Month: June 2025

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Hotel Review – Holiday Inn Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa

Upon arrival in Johannesburg from Adelaide via Doha, I checked into the Holiday Inn Rosebank in the suburbs of the city.

I had stayed at this property numerous times in the past, so I knew what to expect.

The property is reached from the airport by the comfortable and efficient Gautrain in about 35 minutes.

The train runs directly from the airport terminal and stops directly opposite the hotel. At 250 ZAR ($14 or £10) for a one-way ticket, it is quicker, easier and probably safer than doing the journey by road. Most transport apps will tell you to change trains at Marlboro, but I know from experience that the transfer is smoother at Sandton.

I reached the hotel around midday and had no problem checking in early. I was assigned room 702, coincidentally the room I had occupied on two previous stays.

This is a corner room with an unusual layout, but one which worked well for me.

The room was well equipped with a queen-size bed, shower, bathtub, mini-fridge, tea and coffee, wardrobe space and safe.

As I had already been to Johannesburg several times and seen essentially everything that the city offers, I decided to spend a relaxing few days at the hotel and the attached shopping centre.

The hotel offers an on-site restaurant, with a variety of dishes available for both lunch and dinner.

The restaurant also offers a full breakfast buffet, complete with an egg station and freshly made omelettes.

As well as the hotel restaurant, the attached shopping centre also offers a steakhouse and several fast food options.

The hotel also comes equipped with a small outdoor swimming pool, which was very pleasant in the warm February temperatures.

I stayed on a Dinner, Bed and Breakfast rate of 1,920 ZAR ($106 or £79) per night, which I considered superb value for money.

With the easy and economical transfer on the Gautrain, I can recommend this property, not only for a city stay, but also for an airport layover.

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Flight Review – Qatar Airways Business Class, Doha – Johannesburg

After a quick tour of Doha and a few hours of sleep at my hotel, it was time for my connecting flight to Johannesburg.

This flight was rather oddly timed, taking off at 02:15am, but it actually worked rather well for me, as my 4am arrival in Doha had me retiring at 6pm for a few hours of sleep beforehand.

Upon boarding, I settled into seat 1A for the eight-hour flight. Although this was not the famous Qsuites product, it was a comfortable flat-bed product in a 1-2-1 configuration, offering direct aisle access from every seat. This is, in my opinion, the benchmark for a first rate business class hard product.

I was welcomed with a glass of champagne before departure.

After a rather spectacular night time departure from Doha, I settled down to peruse the dinner menu.

Despite the late hour, a comprehensive meal service was offered.

I chose the Black Angus beef tenderloin with bobotie sauce, which I can say without exaggeration was the best dish I have eaten on a flight. It was tender and cooked to perfection, the bobotie sauce complemented it perfectly, and it paired supremely well with an excellent Bordeaux.

I rounded off the late night meal with a nicely varied cheese platter, accompanied by a glass of port.

After a couple of cognacs, I reclined the seat to flat bed mode and slept well for around four hours. Having had a long evening nap at the hotel in Doha, this was all I needed and I awoke around two hours from Johannesburg, ready for the breakfast service.

I chose the fruit to start, followed by the omelette, served with a chicken sausage, potato rösti and mushrooms.

In conclusion, this was an excellent flight experience, and I disembarked in Johannesburg, ready for the day ahead.

 

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Destination Guide – One Day in Doha, Qatar

After my Qatar Airways Qsuites experience, award flight availability had left me with a 22-hour layover in Doha, before my onward connection to Johannesburg.

Even with the superb choices of airline lounges at Doha, this is rather too long to spend at any airport, so I headed into the city for a short look around.

As most of the sights of Doha are compactly located, I decided against a guided tour, preferring to explore independently on foot.

I began my tour at the Islamic Cultural Centre, a short distance from my hotel.

Moving on towards the waterfront, I stopped to view the dhows and the famous Pearl Fountain.

A short walk along the Al-Bandar Corniche allowed me to photograph the outside of the Museum of Islamic Art, as well as the city skyline.

I made my way back to my hotel via a stop for coffee in the Souq Waqif, a lively market in the centre of the city.

My base for my layover was the Ramada Encore, located within walking distance of all of the sights mentioned above.

I found that one day was sufficient to gain a taste of Doha, as all of the major sights are within a short distance of each other.

