Suncoast Re-imagined

Located in the heart of Durban's Golden Mile beachfront, Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World has been the focal point of the cities entertainment buzz for over a decade now and it's just completed a R1.6 billion upgrade. Last week saw the launch of the new additions as well as a full revamp of the existing complex, and as per the norm with Suncoast they do not do things on a small scale as it was a grand affair!

In an invitation only event, with the guest list extending from the who's who of Durban, to well known local celebrities and not forgetting the loyal Suncoast patrons, being held in the all new multipurpose indoor venue, the Globe. It was transformed into a wonderland with decor than mesmerized you at every corner and gymnasts along with trapeze artists performing keeping guests entertained as they mingled, sipped on fine champagne and enjoyed the array off food on offer. Performances by Lira, Veranda Panda and a breathtaking violan performance from the artist elevated into to the air while playing. 

Kicking off the evenings proceedings was the MC for the evening, the ever beautiful Jeannie D, which followed with addresses from Tsogo Sun's Chief Operating Officer Glenn Jospeh and  Suncoasts Operations Manager, Mike Dowsley who then glamorously announced the opening of the new additions with a sabrage of  a champagne bottle. Durban's mayor was present and also gave her words of thanks to Tsogo Sun for their continued investment in the city. 

It was then time to party and one can imagine after 24 months of this momentous redevelopment which has expanded Suncoast to over 48,000 square meters, it was well deserved. Just to run through what they have done, apart from the new additions the existing complex has undergone a massive refurbishment with the food court being expanded and new additions for guests to choose from. The casino has undergone a full revamp as well, with more tables, more machines for visitors. The Prive casino has moved up a level and offers the high rollers an impeccable gambling experience with its own entrance and private gambling rooms. 

The new additions see's a new restaurant complex which is adjacent to the current complex, and houses many of the favourites. Spur and John Dory's have relocated from the inside to the new portion is joined by the likes of Mythos, La Rosa, Calisto's, Lupa and Havan Grill. Next to the restaurant portion is the Barnyard Theatre which is set to open this week and seats 400 people with an array of shows planned for the upcoming year. 

The main talking point is the globe though, with 2000 square meters of space, undercover and fully air-conditioned, it's a unique structure for Durban and can play hosts to many things. With events already planned and have taken place already, like Big Top Rock and Shut Up & Dance. Some events you can still look forward to in the Globe are, Just Jinjer & Tailer, Loyiso Gola Unlearning, Riaad Moosa and Friends. Overall, the entire place looks fantastic, I love what they've done with the colour scheme, while it isn't as bright and multi-coloured as before, it accentuates the Art Deco vibe that Suncoast is so synonymous for. It's a welcome change to the Durban beach front and just in time for the summer holidays. 

Comedy for a Cause

The Edith Benson Children's Home in Sherwood, home to at least 60 children of various ages was recently gutted in a fire. Since then, the community at large have shown grate generosity in donating clothes, food and other necessities that were required for the care of the kids. Although there were many donations, it still isn't enough and more funds are needed to repair the home. With this in mind, Comedy for a Cause came about, Jo Holroyd went about and appealed to almost every single comedian in Durban to come together and assist with the relief of the Edith Benson Children's Home by partaking in this one night only comedy showcase.

The lineup is like a box of chocolates as Durban's biggest, smallest, and brand new comedians share the stage for a hysterical night of comedy in order to raise funds for a cause that is no laughing matter. The show which will take place next Tuesday at the Sky Venue which is based on the top floor of the Southern Sun Elangeni Maharani will include likes of East Coast Radio producer Rory Petzer, award winning Zulu comedienne Nono R, East Coast Radio's Neil Green, Leah Jasmine who self professed herself as Durban's "Queen of Woke Comedy", dark comic and culture expert Bob Perfect as well as newcomers like Akheel Maharaj, Troy Tesla, Sbu Myanda, Musa Zondi and Venessa Morton as well as a host of up and coming established comics. The lineup is colourful, and their topics will be too, so it's best to leave kids at home for this one as a no under 18s are allowed.

