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Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace – The Best Luxury Layover

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace – The Best Luxury Layover

Like us, most international travelers flying into Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), are there for a quick layover to continue onto their final destination – a game reserve for safaris. Though we highly recommend travelers to explore Johannesburg, sometimes there is not enough time to sightsee or jet lag travelers just want to relax before they continue onto another flight the next day. This leaves travelers with a few hotel options that are close to the airport, but none compare to the award winning, Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace.

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace is a five star luxury hotel just five minutes away from O. R. Tambo International Airport. You might be thinking that you will hear planes fly over often and it will be loud, we only heard one plane and it was early in the evening – no planes ever disrupted our sleep.

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace is one of four hotels in Peermont’s Emperor’s Palace complex. The complex or Emperor’s Palace is Johannesburg’s Las Vegas – it has a lot of hotels in a small space with plenty of dining options, live entertainment and fun chances of winning big at the casino. Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace has also been awarded by International Hotel Awards in 2014 for Convention Hotel South Africa, Airport Hotel South Africa, Best Airport Hotel Africa and Best International Airport Hotel. So, as you can already gather, this truly is the best hotel near O. R. Tambo International Airport to relax, eat and play.

Full Disclaimer: though we paid for our stay at the hotel, we were upgraded and given a complimentary dinner. Our opinions are our own.

 

Lovely Aesthetics

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace blew us away with their luxury touches throughout the resort. From the moment we entered the lobby till we walked into our room, it truly was an Emperor’s Palace. Even the exterior of the hotel is beautiful with its palace-esque architecture and green roof – it is even more beautiful lit up at night. Any woman staying at Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace overnight will feel like a princess or a queen.

As soon as guests walk through the revolving doors, an open lobby with high painted ceilings welcomes everyone. Guests are immediately transported from the outside world of Johannesburg, to an entirely different world inside Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace. The theme throughout the resort has an Ancient Roman and Italian Renaissance era ambience.

The front desk compliments the lobby with a simple wooden desk and marble table top, two beautiful picture frames and a welcoming Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace sign. The lobby and front desk are the first things the guests see and sets the tone of the positive experiences guests will receive during their stay.

Through the lobby is a grand piano in the middle of the foyer or cocktail lounge, right before Aurelia’s Restaurant continuing with the luxurious atmosphere of the resort. Aurelia’s Cocktail Bar is positioned at the corner of the lounge with a wonderful glass display of spirits.

In addition to the front desk and reception area, there is also a guest relations and concierge desk for guests to use at their disposal. There are only five floors, but they have long and extravagant hallways. The vibrant gold, maroon and blue floral carpet play well with the lightly gold tinted wallpaper. It is a very inviting hallway to your room, which is even more spectacular.

Luxurious Rooms

There are 182 luxurious rooms at the Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace. Within the 182 rooms are 16 different types of rooms and suites. Regardless if guests are staying in the Classic or Deluxe Room or if they are staying in a Suite, every room is spacious and magnificent. Every guest staying in a room at Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace also receives complimentary breakfast at Aurelia’s Restaurant.

We had the luxury of being upgraded to an Deluxe Suite Room and it was spectacular! When we entered our suite we felt like we had just won the jackpot. Every piece of furniture looked like it belonged in a real queen or king’s palace. The Deluxe Suite Room comes with a half bath, a grand living room, a bedroom with a full desk, a king sized bed and a huge bathroom with double sinks, a bathtub, fancy toilet and an overhead shower. Though the suite was impressive, we were surprised to find a bottle of chilled champagne with two champagne glasses waiting for us, as well as a romantic gesture of rose petals laid across our bed and bathtub, (we were celebrating our two year wedding anniversary). We could have lived like royalty in this suite forever – we absolutely loved this suite and is by far one of our favorite hotel rooms we have ever stayed in.

The living room area had the most beautiful furniture! It consisted of a seating area and dining area. There was a sofa, two chairs, a love seat, and dining room chairs, all with a tone of a luscious red. Every seat felt as comfortable as it looked and the chandelier was the final touch of luxury. In the dining area there was an espresso machine with my favorite espresso brand, Lavazza.

The bedroom was gorgeous with the silver plush backboard and royal-esuqe golden wallpaper. There were also more chairs in the bedroom with a silver touch of color and a desk that had a business panel equipped with a HDMI, USB, audio, PC, video and universal outlet. It had everything you could need for your computer and/or technology equipment.

The bathroom was one of the key elements of making this suite amazing. It was fully decorated in a beautiful gray marble and had a golden framed mirror and beautiful black and white pictures. It is not often when a hotel rooms has a double marble sink and it made getting ready for the day and night much easier. Of course the bathtub was wonderful, but the overhead shower was even better. We mentioned that this suite had a fancy toilet, it is true, this toilet was warm every time you sat on it! In addition to the warm seat, it also served as a bidet – a little too fancy for our taste, but a nice feature for those who want it.

