BY Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe
As far as hidden gems go, the Mint hotel in Sandton is an open secret. Located
just a few blocks away from Sandton City and the Gautrain station, you can smell
the buzz without having to pay through your nose to be in the vicinity. It is a budget hotel on a perfect location, offers the right ambience and the cherry on top is the friendly service. The people who discover this gem guard it jealously and keep coming back for more.
On any given evening, the stylishly decorated lobby is filled with guests check in,
or meet friends at Pablo’s, the cool café that extends onto the lobby, and also
doubles as a buzzing party venue on weekends.
The hotel
Opened during the pandemic, Mint hotel 84 on Katherine offers no-frills
accommodation on a budget and is one of the options for big conferences taking
place at the Sandton Convention Centre. It is a walking distance away from
Africa’s richest square mile, but affords guests some quiet space away from the
hustle and bustle. Basically, you are in Sandton without the over stimulation,
pressure, and pretense associated with the area. It is styled as apartment blocks
spread out across the property. This means you have the option to be away from
the main building where the reception and restaurant are located and choose a
quieter side of the property.
Rooms
The 151 rooms are simple and spacious and boast modern décor touches. I love
that each one has a kitchenette that comes with cutlery, crockery, a refrigerator,
microwave, and kettle making it easy to cater should you wish to. It gives you the
space to decide what you would like to have for dinner or any other meal, without
being forced to go down to the restaurant. It also makes it easier for a longer
stay, without cabin fever cramping your style. This is the kind of room where you
kick off your shoes, grab a remote, and start searching for something to watch on
TV. There is no DSTV, only streaming services anchored by Netflix. The
bathroom is perfectly laid out to give a sense of sense of space and has a walk-in
shower. It’s the kind of room that you can share with your best friend and stay up
all night, talking about anything and everything. It also doesn’t hurt that the king-size bed is ample and quite comfortable.
The restaurant
Pablos, the onsite restaurant is small but offers a great ambience. There is no
large buffet for breakfast and elevator music here. They have a simple menu with
Mediterranean and locally inspired cuisine. It is all-day dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their sharing meals are quite popular and their service is quick. You
can connect with friends over a meat platter and enjoy cocktails.
The drive
My recent stay at Mint hotel 84 on Katherine was an invitation to join a friend for
a weekend. This is her favourite joint whenever she is in South Africa, and these
weekend stays have become regular. This time around, we swapped her usual
C-group rental for the urban stylish Fiat 500X Cross. This cross-over has the
cuteness of a small, coupled with the extra added space that gives two adults
enough space without trying too hard. Being Italian, the interior and exterior
design is on point and flows effortlessly. The infotainment is driver-centred and
offers simple connectivity for Apple and Android phones. I was not particularly
in love with the DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) as it often lagged, and also rolled
back at times. But other than that, the 500X Cross is a capable city run-around
and was a perfect fit for the Mint hotel 84 on Katherine and ran errands very well
in the greater Sandton area.
Accommodation at Mint hotel 84 on Katherine is from R795 for room only per
night.