Bucket Scene: Billy G - Suncoast Casnio

Last night saw the official opening of Billy G at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World in Durban. With the ongoing expansions to popular Durban hotspot situated on the famed Golden Mile, everyone is keen to see what Tsogo Sun has in-store with their new additions to their establishment. This restaurant forms part of the first of the expansion to open, it is also the 5th of its kind in South Africa and is proudly part of the Tsogo Sun brand. It offers guests a full upmarket buffet, with an extensive selection of dishes to suit any palette. 

The opening saw many of the who's who in the Durban entertainment and sporting industry in attendance, including Sketchy Bongo, Mo Magic, Odwa Ndungane and not forgetting, everyone's favourite politician tuned socialite, Logie Naidoo. With the seating for 320 people, the restaurant offers a unique dining experience, whether you want to be seated inside, close to the buffet or outside near the Sundeck to marvel at the Indian Ocean in all it's splendor. 

With the formalities concluded by the Suncoast marketing management, and introduction of the managers and Su Chef's, it was time to sample what the buffet had to offer! The various stations have plenty for you to chose from, hot meals, cold meals, salads and deserts, it had them all! Always with a buffet I get confused as to wear to start, a nice thing about Billy G is that all the food is sort of placed in order whereby you have the salad bar and appetizer station next to each other, with a selection of fresh vegetables, cheeses, cold meats and dressings to customise your own salad. 

Moving onto the hot meals, the pizza station caught my eye with 3 options on offer, veg, chicken and beef. There were also curry's and rice, a carvery and stir-fry options. The next station offered sides for you mains, from roast potatoes, to gravy and sauces for your meats or even pasta and sauce. There is also a sushi bar from where you can get all of your favourites! 

After making a few trips to the buffet and trying to sample most that was on offer, it was time to end the night off on a sweet note, onto the deserts! If you thought selection for the mains was good, the desert if even better! To start off, they have a soft serve ice cream machine! Along with that, fresh hot waffles, a selection of toppings and sauces for that, puddings, which included a firm South African favourite, malva pudding with hot custard. Moving on to the cake selection, there was chocolate brownies and banana bread and a fridge full of tarts and trifles. 

With a great selection like this, you would be expecting to pay an arm and a leg to dine here, but it's not the case at Billy G. R199 per person gets you entrance to a world of variety and it gets better if you are a Suncoast loyalty card holder, with various discounts offered to those on select status. There is also special rates for children between the ages of 4 to 7 who pay R50, 8 to 12 pay R100 and pensioners pay R120. Operating times are Tuesday to Sunday lunch, from 12h00 to 15h00 and dinner is from Monday to Sunday, 18h00 to 22h00. 

Winning Year for Tsogo Sun Suncoast!

2017 has been an award-winning year for us and it’s not over yet!” says Louise Howell, Marketing Manager at SUNCOAST.

The awards range from recognition for contributions in the community to topping popularity-polls by readers of one of Durban’s daily newspapers.

In Women’s Month (August) SUNCOAST scooped the Corporate Citizenship Award, sponsored by British American Tobacco, at the 14^th edition of the prestigious Standard Bank Top Women Awards held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

The Corporate Citizenship Award acknowledges the role of business in improving the communities in which they operate and the positive impact on quality of life, economic prosperity or regeneration through direct investment, pro bono work or employee-led initiatives.

The award recognized the ongoing contribution that SUNCOAST makes to the community of Chesterville via its partnership with Vukukhanye (an NPO operating in the area).

Vukukhanye was formed in 2001 and offers essential community services in the form of children’s foster homes, Educare centre, bursary projects, health and welfare services as well as support for community-based organisations and schools. SUNCOAST has been collaborating with the NPO since 2009 providing financial support and regular participation from SUNCOAST staff on various community projects.

“It was extremely gratifying receiving the Corporate Citizenship Award as it validates the culture that the TSOGO Group has instilled in all their properties,” says Howell. “Partnering with Vukukhanye and the CEO, Dr Anthony van der Meulen, allows us to practise the values of Teamwork, Service, Opportunity, Growth and Ownership and make a positive difference in other people’s lives.”

Another award won during the year is the PMR Awards, where SUNCOAST won a Golden Award (4.2 out of 5) in the category of Casino Executive Lifestyle. SUNCOAST also topped a popularity poll from Durban readers when it was recently voted the Best Casino in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in the 2017 Daily News Your Choice Awards for the 14^th year running.

