By Anita Draycott

The Saxon Hotel was originally the residence of the South African businessman Douw Steyn. Before it was converted 11 years ago into the city's most famous boutique hotel, this was Steyn's private home. This is where his friend, South Africa’s late anti-apartheid revolutionary president, Nelson Mandela, stayed while writing his autobiography, The Long Walk to Freedom. Other famous guests include Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger, David Beckham and Princes William and Harry.

The now five-star Saxon Hotel, in Johannesburg’s Sandhurst district,

offers many luxurious suites with butler service, but the grandest of them all is the Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite 600. Next to the Suite, enter the chic Five Hundred restaurant and splurge on the six-course tasting menu with wine pairings. Each dish is a work of art. A brigade of talented chefs performs their culinary magic in an open kitchen in the stylish black room, formerly the bulletproof bedroom of Mr. Steyn.

Photo Credits: Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa