Hyde’s arrival in Rosebank something of a coup

I love Rosebank. Perhaps because it’s just so darn easy. In a city like Joburg, where getting about can often take a bit of effort, Rosebank allows you to take your foot off the gas.

It’s easy to walk to the wonderful Circa Gallery. Easy to find your Uber on the corner of Cradock Avenue. Easy to tap into local design at EGG and Soko District. Easy to sit on the terrace at MAMASAMBA and watch the passing parade below.

And right bang in the heart of it all is a brand-new hotel brand that certainly takes a laid-back approach to life. What was once the voco hotel has been sold, rebranded and revamped into the first Hyde hotel in Africa. And for a brand that typically focuses on leisure travel, Hyde’s arrival in the city is something of a coup for Jozi.

There are now six Hyde hotels worldwide, from an adults-only resort in Bodrum, Turkey, to resort-style properties in Dubai and Ibiza. New openings are in the pipeline for coastal Mexico, and Perth, Australia.

In Rosebank, Hyde brings some of that bohemian “anything can happen” style to a thoroughly urban locale. While voco revelled in a blend of contemporary art deco glamour, Hyde infuses the space with organic tones and textures and a more freewheeling approach.

“Throughout the hotel, the colour tones are very neutral, very organic, bohemian chic. But all with a subtle African twist,” says Jessica Redinger, general manager of HYDE Johannesburg.

Those who know the Hyde aesthetic from abroad will soon pick up on the little cues, the subtle touches that create that all-important feeling of a hotel.

Waiting for the lifts? Why not take a seat in the hanging chair, a Hyde signature here given an African motif in the hanging strips of leather. Off the lobby, the “Global Table” is a space to work, network or connect with fellow travellers. You can also expect pop-up events to sprout in this chic streetside space.

Hyde segues neatly into Proud Mary, the cocktail bar and restaurant that was a drawcard for voco too, but there are also plans afoot for a new, more intimate, dining space.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that art remains a central feature of the experience. The rebranding to Hyde has infused the hotel with a new dedication to championing SA artists across the rooms and public spaces, with an evolution in the works on display.

Step into the lobby and you’re greeted with a striking piece by Lyndi Sales, where colour and texture morph into intangible shapes of perception.

Behind the reception desk, you’ll find bright tones and abstract forms in a mural by surrealist painter Hanna Noor Mahomed celebrating the heritage and creativity of Joburg.

In the space that will host the Global Table, the signature work is by Rosie Mudge: “Bulletproof: Nothing To Lose” a tip of the hat to the indomitable character of women. Also look out for works by Mbali Tshabalala, NomThunzi Mashalaba and Water Dixon.

On the guest floors, monochromatic works are being replaced by pops of colour; a theme that continues in the rooms and suites. And it’s here that the DNA of a Hyde hotel truly comes to the fore.

A softer neutral colour palette takes centre stage — blues and greens swapped for sand and ivory — accentuated by selected SA artworks across a range of media.

On the wall, a hand-picked selection of story-driven African accessories — sourced from Amatuli Artefacts in Kramerville — hangs from wooden pegs, Hyde’s “Try It On” experience for guests to discover new creators in the city they’re in.

There are more playful touches too. Door tags requesting privacy or a room service come in the shape of concert tags, while traditional bathrobes are traded for surf-style parkas.

Bathrooms — some of the most spacious I’ve seen in a city hotel — are enriched with handmade ceramics and wooden storage spaces, while showcasing the gradient of colour that is a signature aesthetic of the global Hyde portfolio.

But it’s worth noting that you can’t just change a 131-room hotel overnight, so while there are already many HYDE touchpoints on offer, the process of renovating the rooms and suites to fit the look and feel of this more bohemian brand will be rolled out in stages, with the entire rebrand due to be wrapped up by March 2025.

While the property may be a work in progress, it’s a bellwether of a new energy in Joburg’s luxury hotel landscape.

Combining urban sophistication with bohemian earthy design, Hyde is just one more reason to make Rosebank your base in the city of gold.