“Being voted the Best Casino in KZN for 14 consecutive years is a record that SUNCOAST is extremely proud of,” adds Howell. “It also gives our staff the recognition they deserve. SUNCOAST firmly believes that keeping staff members motivated and happy are the keys to great customer service. The award confirms that our guests notice and appreciate our efforts!”

Individual employees have also been excelling in their departments.  Croupier, Cheszine Muller, was named first runner-up in the 2017 Tsogo Sun National Dealer of the Year Championships at Montecasino, Johannesburg in September.

Muller was one of 18 finalists and was joined in the top five by fellow SUNCOAST colleague, Mbuso Dube (who placed fourth). The table dealers were judged on various criteria in the preliminary rounds of the competition, including knowledge, dealing skills and customer service standards. Once through to the final round they were assessed on technical skills and other aspects of the dealing cycle in American Roulette and Blackjack. The winner was announced after the final five had to answer judges’ questions at the prizewinning dinner.

“Taking part in the Championships was so much fun and not difficult at all because the tasks involved what I do every day,” says 29-year-old Muller, who has been a croupier at SUNCOAST for the past three years.

Meanwhile, finalists Devina Dawkinun and Lebo Mohoko are anxiously awaiting the outcome of their respective competitions.

Dawkinun (founder of the Gemkids Catch-up Programme and manager of SUNCOAST’s Day Care Centre) is one of the top five in the 2017 Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a competition for entrepreneurs and alumni benefiting from the Tsogo Sun Entrepreneurs development programme.

The Day Care manager at SUNCOAST was selected as a finalist from 200 fellow-entrepreneurs and will be attending a National Showcase and Conference at the Southern Sun in Pretoria at the end of October, where the Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced.

“I feel proud to be acknowledged by Tsogo Sun,” says Dawkinun. “All too often entrepreneurs go unrecognized. The nomination has meant the world to me and it would be that much more special if I was to win.”

The Tsogo Sun Entrepreneur for 2017 will receive R50 000 from Tsogo Sun, a bursary valued at R30 000 from Tsheto Leadership Academy and will be ambassador for Tsogo Sun Entrepreneurs for the next year.

Mohoko (barista at Café Vigour and KZN winner of the 2017 Tsogo Sun - Avanti Coffee National Barista Competition) is eagerly anticipating the national battle of the baristas in Gauteng in November. His expert coffee-making skills saw him win the regional round earlier this year.

“Coffee is my passion and, although I am nervous and excited about the Gauteng finals, I hope to make Café Vigour and SUNCOAST proud by bringing the National Barista Champion title home to Durban,” says the popular barista.

“We are eagerly awaiting the judges’ decisions in these two competitions and hope that Devina and Lebo will come out tops,” says Howell. “The accomplishments of the year have made all the hard work worthwhile and motivated everyone to aim for more success in 2018. The public’s support also plays a large part in SUNCOAST’s success for which we are very grateful.”

Suncoast: Game On

If you're a Black Card holder at Suncoast Casino, then you're going to want to read this! Well, even if you aren't one this might persuade you to get one. Why you ask? Well because Suncoast Casino's latest promotion "Game On" is giving away a brand new GLC43 AMG! Yes, you read right, a GLC43 AMG! The Mercedes-Benz GLC is the perfect vehicle of the current era, it embodies the luxury and comfort of a family sedan, all on a raised platform, giving it that SUV feel and look and with this being an AMG model, it has that extra grunt from the mighty 3.0 litre TwinTurbo V6. The car is magnificent and if you want to view for all its glory, it parked at the basement parking entrance to the Casino.

Well you must be wondering now, how do you win this beast of a car? Well it's quite straight forward, first things first, you need to be a Suncoast Casino Black Card holder. The promotion started on the 1st of July and ends on the 15th of September, other than the Mercedes-Benz GLC43 AMG, guests also stand a chance on winning a share of R450 000 in cash. By playing your favourite slots or tables during this period, you will earn points for entries into the draw. The Top 200 players (Top 150 Slots and Top 50 Tables players) within the above mention points earning period will qualify to participate in the CAR draw. The Top players will each earn 1 Car draw ticket for every 25,000 points earned during the points earning period (8am 1st July - 7:59am 14th of September 2017). The Slots and Tables leaderboards in the Prive will display the Top 150 Slots and Top 50 Tables players who have qualified into the draw for the Car. 