Enjoy a full tour of our suite in this video!

 

Wonderful Service

Every staff member we encountered was friendly and happy to assist us. This included the front desk agent, hostess at Aurelia’s Restaurant, our server for dinner at Aurelia’s Restaurant and the concierge team.

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace offers complimentary airport shuttles to and from the hotel. They have a set schedule in the lobby that is presented to guests, so they know when to be ready. We arrived two minutes before departure time, but found that the shuttle left early. Though we were disappointed the shuttle left early, the concierge team were very quick to react and solve our situation. Within minutes we were escorted to a car that took us to the shuttle and we made it safely to the airport. Sometimes mistakes happen at the best of places, but it is how people react to them that make the difference. We were very pleased with the way the concierge team handled our situation.

As we mentioned, we were celebrating our two year wedding anniversary for this entire trip to Africa. We booked this hotel through our travel agent, so we were blown away by our surprises waiting for us in our suite. These little touches ended up being a grand gesture and it meant a lot to us.

An Elegant Dining Experience at Aurelia’s Restaurant

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and breakfast at Aurelia’s Restaurant. Aurelia’s Restaurant has a contemporary design that is beautiful both day and night. The dining room is shaped in a semi-circle with an island in the front of the room and glass windows on the facade of the restaurant, which gives guests an open view of the outdoor pool and gardens. The island is used as a dessert station at night and an array of breakfast selections in the morning.

Dinner

The ambience of Aurelia’s Restaurant during the night is romantic with its dim lighting, candles and fresh flowers on the table. Their dinner menu is quite extensive, it was literally a book full of pages that showcases the chef’s creative molecular gastronomy appetizers, entrees and desserts. The dishes had a little Mediterranean flare with their South African cuisine that can please any palate.

Our evening started with some freshly baked rolls and soft butter. For appetizers we had their Escargot au Riesling and Ostrich Bobotie Ravioli – both were outstanding. The escargot were delicious in their garlic butter, cheese, riesling sauce – it was so good we cleaned the dish with the bread to get every drop of the sauce. The ostrich ravioli was outstanding – the ravioli was the biggest one we have ever had and it tasted perfect!

The entrees are created to be enjoyed as they are described on the menu. Each entree is well thought out and designed with the perfect flavor and texture combinations. The main entrees have two pages with plenty of options to choose from, one page is full of seasonal entrees, while the second page has table side and signature entrees.  We went for two seasonal entrees, the Corn Fed Chicken Cordon Bleu and Red Wine Braised Karoo Lamb Shank. Oh my, the entrees were heavenly! The chicken cordon bleu had a more molecular gastronomy flare than the lamb shank, but both plates were beautifully plated. The chicken cordon bleu was vibrant in color and tasted amazing. The lamb shank was so tender and juicy it basically fell off the bone. The vegetables were the best we have ever had and we are not ones who typically eat their veggies, but we would eat those for every meal.

No meal is complete without dessert. Though we wanted to try every dessert, we only had room for one and went with the Chocolate Tore. A 70% Valrhona dark chocolate cake with pistachio mousse, fresh berries and raspberry ice cream. The dessert tasted as good as it looked! We loved the colors and playfulness of the dessert. The cake was rich, but paired well with the smooth pistachio mousse, fresh berries and tart raspberry ice cream.

The presentation of every plate from start to finish was a work of art and we were very pleased with our dinner.

Breakfast

As if dinner was not already fantastic, Aurelia’s Restaurant blew us away with their breakfast buffet! As we said before, every guest receives a complimentary breakfast at Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace. Though everything about Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace was outstanding, we would stay here again just for the breakfast buffet.

The buffet had everything a guest could ever imagine and more!  There were at least ten different stations offering different International cuisines, located throughout the restaurant! The island in the front of the restaurant offered a variety of breakfast selections. It had a large selection of danish, muffins and bread, 15 jars of fresh fruit, cold cuts of meat, sushi (yes, sushi), three yogurts, nine different types of cereals and grains, a mezze platter, fresh honey (guests literally took honey from a honeycomb) and much more. This is just the food on the island.

On the hot side were three types of bacon, five types of sausage, roasted potatoes and tomatoes, beans, vegetables, lamb, fish, chicken and an Aisan-stir fry station. There was also an egg station where a chef would prepare the eggs anyway you wanted it, scrambled, fried, omelet, etc. Lastly, they had a crepe and waffle station with a variety of toppings to choose from.

So now we have explained what food options were offered, now let us tell you what was offered to drink. They had six different juices to choose from a dispenser and if those juices were not fresh enough for you, a cook would use a machine to squeeze oranges right in front of you. We both had at least two glasses of this freshly squeezed orange juice – no orange juice has ever tasted so fresh! If juice is not your thing, they also had seven pitchers of flavored water and fresh fruit smoothies.

