South Africa

The South African house that is now one of the world’s greatest hotels

Shaun Jacobs • 28 March 2026

Park Hyatt Johannesburg has been named one of Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2026, with the luxury boutique hotel being one of five locations in Africa included in the ranking.

The hotel, opened less than a year ago by Hyatt Hotels, is located in Rosebank and is only the third Park Hyatt in all of Africa.

“Park Hyatt Johannesburg offers a refined, residential-style experience where thoughtful design, immersive art, and warm hospitality come together in perfect balance,” the hospitality brand said.

The Park Hyatt brand is deliberately designed for small properties, intended to be highly exclusive and secluded. This also enables it to offer personalised luxury experiences no longer provided by luxury megahotels.

Time Magazine’s list of the Greatest Places of 2026 is based on nominations from its own correspondents and contributors, and can include hotels, cruises, restaurants, museums, and more.

It has also recently added an application process to ensure it includes places that offer new, exciting, and relevant destinations to visit.

For example, among the list of the Greatest Places of 2026 is China’s Songtsam Lodge, which is a boutique hotel in the lush Chinese countryside.

Philadelphia’s Netflix House is also on the list, with this location offering fans of Netflix Originals, such as Stranger Things and Squid Game, theme park-esque experiences.

A new entrant from Abu Dhabi is Surf Abu Dhabi, which is the first artificial surf park to join the pro surf championship circuit and is open to the public.

Africa has only five places listed among the Greatest Places to Stay in 2026, with South Africa occupying two of those spots. Apart from the Park Hyatt, Masiya’s Camp at Royal Malewane in the Kruger Park is also listed.

Also from the continent is The Pinnacle Kigali, which was first developed to serve as a family home, and is now an ultra-luxury hotel with nine guestrooms.

Tented desert retreat Jnane Karwan in Marrakesh cracked the list as a newcomer, with only four tents available for guests to stay in.

Rounding off the list of African places is andBeyond Suyian Lodge in Kenya. Located on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, it is the sole camp within the 44,000-acre Suyian Conservancy, which is a wildlife corridor to northern game parks.

Park Hyatt Johannesburg

Opened in July 2025, the Park Hyatt aims to change how travellers view their stay in Johannesburg, which has long played second fiddle to Cape Town with regard to hospitality.

Much of the city’s travel stems from its status as an economic hub for South Africa and the broader continent, with it being home to the largest stock exchange in Africa, the JSE.

As a result, Johannesburg is often dismissed by travellers as a business destination or a stopover on their way to the Kruger National Park, Cape Town, or Durban.

However, the Park Hyatt in Rosebank aims to flip this perception on its head, giving visitors a reason to stay in the city for an extended period.

Time Magazine explained that the hotel brings a level of boutique service still rare in Johannesburg and increasingly scarce at luxury megahotels in skyscrapers.

Guests can be met at the airport by a private driver and ushered into a discreet lobby where check-in is done in a private room.

Park Hyatt Johannesburg said it aims to blend classical and contemporary elements inspired by colonial residences.

The hotel itself is relatively small, with only 31 guestrooms and suites, each of which offers king-size beds and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the garden.

Originally constructed in the 1930s as a stately colonial mansion, the building reflects the influence of Sir Herbert Baker, whose architectural legacy helped shape the character of Johannesburg’s early residential estates.

Today, Park Hyatt Johannesburg honours this legacy through the careful restoration of original features, including graceful arches, high ceilings, and wide verandahs.

This aims to create an oasis that seamlessly connects heritage with modern luxury, within a major economic hub.

The hotel is structured around a central open-air courtyard, anchored by a magnificent jacaranda tree, sculpted gardens, and a heated outdoor pool, creating a serene focal point for relaxation and reflection.

This is combined with the hotel’s Room 32 restaurant, which offers guests an immersive culinary journey, showcasing innovative cuisine prepared over live-fire grills and emphasising seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.