two kilometres from the Gautrain and seven minutes from Grayston Drive.

SEVEN Hotel combines 44 hotel rooms with 17 villa suites, offering a range of accommodation options for business and leisure travellers.

Its rooms range from the 39 m² Grand Luxe Room to larger suites and villas. The Grand King Suite measures around 50 m² and includes a private kitchenette, a balcony, and garden or river views.

The villa suites are around 55 m² and include king-sized beds, seating areas, and private balconies or patios.

Current rates start at R3,200 per night for a 39m² Grand Luxe room with a garden view, while a 55m² villa can cost over R7,600 per night.

The property is surrounded by mature trees, gardens, water features and an art and sculpture collection.

Despite being close to Sandton’s commercial centre, the hotel is designed to provide a quieter setting away from the surrounding traffic and office towers.

Guests have access to an outdoor swimming pool, spa and wellness centre, fitness centre, steam room and hot tub.

The hotel also has conference and event facilities and is pet-friendly, while weddings are hosted on the property.

Its restaurant, Textures, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with outdoor seating and private dining also available.

The Poison Ivy lounge provides another space for guests and features champagne, cognac and cigars.

The R18 million refurbishment

The R18 million refurbishment was designed around the idea that a hotel stay should appeal to more than sight alone.

SEVEN said the redesign focuses on the five senses through elements such as its gardens, water features, lighting, sound and interior finishes.

The villa suites are designed to provide greater privacy and can be made dark and quiet for guests who want to switch off from the surrounding city.

The gardens use mature greenery and running water to create a more secluded environment, while the property’s art and sculpture collection forms part of the visual experience.

The Capital Hotels founder and CEO, Marc Wachsberger, said the refurbishment was designed around how guests should feel during their stay rather than simply how the hotel looks.

“Sandton asks a great deal of the people who move through it,” he said. “We reimagined SEVEN so that it gives something back.”

“Whether you’re an executive in for two nights who needs to stay sharp, or a couple from down the road booking a villa suite twenty minutes from home, we want you to leave feeling composed and more like yourself than when you arrived.”

The hotel said its approach extends beyond the traditional five senses, with instinct described as a sixth sense. This relates to the consistency with which the hotel delivers on the basic elements of the stay.

The seventh is described as a “sense of self”, and is meant to reflect the idea that guests should be able to switch off from the demands of the city.

Wachsberger said this is particularly relevant in Sandton, where the hotel operates within one of South Africa’s main business and commercial districts.

The refurbishment also extends to the hotel’s food and leisure offering, with Textures, Poison Ivy and the spa forming part of the wider experience.