Tsogo Sun’s award-winning Riverside Sun, set on the scenic Vaal River banks amid rolling lawns and lush gardens, is celebrating 40 years of operation, fresher and brighter than ever, and delivering great ‘get away from it all’ experiences to leisure travellers with their families and the corporate conference market alike, all less than an hour out of Johannesburg.

The hotel won Best 3-star Hotel in Gauteng at the 2017 Lilizela Tourism Awards, and a TripAdvisor 2017 Certificate of Excellence for consistently positive reviews over the last year.

“The best thing about Riverside Sun is the total escape it offers guests – on a truly tranquil and beautiful property with staff who strive to deliver fuller than full service to all our guests, all the time,” says Mark Ross, GM of Riverside Sun. “Since our major refurbishment about two years, we frequently have guests who see the changes for the first time and are absolutely blown away by the new look and facilities.” He adds that recently the Springboks with new coach Rassie Erasmus held a training camp at Riverside – and that the unanimous response from the team was ‘wow!’

The hotel has 169 rooms, which include standard and deluxe rooms, suites, and a paraplegic room; 12 conference and meeting venues catering for up to 500 people and featuring high tech equipment, or special venues such as the log cabins overlooking the river for more intimate events; the popular Wine Cellar for private events such as warm and intimate functions and celebrations for up to 40 people, or for whiskey, brandy vodka, craft beer or wine tastings; the Riverview Restaurant, serving buffet breakfasts and dinners and ala carte lunches and light meals; a fitness centre; and the large and sparkling swimming pool, a favourite spot for winding down, sipping delicious cocktails, snacking, and soaking up the serenity.

“From Monday to Thursday it is all systems go in our conference centre, with corporate team-building, meetings and conferences, and then come the weekend, the hotel transforms as leisure guests – mainly from Johannesburg and Pretoria – pour in to escape the city for some tranquil downtime and for some fun,” says Ross.

The hotel has begun investing in more kids entertainment options – to add to their fun and to guarantee more relaxation for their parents. Over Easter and December holidays, a local adventure company provides a full entertainment programme for kids aged 5-12, and a teen entertainment programme for 13 to 18 year olds that includes archery, raft building, mini Olympics, paintball, and more. On weekends and long weekends, bouncy castles, water slides, the swimming pool, outdoor chess, movies, and other options keep children active and happy. All at no extra charge to hotel guests.

On the Riverside Sun river bank, bean bags are dotted around for fishing enthusiasts and those keeping the fisher folk company, and across the river, the highly rated Heron Banks Golf Course offers excellent golfing action.

On the river, various craft are available for different leisure activities – the rowing raft, mainly for children’s supervised use and entertainment, a speedboat with skipper for river rides and tube towing, and the Funtracker 12-seater craft for river cruises, complete with own or hotel catered refreshments.

“Riverside is a not-so-hidden gem,” notes Ross. “We’re away from the hustle and bustle of life and yet close enough to be easily accessible – and we have it all. We have a staff of about 180, including contractors, who all take great pride in the delight that guests express about the stylish property and lovely setting, the variety of facilities, the comfort, the excellent food & beverage offering, and about being able to completely unwind – after a demanding day at a conference or corporate event, or a hectic week in the city.”

While the hotel does allow day visitors under certain circumstances in off-peak periods, the hotel’s top priority for all its services and facilities are hotel residents.

For more information about Riverside Sun, visit www.tsogosun.com/riverside-sun.

Tsogo Sun has a portfolio of over 100 hotels and 13 casino and entertainment destinations throughout South Africa, Africa and the Seychelles. For more details, visit https://www.tsogosun.com, follow on Twitter @TsogoSun or like on Facebook /TsogoSun.