Prizes to won at the Car Draw. 

1st Prize	Merecedes-Benz GLC43 AMG
2nd Prize	R 50,000
3rd Prize	R 40,000
4th Prize	R 25,000
5th Prize	R 20,000
6th Prize	R 15,000
7th Prize	R 15,000
8th Prize	R 15,000
9th Prize	R 10,000
10th Prize	R 10,000

The Cash Draw takes place this Friday, the 1st of September at 9pm. Every 15,000 points earned gets you 1 ticket for the draw. 

1st Prize	R 100,000
2nd Prize	R 50,000
3rd Prize	R 30,000
4th Prize	R 25,000
5th Prize	R 25,000
6th Prize	R 20,000

That's a whopping total of R 250,000 in cash! combined with the CAR draw brings this total to R 450,000 in cash! Please note again, this campaign is exclusive to Suncoast Black Card holders only. 

Cafe Vigor - Suncoast

Cafe's have become popular spots over the last decade, people come there to hangout with friends, catch up over a cup of coffee, some come to make use of the WiFi and get some work done, I've even seen some play as a venue for business meetings. With Cafe's its always a relaxed atmosphere offering a small select variety of food and drink. Suncoast Casino in Durban has Cafe Vigor, you cannot miss it as it is situated right outside the main entrance to the Casino and on the main walk way through the complex, I've always enjoyed the food offered there but yesterday I was invited to sample some of the new items they've added to their menu. It definitely was a taste sensation and one that is authentic to Durban.

Butternut & Feta Salad

To start things off yesterday, we were greeted by Sous Chef Lyndon who was going to take us through each new item on the menu. First up was a butternut and feta salad. For me salad's have always been a side dish, never a starter or a main and many a time I would give a skip. I was pleasantry surprised by this one though. I expected the butternut to be soft and mushy but it was blanched and still maintained that crisp, along with crumbled feta, some leafy green and all brought together in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

Creamy chicken and mushroom fettucinne

Next up was a favourite of mine, creamy mushroom and chicken fettuccine. This warm pasta is perfect for a cold day with all wholesome flavours that make it the ultimate comfort food. The sauce was creamy but not rich, also another aspect I liked about it, the mushrooms were left rather big and chunky, many places dice the mushrooms to a smaller sauce and they shrink in the sauce. The chicken, tender and moist, encapsulating all the flavours, I could honestly eat that the entire day. 

Lamb kebab Korma

They spoke about the new items wanting to display the authentic tastes of Durban and for the next item, this did exactly that. Many are used to the Lamb Korma dish that is served at many of the traditional Indian restaurants, Cafe Vigor has taken this dish and given it their own twist. Lamb Kebab chutney is a popular Durban dish and this is an interesting take on it but the chutney is substituted for a creamy cashew nut gravy synonymous to the Korma but with a Cape Malay flavour. This dish was out standing and I'll definitely be back for more!

Hake & Calamari

I'm a massive fan of seafood and I was glad to see that the next course involved that, after all we are at the sea so how can their not be some seafood? Cafe Vigor has take your standard fish and chips and zhuzhed it up by adding some spice to the batter and accompanying the hake with some calamari rings, served with a tasty, tangy tartar sauce. It was fresh, light and crispy, everything you would want from a dish like this. 

Spicy Chicken Livers

Durban, much like it's weather, likes things hot and one of the popular starter on many menu's in the city would be Peri-Peri chicken livers, if you're a fan, you would be pleased to know that Cafe Vigor has it and made some adjustments to the flavours, as it's not Peri-Peri but rather Durban curry. With a mixed blend of curry powder and Garam Masala, it lifts this dish to a new level. It's warm, hearty and hits the spot. 

Butter Chicken Wrap

There's no such thing as too much curry, especially if you're from Durban, so in saying that the next item was definitely very welcomed. It was created by our host, Sous Chef Lyndon, it is a Butter Chicken Wrap.  Tender morsels of chicken, cooked in a creamy butter gravy, using local sourced spices from a popular Durban spiceworks, gives the curry a different dimension, it's quite a thick consistency so you don't have to worry about gravy dripping all over the place.. All this goodness is wrapped in a soft, butter naan. 

