The Houghton Hotel, situated in Houghton, Gauteng, is setting a new bar for Johannesburg’s hospitality industry, ensuring that the city will be able to offer travellers accommodation in an establishment with a variety of lifestyle amenities on a par with the world’s most prestigious six- and- seven-star hotels.

The R870-million Houghton Hotel, which is due for completion in December 2017, offers accommodation in three different room types, from 50m2 to 145m2.

Apartments measuring 145 m2 feature all amenities, making this new destination the ideal ‘home away from home’ for the regular traveller. In addition to hotel rooms for guests, The Houghton Hotel offers a number of suites for sale from R3.9-million.

The third phase of the development will soon be launched, representing a further R420-million in prestigious residential property, said Pam Golding Properties CEO Dr Andrew Golding at a media event that took place in Houghton earlier this month.

“The luxury lifestyle complex will be unveiled at the same time. An additional leg of the development, totalling a further R2-billion, is being planned,” he said.

The Houghton Hotel, the latest planned addition to the successful residential development, will have a number of features that make it a remarkable destination, not least of which is its location overlooking the Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.

This will be enhanced by landscaping designed to create a lush, verdant environment. The same attention to detail will ensure that the hotel’s interiors create a feeling of cosseted luxury, while a host of world-class facilities will guarantee that residents have everything they need under one roof.

“We are excited to welcome The Houghton to our portfolio,” commented hospitality consortium The Leading Hotels of the World VP for membership Deniz Omurgonulsen at the event.

He added that the project is unique, with a comprehensive array of facilities – its parklike setting in Johannesburg’s affluent green belt, and its proximity to upscale shopping and prime business concerns make it especially attractive to sophisticated travellers.

“Above all, we have been impressed with the developers’ embrace of the destination, their dedication to ensuring excellence of product and their determination to maintain the individual identity of the property. We believe the hotel will embody the dynamism of the Johannesburg area and deliver an exceptional luxury experience to our guests.”

Architect firm Boogertman + Partners partner Heleen Grimsehl explained that the firm is striving to ensure that the hotel becomes the gem of The Houghton Estate and its surroundings.

“The Houghton Hotel is located on the apex of the affluent residential suburb of Houghton. We’ve made use of refined precision design elements and materials – including concrete, steel and glass – to reflect this affluence. “At the same time, we’ve introduced the location’s Highveld heritage by using natural elements and soft, sweeping lines in the aesthetics,” she said.

The hotel’s interiors are being designed by interior design company Pellerade. Pellerade CEO Stephen Pellerade said that, in creating The Houghton’s look and feel, he turned to iconic international hotels for inspiration, including Milan’s Armani Hotel, the Peninsula, in Hong Kong and the Bulgari, in London.

“These establishments stand out because their furnishings are simplistic, but the use of layering and tailoring makes for an effect that is extremely luxurious.”

The same impression will be created at The Houghton Hotel through the use of texture. Wood cladding and textured fabrics create an almost tactile environment, different from the sterility that seems to mark most modern hotels.