New additions to Hyde hotel’s winning groove

Since opening in November 2024, Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank is settling into its groove in award winning style, having just scooped the Business Hotel of the Year at the recent Luxe Hotel Awards 2025.

Its restaurant, the popular Proud Mary, also took the Hotel Restaurant of the Year honour at the Luxe Restaurant Awards.

“This recognition truly captures what we’ve been working to achieve at Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank,” said general manager Jessica Redinger. “Gone are the days when travellers want a quick overnight stay at OR Tambo. Guests really want to enjoy Johannesburg, whether they’re in town for business or pleasure, and we’ve created a wonderful space that truly celebrates life in Rosebank.”

The new hotel — which transitioned from Voco — has infused Hyde’s “Freedom of Festival” signature aesthetic to the iconic The Bank building, bringing a bohemian luxe feel and a local art collection that’s committed to highlighting female SA artists across the rooms and public spaces.

The easy-going notion of “work, eat, sleep, play” is reflected throughout the hotel and its affiliated spaces, tapping into Rosebank’s vibrant soul.

Workshop 17 on the first floor of the building gives business travellers easy access to hot desks, phone booths and private meeting rooms in a fluid ecosystem that allows for logging in and switching off for some leisure.

The popularity of the chic and casual all-day eatery and wine bar, Proud Mary evolves with the addition of new head chef, Leigh-Ann Knipe who brings her passion for bold flavours, refined techniques, and ingredient-driven cooking to the restaurant’s modern global menus.

“Under the leadership of our culinary and operations director, Warren Murley, we’re taking the menu in an exciting new direction — elevating classics, embracing seasonal produce and crafting dishes that strike the perfect balance between comfort and sophistication,” Knipe said.

“We’re shaping a dining experience that feels fresh yet familiar, with thoughtful plating, expertly curated flavours, and a focus on quality at every level. We’re also working on exciting collaborations, innovative specials, and a cocktail programme that complements our dishes perfectly. Proud Mary has always been about style and substance, and we’re thrilled to help define its next chapter.”

The vibey wine bar is celebrated for embracing small-batch, local and independent wineries, where minimal intervention is favoured. Sommelier Katlego Mathobela’s curation showcases unusual wines from a diverse mix of predominantly local wineries and winemakers, though Champagne and a small international selection with a growing list of Library stock is also included. New wine makers are introduced to guests through listings and tastings.

In line with new experiences is the arrival of the second NPF Tasting Room at Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank. With the initial one in Melrose Arch, NPF (which stands for Nose, Palate, Finish) is an elegant dive into the world of premium spirits through three simple steps.

Warm, stylish and intimate, the NPF Tasting Room Rosebank is an inviting space that offers more than 600 rare bottlings and unique expressions of whisky, rum, mescal and cognac as single pours or tasting flights; with only a small selection of special releases offered for sale.

Founded by Alex de Ujfalussy, NPF is an extension of Navigate World Whisky, the original founding company which started importing and distributing brands that weren’t available in SA such as the US’s Michter’s named the world’s most admired whisky brand in 2024 by Drinks International.

Navigate World Whisky went into distribution and needed a space to unpack things and NPF was born. They offer tastings of refined artisanal spirits at any time for both connoisseurs and novices.

Extensively trained sommeliers are there to guide you through the selections, find out what you want to explore or what you’re feeling like at a particular point in time, elevating your appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into making the world’s most refined spirits.

But you don’t have to come to NPF for an educational session. You can come to have a lovely drink — a glass of bubbles or wine. The wine brands that are offered are a little more niche, limited and different fitting in with NPF’s ethics and discerning philosophy.

Available is EPC from France which is an alternative choice to affluent consumers of champagne. The label works with specific wine makers, wine growers providing a sense of traceability and transparency as to where the liquid in the bottle comes from across the Champagne region of France. It is lovable for its low sugar content.

Most champagnes are up to 12g per litre sugar content whereas these EPC bottles sit as 5g per litre. NPF offers a big range with something for every palate. Tastings for different expressions from EPC are available.

A wholesome, luxurious and nuanced experience awaits at Hyde Johannesburg Rosebank.