Vegetable Fettuccine

Now if you're a vegetarian, you must have been reading this post and wondering, "well what about us?" , not to worry, Cafe Vigor has some items that are perfect for you. We were brought a vegetable fettuccine. Now I've eaten many bland veg pastas before, I can honestly say this was nothing close to bland! The creamy napolitano sauce had a great kick to it, and I amongst the crunchy veg, I spotted a green chili, adding that fresh bite to this great pasta dish.

Chakalaka Soup

To end off, we were served a starter, I know it may seem odd but I felt this was a nice wrap of this culinary journey we had taken earlier. Traditionally, tomato soup is served with a toast on the side to add that crunch and cut the acidity from it all, Cafe Vigor took this traditional starter item and added a nice spin to it, the soup is now a thick rich Chakalaka, full of local flavours and it is served with a toasted cheese sandwich to dip in. It really ties the whole dish together beautifully. 

Chocco-chino

We had the option to end off our experience with waffles and ice cream but after being so stuffed from all the previous courses, I could only manage a chocco-chino. These are some wonderful additions to the Cafe Vigor menu and I enjoyed all of them thoroughly, you'll find me there back soon for most of them, starting off with that Lamb Korma!

Tsogo Sun Roulette Masters 2017

Last week saw the media launch of the much anticipated Tsogo Sun Roulette Masters 2017. The tournament which is in it's fourth year running is already well under way and see's 14 casino's around the country partake in. It gives one lucky player a chance to walk away with a guaranteed first prize of R2 million, a glittering trophy and the title of 2017 Roulette Master. 

Suncoast Casino in Durban is one of the participating 14 casino's that are hosting the tournament and they invited selected media to have a little feel for the competition. Speaking at the launch, Louise Howell, Marketing Manager at Suncoast had this to say, "Although the buy-in of R100 remains the same as when the tournament began in 2014, there is huge excitement as there is a total prize pool of R3.1 million to be won. Roulette Masters 2017 is bigger and better than ever with a guaranteed whopping R2 million in cash for the Grand Winner". 

Daily heats have already begun and will take place in the qualifying rounds of the Roulette Masters at each of the Tsogo Sun's 14 casinos: Suncoast, Montecasino, Silverstar, Gold Reef City, Golden Horse Casino, The Ridge Casino, Hemingway's Casino, Emnotweni Casino, Garden Route Casino, Goldfields Casino, Mykonos Casino, Blackrock Casino, The Caledon Casino and Queens Casino until the 9th of March. Entry to each heat of the tournament is by way of a cash buy-in of R100 (cash chips and plaques will also be accepted) or point redemption for the same amount. Players can enter as often as they like. From the qualifying rounds, top scorers from each individual casino as per the unit's allocation (totaling 44 players) will earn a place in the Groups Quarters, Semis and Grand Final at Gold Reef City. 

Those that have made through to the finals will go head-to-head at the Grand Final at Gold Reef City on March 25th where they will be flown and put up at the resorts hotel. The total prize money to be won is R3.1 million. The five finalist that make it through to the Group and grand finals will compete for their share of under R2.4 million with the winner walking away with a guaranteed R2 million in cash, the trophy and the title of 2017 Roulette Masters Champion. 

At the launch were given the chance to try out hand at roulette and see if lady luck was on our side, unfortunately I crashed an burned in the first round, the roulette ball was not landing on my chosen numbers that day! But all was not lost as the team at Suncoast certainly know how to spoil us with great entertainment and delicious food from their various onsite restaurants, Cafe Vigor and Jeera. 

