Several weeks ago I blogged about the night Thorsten and I spent at the African Penthouses in downtown Joburg. Very soon afterward we spent a night at the Rand Club, so I decided to make a mini “Sleeping in Jozi” series to showcase some options for staying overnight in downtown Joburg.

I blogged about the Rand Club recently, after I became a member, but I want to write a dedicated post about the hotel rooms because I don’t think a lot of people know the club provides this beautiful accommodation to both members and the general public. As I said in my African Penthouses post, it’s not easy to find nice places to stay in the inner city and the Rand Club is definitely one of them. Staying there is also a unique experience that you really can’t get anywhere else.

The Rand Club has seven hotel rooms — all recently restored — on the third floor, an area that is normally only available to club members. (That’s another perk of staying over: You get to see the members-only parts of the club.)

Sleeping in Jozi at the Rand Club

One of the benefits of being a Rand Club member is that every year during your birthday month, you get a free overnight stay for two people. (I was a little late, scheduling my July stay in September. But the management let it slide.) Members also receive a 20% discount on the Rand Club hotel rooms.

All the rooms have slightly different configurations and they all have fabulous bathrooms. We stayed in Room 7, which is the biggest suite — it has a bedroom, a sitting room, and an enormous bathroom with a fancy tub and double shower.

The Rand Club hotel room rates range from R1250 (about $70) to R1650 (about $90), which is a steal for a high-end hotel room. There is safe parking in the Rand Club parking lot. Also the restaurant is open for breakfast — I highly recommend their omelettes and cappuccinos.

Art in the Rand Club

While I’m at it, I want to mention a couple of other cool things about the Rand Club that I didn’t get around to in my previous post. The club has an incredible collection of art, some of which the club owns and some of which is on loan from FirstRand Group and RMB. The art is all over, in both the public and members-only sections, and it’s really worth looking at.

Brian McKechnie, a long-time club member, architect, and art enthusiast, does periodic art tours in the Rand Club. I haven’t been on one of them yet but I’ve heard they’re fantastic. Keep an eye on the Rand Club Facebook page for future announcements about these tours.

The 21 Bar

I can’t believe I forgot to mention this bar in my previous post. It’s a members-only bar (although I think hotel guests can also use it) on the first floor of the club. It’s called the 21 Bar for two reasons: 1) It opened in 2021; and 2) Twenty-one Rand Club members donated the money to renovate the space. It’s beautiful and best place in the club to have a drink.

That’s all I have to say about the Rand Club for now (it turned out to be more than I planned) but I’m sure there will be more in the future. It’s a fascinating place! Come visit soon.