As you can see, a guests options at Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace are endless! We really liked how they offered something for everyone with their different international cuisines.

 

Amazing Amenities

Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace offers a variety of amenities to their guests. For guests who want to relax during their entire layover night or weekend holiday, Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace has everything you need – we wish our layover was longer so we could have enjoyed them all.

  • Free WiFi
  • Octavia’s Day Spa
    • The perfect place to relax from your long flight with a massage, facial, mud bath, sauna, steam room and more.
  • Outdoor Pool
  • 24 Hour Gym
  • Secure Parking
  • Complimentary Airport Shuttle
  • Business Center
  • Executive Club Floor
  • Art Gallery

In addition to these amenities, Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace is connected to the casino, Theatre of Marcellus and their own shopping district called, The Emporium. The Emporium has a movie theatre, arcade room, dining options and more for guest to enjoy at their leisure. If you have been to Las Vegas, it resembles most casino resorts, especially the Venetian, Palazzo and Caesars Palace.

 

 

Casino – What Happens in Joburg, Stays in Joburg

Coming from two people who lived in Las Vegas and worked on the Strip for two years, we were excited to see Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace casino floor and found it to be Johannesburg’s little Vegas paradise.

The casino floor was front and center with a walkway surrounding it, which would lead to the Emporium, Theatre of Marcellus and more. Something that struck our curiosity was a glassed in-room in the center of the casino. It was a very tall and wide glassed room with table games inside. We learned that it was a smoking table game floor only – we found this feature to be a brilliant idea!

On a funny side note, we never gambled once for pleasure in Las Vegas the full two years we were there, yet at the casino at Emperor’s Palace we played Blackjack! Though we lost, we had a lot of fun playing alongside some locals. As we have said, Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace is the perfect place to relax and have fun in Johannesburg (and maybe lose some money along the way)!

 

Overall

We really enjoyed our night at Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace. We were blown away by the room aesthetics. We were pleased with the service of the staff. We ate some fantastic meals at Aurelia’s Restaurant. Lastly, we relaxed and had a great time! We cannot say enough good things about Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace and highly recommend you book your layover night in Johannesburg or your entire stay right here!

 

Book This Hotel!

For the lowest room rate the prices vary around $350, but we booked almost a year in advance and found much cheaper rates. Lower rates can be found at the other Peermont hotels at Emperor’s Palace, which are all fantastic and include breakfast too. Again, we cannot express how convenient this hotel is for a layover in Johannesburg. You get to have fun, eat well and relax.

If you think this hotel is a good fit for you, please book it using our Booking affiliate search box! It does not cost you more, but we would receive a small commission for your booking. We would be very appreciative if you do book with us! 

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Peermont D’Oreale Grande at Emperor’s Palace
64 Jones Rd, O.R. Tambo
Johannesburg, 1620, South Africa
+27 11 928 1770
http://www.emperorspalace.com/hotels/peermont-doreale-grande

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Lucky Mnisi

Monday 30th of October 2017

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed your stay at Emperoros Palace D'oreal Grande Hotel with us. We wish you more years in your wonderful marriage.

oursweetadventures

Thursday 2nd of November 2017

Aww thank you so much! We loved our stay with D'Oreale Grande. Thank you so much for all the romantic touches to help us celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Bruce Schinkel

Monday 30th of October 2017

This really does look like an amazing place to stay. Seems to offer a little bit of everything, but never over the top. I'll definitely be saving this post for when i plan my next trip to Johannesburg

oursweetadventures

Thursday 2nd of November 2017

We are delighted to hear that! If you stay here, you will surely enjoy your visit!

Carmen Baguio

Sunday 29th of October 2017

Oh my goodness! What a luxurious experience. I don't think I would ever want to leave the bedroom suite (don't know about that heated toilet). However the restaurant looks like it would be too tempting to not go and eat!

oursweetadventures

Thursday 2nd of November 2017

Exactly why we think its the perfect luxury layover to adjust to the jet lag. So much to enjoy in the hotel and relax.

Kate

Sunday 29th of October 2017

Incredible! This looks like the decadent getaway I could get used to. The old-timey furnishings take you right back in time. What activited can you suggest to visit around the hotel?

oursweetadventures

Thursday 2nd of November 2017

The hotel is near the airport, so the heart of Johannesburg, which has a lot of great sights to see is around 20 minutes away.

neha

Sunday 29th of October 2017

The furnishing, the rooms, the elements and color selected -everything here is luxury . And so looks the food palette. It's always nice to indulge in such luxurious experiences once in a while. Would definitely love to stay here sometime.

oursweetadventures

Thursday 2nd of November 2017

Yes, it is not often we stay in five star luxury hotels, so we thoroughly enjoyed our visit at D'Oreale Grande.