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Issue 4
Africa Travel> Issue 4
UPDATED: June 30, 2014
Game On!
Try your luck at the Southern Sun Silverstar Hotel and Casino and enjoy luxury, great food and fantastic service
By Jo Kromberg
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The Southern Sun Silverstar offers a warm welcome Courtesy Southern Sun Silverstar

The Southern Sun Silverstar offers a warm welcome Courtesy Southern Sun Silverstar

It's a lazy Friday afternoon when I head to Muldersdrift on the West Rand of Johannesburg and the leaves on the trees along the road are turning yellow, red and orange in the early winter haze.

My destination is the Southern Sun Silverstar, a 4-star hotel/casino in the famous Tsogo Sun portfolio of hotels and entertainment complexes and my mission is to relax, unwind and perhaps try my luck at the tables.

Silverstar is a luxury, contemporary and exclusive 38-room hotel, offering a variety of restaurants, retail shops, conference facilities and kids' entertainment. The hotel is bright and cheerful and is a showcase of some of the most beautiful mosaic art deco. It sits alongside some of Gauteng's best tourist destinations. The Cradle of Mankind, Maropeng, the Sterkfontein and the Wonder Caves, The Lion Park as well as the Krugersdorp Game Reserves, bungee jumping, canopy tours and is situated only 15 minutes from Lanseria Airport. Other nearby activities include Ingwenya Glass, Gilroy's Brewery, hot air ballooning, fly fishing, as well as two golf courses within a 10 km radius.

State-of-the-art rooms

In the voluminous and elegant lobby of the hotel, I am warmly greeted and shown to my very stylish room. The color scheme is all cream, black and red with very sophisticated furnishings and fixtures. Each room has a balcony. The bathroom is huge with a state-of-the-art rainbow shower and oval bath. One gets the distinct feeling of being very far away from the city, surrounded by undulating hills with the colors of winter and clear blue skies. I have a tranquil and heavenly bath while waiting for my partner to join me and also catch up on my emails courtesy of the high-speed free WiFi access the hotel offers.

Bedroom splendor at the Southern Sun Silverstar

Buffet deluxe

My partner finally arrives after a hard week at work and we are both famished. We head to the Billy G buffet restaurant where we are greeted with the most sumptuous variety of dishes. Starters include sushi, crab, pesto potato salad, and marinated mushrooms with a Chinese oil dip – Yum! But we are like kids in a candy store when we behold the mains. Prawns, roast beef, roast chicken, pizza, a variety of pasta dishes, Asian vegetables, fresh catch-of-the-day fish, broccoli in cheese sauce and pork ribs are just some of the delights on offer. For desert there is strawberry mousse, chocolate-spiced cake, waffles made to order, trifle, crème brulee and a pistachio panacotta wonder.

The restaurant - together with three other restaurants for different dining options - is located in the casino section of the hotel and the ringing bells as well as the occasional happy cheer coming from the floor entices us to try our hand at a game or two of Roulette. The casino features 812 slot machines and 22 tables, which are divided between the main floor, the smoking casino and Privé.

Are you feeling lucky?

The main casino offers a dynamic mix of gaming products such as American Roulette, Black Jack, Texas Holdem Poker and Poker.

The Privé lounge offers VIP gamers a private space in which to enjoy the comforts of gaming. Inside the lounge is a bar with complimentary snacks and drinks.

We win a few straight games to our utter delight and surprise. Wisely we decide to call it quits after tallying up our handsome winnings and head for bed. We discover that in our absence our room has been transformed into a romantic refuge with the wonderful staff having strewn rose petals everywhere and laid out two glasses with a bottle of champagne on ice and soft lighting.

Morning feast

The next morning breakfast offers more pleasures – not your run-of-the-mill soggy buffet scrambled eggs here! You are greeted with champagne and orange juice and then lamb chops, haddock with béchamel cheese sauce, fillet steak medallions with mushroom sauce and hash browns are all served off the menu. The buffet offers superb quality deli meats, cheese, yoghurts, cereal, fruits and a fantastic array of delicious pastries.

Before leaving I pop in to have a quick peek at the hotel's Spa, the Soulstice Day Spa. The Spa offers a wide range of treatments, designed to give clients the ultimate experience in head-to-toe luxury and personalized attention.

Facilities include a flotation tank, Rasul chamber, heated jet spa pool, purifying steam room, sauna, outdoor swimming pool and relaxation area.

It is not surprising that this small hotel with a big heart is so popular and special. Visit Silverstar and you will see what I mean.

Artist's image of the Southern Sun Silverstar after extensive renovations are completed in September

Silverstar is currently undergoing a R560-million expansion. This exciting redevelopment facelift is adding a host of family entertainment and dining facilities to the complex to secure its position as the premier destination on the West Rand. Visitors will soon be able to experience a host of new offerings: A cinema complex boasting the latest 3D technology, an extended children's entertainment area with the latest arcade games, a 12-lane bowling alley and laser-tag games, six new restaurants which include a variety of food offerings such as Thai, Seafood, Italian, Portuguese and Al Fresco. A great new highlight is also the Publicity Grill and Bar for a casual family dining experience with live entertainment. Four of these restaurants surround a large outdoor square that will offer regular entertainment and features a state-of-the-art 62 square meters high definition screen to be used for major sport events. A domed events arena for concerts, festivals and expos will also be built. Whilst construction is underway, Silverstar still has a wide array of entertainment attractions. These include a world-class casino, a 34-room luxury hotel, an award-winning spa, regular concerts and events as well as several restaurants including Steak, Black Cherry Coffee shop, and Billy G - a buffet restaurant.

The exciting development is set for completion in September. Come and explore this beautiful corner of Jozi and be surprised! Tsogo Sun is the leading hotels, gaming and entertainment company in South Africa, providing a variety of hospitality and exciting entertainment and leisure experiences. Combining an established heritage with a professional and energized approach, the group proudly encompasses 14 casinos and over 90 hotels in South Africa, Africa, UAE and Seychelles. Silverstar casino in Krugersdorp is one of the 3 casinos in the Gauteng province, including Montecasino in Fourways and Gold Reef City Casino and Theme Park in Southern Johannesburg.

Contact:

For more information contact Silverstar on +27 11 662 7300, visit www.silverstarcasino.co.za or like Silverstar's Facebook page to be kept in the know about what's happening at Silverstar. Follow them on Twitter: @SilverstarZA Like them on Facebook: Silverstar Casino

Getting there:

Flights: South African Airways introduced direct flights between Beijing and Johannesburg in 2012. Go to http://www.flysaa.com/za/en/flyingSAA/News/Saa-introduces-non-stop-flights-to-beijing-china.html.



 
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