"We at Suncoast are holding thumbs that KwaZulul Natal will have the winning spin in the Finals this year. The Roulette Masters has produced plenty of thrills and entertainment since its inception in 2014. It is always a highlight on the calendar and we are looking forward to being a part of this annual event" Howell adds. "There is plenty of fun to be had on the gaming floor and our croupiers at Suncoast are ready to provide a great tournament experience at the tables for all Roulette lovers"

For more information, visit www.suncoastcasino.co.za or follow them on Facebook or Twitter 

Tsogo Sun: High Tea at Jeera, Suncoast Hotel &Towers

Afternoon tea is a must for many and those wanting to spoil themselves often opt for a High Tea which is offered in many establishments but whilst most are great in offering the traditionalist what they expect, the team down at Jeera, located on the pool level of the Suncoast Hotel & Towers decided to give their High Tea a Durban twist. Durban is known to have the highest population of Indians outside India and we all know the significant cultural impact they have had on this city with keeping things spicy and that's exactly what Jeera has done with their high tea.

Last week Tuesday I was invited to par-take in their offering, not knowing what to expect, I was left mouth gaping open at the spread that lied before me. It's not your typical high tea and but at the same time they keep to the aesthetics of what it is meant to be, so you not going to be served a bunny chow and a cup of tea, although some might fancy that? Sandren Govender, executive chef at Suncoast Towers, who has experience in cooking throughout the world has meticulously created a menu to delight everyone's taste buds, with savoury and sweet delicacies to send you into a journey of food ecstasy.

A seating for two will get you a wonderful selection of sweet delights such as burfee shortbread, poli truffles - a modern twist on a traditional Indian favourite, blending chocolate, coconut and cardamom as well as cinnamon eclairs. On the savoury side, the offering expands to an equally wide selection including smoked salmon bagels with paneer cheese; chicken tikka, sheekh kebabs and my personal favourite, Sandrens butter chicken cigars, which is bread, flattend and filled with rich butter chicken curry, then rolled into a cigar shape, crumbed and fried till crispy on the outside.

"This tailor-made approach allowed for authentic creativity to come through quite strongly in the kitchen. We know at the end of the collaboration with our team, we have something unique to offer our guests" says executive chef Sandren Govender. He added that the concept was carefully planned and created incorporating the sense and relaxation associated with the afternoon tea experience.

You probably read this far and must be wondering, high tea but I have not mentioned anything about the tea? Well yes, there is the tea but the food offering is simply that great but the selection of teas will not only awaken your senses but the aromatic flavours and smells will entice you to want to smaple them all. Jeera offers a host of teas with various spices and scents from around the world, each guest has their on glass tea pot with warmer so you can see the flavours fuse with the boiling water. It really was a fascinating experience for me as it was the first time I had the opportunity to indulge a high tea and I'm glad this was the place I did it at.

Speaking to Palvi Oddone Aquino, who is the guest relations manager at Suncoast Hotel and Towers, she had this to say, "Much time was invested in crafting this concept where our primary goal was to take our guests through a journey of spice and distinctive flavour through confectionery - where tea becomes a conversation piece."

Jeera serves their high tea throughout the week (Monday to Friday depending on availability) between 14h00-16h30 and will be available for groups of four or more. Cost per person is R150 and each will get one or two of every serving on the platter, whatever is not eaten can be opted to be taken away for you to indulge at home.

Tsogo Sun: Golf Reef City Casino Hotel

When I tour the country for various events, the most important part of the trip is my accommodation, because nothing can compare to a good night's rest in place that you're not only comfortable but with staff who are always helpful to assist when need be, which is why I am loyal to the Tsogo Sun group, no matter which part of the country I am, their establishments set the bar for hotels and leisure. 

This past weekend while in Johannesburg for the Ultra Music Festival South African leg, the kind folk at Tsogo Sun Gold Reef City Casino Hotel hosted me for the weekend. Before I could even arrive to the hotel on that that Friday I already knew I was in good hands, and for that I must say special thank you to their communications manager Devashini Govender for arranging my stay and ensuring all was well while she was on leave. Not often you will get people going out of their way during their time off to assist you. 

Gold Reef City Casino Hotel is situated just a few minutes outside Johannesburg CBD, it boasts casino, multiple restaurants, kiddies entertainment area and a movie house. The hotel has just gone under a massive renovation with certain areas still getting their final touch ups and I must say, after last visiting when I was a kid, the place has transformed and grown into something spectacular. Gold Reef City is themed around the Johannesburg Gold Rush just like it's sister hotel across the road at the Theme Park which we stayed at the last time. So a lot of of it follows the American Western style decor. 