This was a pleasant way to split up two long-haul flights, and if you have a lengthy layover, it is worth venturing out of the airport and having a look around.

I will, however add one note of caution. The temperature when I visited in February was a mild 25°C, allowing me to cover the distance on foot easily. However, summer temperatures can reach the high 40s, so in those months I would recommend taking a guided tour by car or bus.

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Hotel Review – Ramada Encore, Doha, Qatar

Following a superb flight on Qatar Airways, I had a 22-hour layover in Doha. My base for this layover would be the Ramada Encore by Wyndham.

I chose this hotel based on a balance of price and convenience, as well as the availability of a smoking room.

As my layover was from around 4am to shortly after 2am, I had to book two nights at a total cost of 390 QAR ($107 or £79).

My room was in the ‘Deluxe Queen’ category and was well appointed with a queen sized bed, work desk, tea and coffee making facilities, mini fridge and safe.

The bathroom consisted only of a lavatory and shower, but was spotlessly clean and perfectly adequate.

There was also hairdryer provided, but anyone who knows the author will know that this was unnecessary.

I arrived around 5am, but as I had slept well on the flight, I spent a couple of hours catching up on some writing, before buying myself a second breakfast from the buffet.

The buffet was well varied, including chicken sausages, beef bacon, roast potatoes, scrambled eggs, pancakes, cold cuts and cheeses. The price of 60 QAR ($16 or £12) was very fair.

The hotel is also equipped with an indoor swimming pool, which I enjoyed after a walk around the city.

Picture courtesy of Expedia.

The hotel is well situated, around a ten minute taxi ride from the airport and a short walk from the Souq Waqif.

It proved to be a good choice as a base for my layover and for a few hours of sleep before my 2am connection to Johannesburg.

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Flight Review – Qatar Airways Business Class Qsuites, Adelaide – Doha

Following my experience of a low-cost approximation of business class on Air Asia X, it was time for a taste of the other end of the business class spectrum, Qatar Airways’ world renowned Qsuites.

This flight had been a last minute decision, after I had been inexplicably denied an Indian eVisa, necessitating a change of plan on-the-fly, so to speak.

After sifting through award availability via several frequent flyer programs, I decided that a month in South Africa would fit the bill.

Finding that short notice award flights from Melbourne were very slim pickings indeed, I booked from Adelaide to Johannesburg, via a 22-hour layover in Doha.

After a run of the mill positioning flight on Virgin Australia, I was ready for the real deal.

Upon boarding, I settled into suite 9K, where I was served a glass of Lanson Le Rosé Brut pre-departure.

After a 10pm take off, I decided to take dinner as soon as cruising altitude was reached.

After a small tuna appetiser, I opted for the butternut squash soup, which was smooth and tasty. During the starter courses, I decided to stay with the Lanson Rosé.

In terms of the main course, I was disappointed that the Tasmanian lamb had been under-catered and was unavailable. Instead, I opted for the chicken biryani, which was instantly forgettable.

The biryani was not up to business class standard, and the barramundi would almost certainly have been a better choice.

The accompanying Languedoc Chardonnay was at least pleasant and liberally topped up.

The disappointment of the main course was short lived as I moved on to the delightful Yuzu cheesecake for dessert, along with a glass of port.

I rounded off the meal with the cheese board and another couple of glasses of port.

By this point, we were about to leave the coast of Australia with a little over ten hours of the flight remaining, so I changed into the provided sleep attire, enjoyed a few cognacs and asked the crew to make up my bed.

I slept soundly for seven full hours and awoke a little less that two hours from Doha, in time for a leisurely breakfast and coffee before the 4am landing.

I chose the assiette of cold cuts, followed by the Tuscan frittata with grilled chicken.

Upon landing, I was given a small box of Swiss chocolates and escorted to the Qatar Airways Arrivals Lounge with its attached smoking room, where I was served espresso and sparkling water.

In all honesty, long haul flights do not get much better than this. The twelve-and-a-half-hour flight time allowed for a leisurely and relaxing meal and a few drinks before a full night of sleep. I was then able to hit the ground running for my full-day layover in Doha.

All things considered, this was an excellent use of 85,000 AAdvantage miles, which included the onward connection to Johannesburg.

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