The One O Eight Place Experience (Benoni)
One O Eight Place is a boutique hotel in Benoni (Gauteng) that provides beautiful accomodation for both business or pleasure. The rooms have beautiful terraces where you can sit out and enjoy the beautiful dam in front of you, and the hotel itself has a private terrace overlooking the Korsman Bird Sanctuary, which can be booked for private dinners.
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One O Eight Place : First Impressions
Nestled in Benoni, this boutique hotel is located right by the Korsman Bird Sanctuary . . . to say the views are beautiful is an understatement. When we got there . . . it gave me Hartbeespoort vibes, and I was excited to uncover what lay ahead.
The location for this boutique hotel is great, and very safe. Michael Kane , who is the manager at the property met with us at the entrance and ushered us in, and offered to help us with our luggage. Once inside, we met some of the staff – very friendly staff I might add.
We were also offered a welcome drink . . . which was refreshing.
The space is elegantly decorated and modern, and I was immediately drawn to the immaculate garden outside.
But first things first . . .
One O Eight Place: the Goliath Heron
Goliath Heron is a presidential and bridal suite that comes with a King-size bed. This suite is not only beautiful . . . it is super spacious. It has an en-suite bathroom that has a spacious shower, a spa bath, and a toilet plus double basins. The suite overlooks the Korsman Bird Sanctuary, so we had beautiful views to delight ourselves in. The sunrise was particularly beautiful to watch the next morning.
It has an open-plan lounge which flows to the glamorous bedroom. From the lounge, you can also access the jacuzzi area and the seating place outside that overlooks the garden and the pool.
This suite also has a walk in closet with ample luggage space . . .and of course my partner went crazy thinking of the possibility that the closet provided us with.
This suite has 2 TV’s . . . one in the lounge and one by the bedroom. We enjoyed DStv channels and Netflix, which allowed to binge watch one of our favourite series – the new Season of Love Is Blind.
The suite also had a desk which came in handy for catching up with work, and free wifi access. Lastly, it had air-conditioning with remote control, a stocked mini-bar, tea and coffee station . . . it had everything we needed to call home (even if it was for a little bit) and be comfortable to relax and recharge.
We were also provided with linen and towels, beautiful bathrobe and slippers.
We were excited to try out the restaurant that’s on site, and experience their dishes.
Whatever we needed to make our stay amazing, we had access to. One thing was for sure . . . we wanted to enjoy the jacuzzi, the swimming pool and be able to relax to the full.
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One O Eight Place: Dining Experience
We had dinner at their onsite restaurant . . . the setup was beautiful and they had the fire place going. The whole dining experience gave us date night vibes which was great!
While we were enjoying the champagne, they brought us the starter, which was the Kashmiri pumpkin soup with olive bread.
For the main meal . . . we had the option between seared fillet of fish in coconut sauce, rice and sauted vegetables, and beef lasagna with meditarenean side salad. They also had a vegetarian option, but bae and I are meat lovers. And as per usual, we decided that whatever we are ordering, we were going to share, it just works for us. So seared fillet of fish in coconut sauce, rice and sauted vegetables, and beef lasagna with meditarenean side salad it was!
For dessert . . . we had a chocolate cake with caramel sauce, brownie bites and ice cream with honey comb, and blueberry panacotta.
The presentation of the food was beautiful, it was professionally made but gave that homey warm feeling. . . big shoutout to Chef Londie.
Our dining experience at One O Eight Place was beautiful and enjoyable . . . the stuff were amazing and the portions were generous. And the food? Very enjoyable and flavoursome too.
One O Eight Place: Things to do
The One O Eight Place is really a one stop place for a staycation that is within Gauteng, especially when you are not looking to drive too far out.
There is a bar outdoorsy area with the stunning view of the dam . . . great for sundowners. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time here.
They also have a swimming pool with the lounge area . . . it has a nice vibe, with lounge music playing. Definitely a great spot to relax and enjoy something nice to sip on. We didn’t get in the pool though, the water was very cold so we decided to spend more time in the jacuzzi.
We had a lot of fun in the jacuzzi . . . over some drinks. The jacuzzi is one of the best places to connect with your partner. . . over intimate conversations. It’s relaxing and something to enjoy when you are looking for something intimate . . . and we did just that. would highly recommend this!
There’s also a boma/lapa area . . . and a tree house with a day bed. Loved the day bed . . . it was very relaxing for us as well.
The One O Eight Place also has a sauna and you have the option to book for the massage. Just make sure you communicate it, preferably when doing your booking, so proper arrangements can be made for you.
And the best part . . . you can enjoy a run or a walk around the Korsman Bird Sanctuary. What could be better than enjoying a walk while enjoying beautiful views?
One O Eight Place: Verdict
One O Eight Place is a beautiful place that can offer you a great staycation in Gauteng. It is a perfect location, just 15 minutes away from OR Tambo, in a safe tranquil place for a staycation.
Staycations are super cool and much needed . . . especially if it’s spontaneous or if you are looking for something close by. We totally enjoyed the One O Eight Place, had an amazing time and we emerged relaxed and rested.
We totally recommend a staycation at the One O Eight Place in Benoni. Go ahead and make that booking . . .Thank me later !