A massive fountain with golden Springboks leaping through greets you at the entrance of the Hotel and Casino complex and you enter into a massive triple volume atrium. The lovely staff at reception ensured my checking in was quick and efficient with one of them accompanying me to show to my suite. I was staying in one of the bigger suites at the hotel, the coffee and tea station greeted me in the foyer of the room, with the dressing room and walk in closet to the left, that led into the massive bathroom with a free standing tub, shower and toilet. The size of the bathroom was bigger than some hotel rooms I've stayed in!

The bedroom had a massive King Size four post bed, with a lounge area equipped with sofa's and a large screen LCD TV and bar fridge. A nice welcome gift from the hotel's GM stood next to my bed, a bottle of bubbly on ice, and so the celebrations of the weekend kicked off in style. The hotel area of the casino is only accessible by lift and is strictly for guests only so if you're staying there, you don't have to worry about any one making their way up. Security is of utmost importance at Gold Reef City, so much so I didn't even make use of the safe in my bedroom as I know my room was secure. 

Being a working trip, I had to get some admin done while I was at the hotel, for this the Hotel provides free WiFi for all their guests, with a simple easy way to log in and super-fast speeds. If I were busy and didn't have time to visit one of the many restaurants and take out's downstairs, a full eat in menu was available for me from the hotel. anything from a simple sandwich to butter chicken and rice was on the menu. With great variety like this, I pondered whether it was really worth my while leaving my luxurious room and venture around?

Although I was there for Ultra, I had some time to explore the complex, the Casino being the focal point of Gold Reef City is situated in the middle and boasts a host of slot machines for your fancy and for the more hands on gamblers, a range of tables are on offer for you. Whether you're a Roulette man like my self or Black Jack is more of your game, it was all catered for. There is given quite a sizable smoking Casino just behind the main gambling floor. Enough about what the adults can do, the kiddies entertainment is well catered for as well. There is a 10 pin bowling area where the whole family can partake in some fun, gaming area as well as the newly opened movies which has an amazing clock feature in it's foyer resembling an old train station, as well as a time table board which mimics one from a station as well. 

The walkway around the Casino has restaurants that suite any palette, from a cafe type bistro of Tsogo Sun's very own Vigor & Verve, to authentic Indian cuisine at The Raj, maybe some Portuguese Peri Peri at Calisto's or if you're in a mood for a great steak, Boston BBQ is your place to dine at. Other restaurants include Back to the Moon and everyone's favourites Ocean Basket and Spur Steak House. If you're in the mood for a quick bite, the food court has a range of popular take outs for you with adequate seating area for all. 

Chicken Malai Tikka starter at the Raj

Being on the road for a few days, I was missing my curry so settled in for lunch on Saturday at The Raj, it's situated at the entrance to the undercover parking complex. After being greeted and seated by our waiter, he gave us a run down on his preferred choices off the menu. we eventually settled for the Chicken Malai Tikka starter with Lamb Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken for our mains. Every thing we ordered was delicious, so much so we ditched the utensils and opted to eat the authentic cuisine the way it was meant to be eaten, with our hands, just so we could lick our fingers at the end. 

Lamb Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken main with garlic naan

The good food doesn't stop there, guests at the hotel enjoy their breakfast served at the Vigor & Verve Cafe, where they can chose something of the menu or help them self to the extensive buffet on offer. From a selection of hot foods, to pastries, fruits and cereals, it had it all and was a life saver after partying till the early hours of the morning at Ultra. After day one I opted for the buffet, which did not disappoint, after day two I wanted to sample something off the menu and being a lover of toasted sandwiches, I settled for the V&V Club Sandwich. It was a toasted chicken and mayo with bacon and egg, it more than hit the spot.

Overall, I couldn't fault one thing during my stay, apart from the luxurious room and great facilities, the staff of Gold Reef City Hotel must be commended, whether it was the guys at check in, to the security guards, everyone was friendly, helpful and always had a smile on their face. It shows that they not only enjoy what they do but are also proud to be working at Gold Reef City and it's that added extra which makes your stay that much more worth while, to know you have a team of dedicated personnel who take pride in what they do and are ever ready to assist. I will definitely be paying them another visit, maybe this time I will have better luck on the tables!